Digital Signage for Public Safety: How Smart Screens Can Save Lives

When every second counts, staying informed and connected is crucial. Therefore, when it comes to public safety, digital signage plays an important role. The AI-driven smart screens are more than just displays. They have the ability to capture attention and share information within seconds. Let’s see how.

Governments, especially local ones, can use digital signage for public safety by sharing information about the community, public transportation, PSAs public safety or health initiatives, and any other safety-related messaging.

Hospitals, manufacturing plants, etc. can also ensure the public and employees are safe by using real-time features of digital signages for sharing emergency messaging and protocols via these platforms. The reasons emergency alerts digital signage work well are : 

Speed

Emergency alert digital signage is a crucial factor in providing real-time updates on safety protocols, announcements, and exit plans if necessary. In emergencies or when new safety guidelines are implemented, organizations can change the content displayed on digital signs within seconds to relay urgent information to the public.

Visibility

Digital signage for government and other organizations can show public safety information using video and audio, which is faster and easier to understand than regular signs. Additionally, colors, sounds, and interactive elements make it more visible and attractive than regular signs. When placed strategically, it helps spread the message to the maximum number of people possible, sometimes acting as community information displays.

Relevance

One of the biggest strengths of digital signage is that the screens can be segmented. For instance, if a storm is moving toward a specific section of the coast and you are not sure if enough people will get telephonic notifications in time, you can place signage in strategic places that people often frequent, such as supermarkets and bus stands. That can make evacuation plans, etc., easier to implement.

The message on these screens will differ from those on screens placed at airports, bus stations, and railway lines that usually bring people to these areas so people would know why the mode of transport is not taking them to these areas. This way they won’t make alternate arrangements to come to these places either.

Vital Features to Look for in Digital Signage for Public Safety

Public safety teams have many digital signage options available to help them prepare for and respond to emergencies. When choosing a mass notification vendor, they must consider specific non-negotiable factors.

Advanced Targeting

Regarding public safety, teams sometimes need to broadcast information to quickly minimize the impact on the community. Using AI-driven communication with pre-decided rules and templates can improve the response time during crises, minimizing costly human errors and ensuring appropriate processes are followed.

We recommend finding a vendor that offers different ways to reach residents and responders based on where, how severe, and what type of incident it is. This includes targeting individuals, lists, groups, maps as well as rules.

Software Scalability

When there is not enough capacity, messages can be delayed or fail. Public safety teams need to be able to add capacity easily during public safety events.

Therefore, you should look for a reliable and robust platform to manage the number of notifications you want or might eventually need to send out in one go. Also, note that the more data centers, the better the scalability quotient.

System Availability

Logging into your digital signage vendor’s platform is an essential requirement. However, if you can log in but cannot accomplish the desired task, the service's value is notably reduced. In the case of public safety, human lives are at stake.

Therefore, you should look for a vendor with multiple Network Operation Centers (NOCs) in different locations. This will ensure that services are always available and tasks can be completed as needed.

AI in Digital Signage Could Be a Life Saver (Literally)

From cybersecurity to disaster management, AI-driven digital signage is a boon for emergency alerts, especially when used as community digital displays. 

For example, in disaster management, AI can analyze data from various sources such as satellites, weather stations, and social media to provide early warnings, assess impact, and guide response teams. AI algorithms can accurately predict the storm's path, intensity, and potential evacuation zones in hurricane-prone regions.

Hardly any technology serves communities as well as AI in digital signage when it comes to emergency alerts.

Therefore, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that this holds center stage in digital signage for government and other organizations and the adoption is only set to grow for good.

But there is a catch. Technological abilities need to blend with good decision-making for the most effective communication. Not every vendor can provide that; not every vendor will even have these as their core values. 

That means organizations should know who to partner with. Not every digital signage company will be a good fit for their unique challenges—expertise matters. Core values should be aligned.