A fine day in your facility suddenly sees a dark turn, when a shooter on loose attacks. Such incidents sound thrilling, but for a facility facing this, it is a dark day. Now, such cases of active shooters often hit the news with much fervor and frenzy, but what exactly do facilities do to stay ready for these?

Lockdown drills? Training students, hospital staff, or mall occupants? That’s hardly enough. The first thing to do when a facility emergency hits is to access emergency documents on the go; to share them with the first responder teams.

Unfortunately, during facility emergencies, the age-old facility management software falls short, when it comes to accessing stored facility data.

The primary reason behind this is, it is web-based and mainly a tool for management. It is not exactly a document storage software that will give instant access to stored emergency preparedness data.

But, do not worry! There is a solution that facility managers can avail to handle emergencies better. It is a smart building software or facility management app.

Today’s blog will discuss the facilities’ emergencies and showcase how a smart building app can be the savior during facility emergencies like active shooters or natural disasters.

Types of Facilities Emergencies

1. Terror Attacks

Over the next year, the United States will likely experience an increase in terrorism. As per CSIS data, white supremacists present the greatest threat, though terrorists inspired by al-Qaeda and the Islamic State could also pose an attack. 

Currently, facilities like government buildings, hospitals, schools and malls face the biggest threats, which can lead to loss of life and assets. Staying prepared is the first goal, and having an emergency preparedness plan is imperative.

But, what good will this plan possibly do, if facility managers and first responders cannot access it instantly on the go? Using the facility management software as mentioned above is not a solution.

Imagine, when the terrorists are raging, would you expect managers to sneak out and sit on their systems to find data?No!

The best solution here is, using a mobile-friendly facilities app, which will allow one to access critical building data on the go and share it instantly with first responders.

Here, the facility management app can be your best bet! It is a mobile-friendly app that provides quick access to critical building data, which can easily and instantly be shared with first responders.

Moving on, here’s another type of facility emergency.

2. Asset Damage and Fire

Facility asset damages during and fire can lead to emergencies. For example, in an ICU, if the HVAC system falters, there can be consistent damage. The faulty ACs can release carbon monoxide during a facility fire, which is highly detrimental to the health of critical care patients.

Not only will the fire stir panic, but the toxic fumes of carbon monoxide can kill patients who are facing a weaker immune system.

In such cases, evacuating these patients to safety is the first task. With the facility management software, delays in getting emergency preparedness data will undoubtedly put the patients at a huge risk.

However, with the facilities management app, building managers can instantly share data like (evacuation routes, emergency equipment, crisis management contacts of first responders, etc.) to the doctors and safeguard these patients, when such crises strike.

Apart from these, other emergencies like pipe leaks, gas leaks, earthquakes, tornadoes and other natural calamities also require instant access to critical building data. Rather than wasting time on getting this data from data repositories or FM systems, acquiring this via the smart building software is the wisest move. 

On that note, let’s know about this facilities management app in detail.

Facilities Management App: A Short Insight

The introduction of smart building technology or facility management apps has made instant access to facility data possible. A mobile-friendly interface is enhanced by the presence of artificial intelligence, contextual search, and machine learning.  

This app provides facility professionals around the world with instant and real-time access to building data.

This app gives professionals the ability to bring a portable plan room with them wherever they may be. 

Scanned data is stored in the cloud by facilities management companies. In this way, facility data is accessible at any time and anywhere using your mobile device. 

A smart building app now makes it simple to access any critical facility data professionals need. By avoiding extra time spent searching for data in plan rooms, facility workers can save time, counter emergencies better and even enjoy additional perks to boost facility productivity.

Features of Facilities Management App

1. Easy-to-Use Interface 

The smart building technology is designed with simplicity in mind, unlike facility management software which can be a little complex for facility professionals. The smart building app makes it easy for anyone to quickly locate specific data stored in a plan room. You might need to locate your facility’s shutoff valve to stop a leak, for example. This app shows you the location in real-time moments of swiping.

2.  Instant and Intuitive

The smart building technology is designed with simplicity in mind, unlike facility management software which can be a little complex for facility professionals. The smart building app makes it easy for anyone to quickly locate specific data stored in a plan room. You might need to locate your facility’s shutoff valve to stop a leak, for example. This app shows you the location in real time within moments of swiping.

3. Compatible, parallelly with FM Systems 

The management of assets, the planning of preventative maintenance, and the handling of work orders are all automated using FM software like CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management Software).

CMMS isn’t very helpful, if assets malfunction or facilities are in a crisis. Additionally, the CMMS is complex, making it difficult for regular workers to access it on the go.

However, smart building software can eliminate this shortcoming of CMMS. A web-based FM system can be combined with this tool to provide instant access to facility data. This way you can boost the best functionalities of the CMMS as well.

Conclusion

As this write-up is at the end, by now you must be aware of the types of facility emergencies, and the right steps to mitigate them on the go. Instant access to critical building data is a matter of life and death, which is why using a smart building app instead of relying on FM systems is a smart move.

Therefore, give the facility management app a try, and boost the functionalities of your FM system while being truly prepared for a building crisis. 

See also: Global Emergency Beacon Transmitter Market Size