Texting Guide for Emergency Alerts

Emergency alerts require fast delivery, clear wording, and reliable confirmation. SMS is one of the quickest ways to reach people during urgent situations such as system outages, weather threats, or facility closures. TextUs helps teams send verified alerts instantly and track acknowledgments in real time.

How TextUs Fits Emergency Alert Workflows

TextUs Campaigns can distribute urgent notifications to pre-defined contact groups from your CRM, HRIS, or emergency management platform. You can attach PDFs or images such as safety maps, emergency procedures, or weather bulletins to provide context.

Keywords like ACK, HELP, or INFO can route responses automatically, confirming receipt or connecting users to assistance.

Replies appear in the Shared Inbox, where operations or safety teams can see all responses at once. Integrations can sync contact data and acknowledgment records to your system of record. Deliveries, replies, and clicks can be exported as CSVs for documentation and follow-up analysis.

What to Set Up First

Connect your HRIS or CRM so emergency contact lists stay current. Register 10DLC numbers and confirm opt-out handling remains active to comply with carrier requirements.

Define your emergency segments, such as All Employees, Field Staff, Management, and Remote Teams. Prepare message templates for various scenarios, including weather, safety, IT outage, and urgent instructions, and ensure they are approved by leadership and legal.

Assign Shared Inbox monitoring to a 24/7 operations or security role. Ensure everyone understands who owns follow-up actions and escalation steps when replies arrive.

How to Create an SMS Campaign With TextUs

1. Choose your audience: Open Campaigns in TextUs and select a pre-approved list such as “All Employees” or “Remote Team – East.” This can make sure alerts reach everyone affected.
2. Write your message: Keep it direct and actionable. Example: “Emergency notice: [Building/Region] closed due to severe weather. Do not report to site until further notice. Reply ACK to confirm receipt.”
3. Attach media: Add an image of the safety map or a PDF with emergency instructions. Attachments can provide clear next steps.
4. Set up an A/B test: For planned drills, you can test different message styles to find what gets faster acknowledgments.
5. Schedule your campaign: Send immediately for live events or pre-schedule for drills. For multi-location alerts, stagger sends by region to manage reply volume.
6. Create a keyword: Add a keyword like ACK or HELP and reference it directly in your message. TextUs can log acknowledgments automatically.
7. Link to a sequence: Connect the keyword to a two-step sequence. Example: “Step 1: Confirm receipt. Step 2: Follow up with safety resources or check-in form.”
8. Send and monitor: Launch your alert, track acknowledgment rate, and escalate unanswered contacts through alternate channels.

Example sequence messages:

• Step 1 (auto-reply): “Thank you for confirming. Stay safe and await further instructions.”
• Step 2 (reminder): “We have not received your confirmation. Reply ACK if you received the previous emergency alert.”

Segmentation and Personalization Strategy

Segment by location, department, or response responsibility to keep alerts relevant. Groups might include On-Site Staff, Field Personnel, or IT Teams. Exclude inactive or duplicate contacts to reduce noise.

Personalize the message only where necessary; clarity is more important than tone. Example: “Hi {{first_name}}, please confirm you’re safe. Reply ACK.” Avoid long or emotional text; use simple action-based wording.

Update segments regularly to include new employees or contractors. Accurate data ensures the right people receive critical updates.

Template Library for Emergency Alert Scenarios

Prepare a small set of tested templates for different event types. Each one should communicate the situation, action, and confirmation clearly.

• “Emergency alert: [Building/Region] closed due to [Reason]. Follow instructions from your manager. Reply ACK to confirm.”
• “Weather warning: Remain indoors until [Time]. Avoid travel. Reply ACK once safe.”
• “System outage: [Platform] is down. IT is investigating. Reply INFO if your team is affected.”
• “Safety drill in progress. No action needed beyond acknowledgment. Reply ACK when received.”
• “Critical update: [Service/Building] reopening at [Time]. Reply CONFIRM if you can report.”

Review the template performance monthly with compliance. Replace outdated instructions and keep tone factual, not emotional.

Reporting and Attribution Workflow

Export deliveries, replies, and click data from TextUs after each alert. Join the data with HRIS or incident management reports to confirm acknowledgment percentages. Keep campaign name, send time, and region fields consistent.

Measure delivery rate, reply rate, and time to acknowledgment. Use results to refine template language and ensure redundancy plans are effective. Summarize findings in a short post-incident report.

Escalation and Response Handling

When an acknowledgment isn’t received within the expected window, trigger an escalation Sequence or manual call. Assign responsibility clearly within the Shared Inbox so each contact is covered.

Use tags like Emergency, Confirmed, Unresponsive, and Escalated to organize replies. Add short notes explaining actions taken and outcomes for audit purposes.

For confirmed emergencies, route HELP responses directly to safety or HR contacts who can respond immediately.

Managing Replies in the Shared Inbox

All replies can appear in the Shared Inbox, where the emergency team can coordinate responses in real time. The first responder assigns ownership to avoid duplicate work. Templates can help answer standard questions quickly while maintaining consistency.

Add notes before forwarding any thread to security or leadership. Use filters and tags to identify pending acknowledgments. Keep alerts active throughout the incident until all confirmations are received.

Compliance and Deliverability for Emergency Alerts

Use registered 10DLC numbers for all alert campaigns. Keep opt-out handling active so STOP and UNSUBSCRIBE can process automatically. Include “Reply STOP to opt out” in every message to comply.

Avoid multiple links, emojis, or long attachments. Send alerts only through verified channels and maintain updated sender IDs for trust. Keep message length concise for immediate readability.

Store all communications and acknowledgment records for compliance and audit needs. Back up reports regularly in your emergency response archive.

FAQs About Texting Guide for Emergency Alerts

Can I send attachments in emergency messages?

Yes. TextUs allows PDFs, images, and GIFs in both campaigns and one-to-one conversations. Attach relevant safety maps or documents only when they improve clarity.

Can I track who acknowledged the alert?

Yes. Use a keyword like ACK to confirm receipt automatically. TextUs logs replies and timestamps so you can verify response rates and follow up with non-responders.

Can I automate emergency notifications?

Yes. Scheduled or triggered Campaigns can send alerts automatically from your connected system. You can also use Sequences for confirmations and follow-ups.

How does the Shared Inbox help during emergencies?

All replies appear in a single view so teams can manage confirmations, questions, and escalations together. Tags and notes help track which contacts need follow-up.

What metrics should I track after an emergency alert?

Monitor delivery, reply, and acknowledgment times. Export TextUs data for documentation and post-incident analysis. Use this data to refine future communication readiness.