It is now easier than ever for people to contact them in this digital age, with millions of people having cell phones and other digital communication devices.

What if you need to reach out to hundreds, or even thousands of people simultaneously? This is becoming easier.

The use of mass notification systems is increasing in popularity, and for good reason. John Rodkey, TechRadium’s vice president of government affairs, marketing, said that there are numerous threats, such as terrorist attacks and school shootings. It is important to have systems that instantly notify citizens of emergency situations. IRIS stands for Immediate Response Information System. The Texas-based company creates mass notification systems.

While school boards and municipalities decide which mass notification systems are implemented, Rodkey states that individuals play an important role in encouraging schools and counties to adopt them. But what are the key characteristics that make a mass notification system worthwhile?

Rodkey points out that the versatility of a system to transmit an emergency message is probably the most important quality citizens should emphasize to their local authorities.

The IRIS system has the ability to send voice and SMS alerts via cell phones, pagers, fax machines, e-mail, PDAs, pagers, and PDAs. If one device doesn’t respond, the system automatically attempts another until contact is established.

Citizens must also ensure that their schools and counties have a system that allows for communication in multiple languages to enable emergency notifications to be sent out to diverse populations.

Rodkey says mass notification systems are more useful than being used for emergency purposes. TechRadium’s system was not designed for emergency notification. However, it can be used to send out routine school announcements and notices about traffic delays in cities.

Visit www.amazon.com for more information www.useiris.com.