Establishing Alternate Communications

Whether it's redundant phone systems or a call center, don't leave your ability to communicate with companies and customers to chance.

Landlines

• Understand that the phone company’s restoration procedures give priority to businesses like insurance agencies because of their vital role in handling claims for the public. However, for safety reasons, the phone company may need to restore service in a particular order to avoid dangerous spikes in power or additional outages.
• If your phone system is at risk to lose programmed data, follow the recommended back-up procedures for the system and store the back-up in both on-site and off-site locations.
• Know in advance how to switch your incoming telephone calls to another line, both from the switch in your office and remotely, via your telecommunications provider.
• Have the vendor who installed your phone system develop a crossover for your regular phones to an alternative phone line. Document and test it.
• Consider establishing a remote alternative telephone answering service (such as a call center or branch location). A remote call center service could handle the agency’s calls after hours, as well as during emergencies. If authorized by the agency, these vendors can access the agency’s data to answer questions and provide referrals to carrier claims centers.
• Buy some inexpensive phones that you could use to bypass your phone system’s master PBX in the event you get phone service before electric service. You should route an alternative phone line from where it enters the building directly to a phone jack, to which a simple phone set can be attached.

Cell Phones

Cell phones may not be a reliable alternative system. Cell towers may be down, or the sheer volume of cell calls following a disaster may overwhelm the provider’s system.

Consider backup service from a different mobile provider with a strong signal near your office in case your primary carrier is offline. Develop this resource well in advance of any catastrophe.

Consider using a service that can re-route your main office numbers to cell phones in the event you lose your phone service.

Look into cell tower repeaters from your cell provider. These devices act as mini cell towers and may assist your cell users if towers are down. Repeaters use your broadband to work.

Mobile Hotspot

Mobile hotspots are portable devices that use cellular data to access the Internet when there is no Wi-Fi available. While most phones now double as hotspots, a mobile hotspot has its own battery (leaving your phone operational for longer) and a stronger signal, so multiple devices can connect. Like phones, mobile hotspots require a data connection plan with a cellular service provider.

General

Make sure the staff handling calls have been given appropriate scripts and have the most up-to-date carrier claim phone numbers. Establish an escalation procedure, specifying when specific agency personnel should be contacted to respond.