Photo: Tiia Monto 2017 (Wikipedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0)
In September 2023, the Vesanka daycare school tested its crisis plan in practice, as well as the functionality of cooperation with authorities through the Secapp system.
In Central Finland, a local defense exercise was held in September 2023, involving the defense forces, police, fire and rescue services, Securitas, and the City of Jyväskylä. In connection with the defense exercise, the crisis exercise of the Vesanka daycare school was conducted in collaboration with the police, fire and rescue services, Avarn Security, Jyväskylä Region Public Transport, and the psychosocial support and crisis group of the wellbeing services county. A central collaboration partner was the Kiponniemi Activity Center which served as an evacuation center, and participants from the city organization included the city communication, service managers, and the local public food service provider, Kylän Kattaus.
– Usually, school evacuation drills end when people have been evacuated to the assembly point. In reality, that’s when the actual organization of the crisis situation begins. At the Vesanka daycare school, the entire personnel, about 60 daycare children, and 190 pupils participated in the exercise. Naturally, we also cooperated with the pupils’ guardians throughout the day, explains Joel Linna, the principal of Vesanka daycare school.
During the exercise, the daycare school used Secapp for alerting and communication among the personnel of the school and external parties, as well as for conveying and creating situational awareness.
With Secapp, all exercise participants were reached in real time
A clear plan and schedule had been created for the exercise day: it was an imaginary bomb threat and evacuation situation that would begin when a suspicious and unknown vehicle is noticed in the daycare school’s yard. The goal was to evacuate the school and transport the pupil groups by bus to the evacuation center, where the school day would be organized exceptionally.
During the exercise, Secapp was conveniently used on the mobile devices of the personnel. It was used to alert all relevant users about the situation, including the school’s personnel, service managers of Jyväskylä, city communication, and the director of department. The high-priority Secapp alert bypasses the phone’s silent mode, providing a strong notification that ensured that the information about the crisis situation reached the intended individuals immediately.
In addition to alerting, Secapp was used to convey the development of the situation and to create a diary about the progress of the situation, where the actions taken can be viewed retrospectively. Through Secapp, different situational information was transmitted, for example, about the presence of pupils and the arrival of the first bus to the evacuation center. Secapp’s quick response feature, which can require respondents to respond immediately (OK/NOK), for example, based on whether they are present at the building, supported the creation of a situational picture. This way, a rapid overview of who was involved in the evacuation situation could be made.
– Secapp worked flawlessly during the exercise and helped us reach all exercise participants. The development of the situation was communicated to everyone in real time and through Secapp, the personnel received the needed instructions, Linna describes.
Thanks to good preparation and planning, the exercise day, including the transitions, was successful and received praise from various parties.
Secapp helps succeed in a critical situation in the best possible way
Secapp is utilized by all members of the Vesanka daycare school community: school and daycare personnel, cleaners, the Kylän Kattaus food service, librarian, and school nurse. Secapp is used for sending out the most common alerts, including evacuation and fire alarms, shelter-inside situations, child disappearance or search, and “I need help” requests. It is also used for sharing information about safety notifications concerning the whole facility. The most common operating instructions, along with the unit’s floor plan, and an area map have been downloaded into Secapp Files.
– In developing safety culture, the most important thing is to take care of the big picture. I like to refer to it as the safety ecosystem. Secapp is an important part of communication during a critical situation and together with solutions like Turvakaappi and Säppi, as well as various practiced protocols, it forms a system, where each component has been carefully considered.
In safety management, plans must be in order and the big picture under control. In the end, however, the “last mile is what matters”. The outcome significantly depends on how well the individuals at the end of the safety chain handle their tasks in critical situations. Secapp helps us all succeed in the best possible way, Linna praises.
Secapp connects all personnel within the educational institution
Before Secapp, the daycare school didn’t have any common system for reaching the entire personnel, apart from announcements. Nowadays the use of Secapp is practiced regularly during the school’s safety drills, and it is ensured that the personnel stays familiar with using the system. When the use of the system is practiced, it works well in its purpose. In the feedback from the personnel regarding this exercise, the importance of regular practice of applications and tools was emphasized.
“Secapp’s absolute strength is that it connects all users of the institution to the same electronic system. This way, the situational picture of safety can be delivered to everyone. Everyone knows what is going on and what the plan is. My hope is for Secapp to become a part of everyday life in all schools and daycare centers.”
Photo: Tiia Monto 2017 (Wikipedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0)
In September 2023, the Vesanka daycare school tested its crisis plan in practice, as well as the functionality of cooperation with authorities through the Secapp system.
In Central Finland, a local defense exercise was held in September 2023, involving the defense forces, police, fire and rescue services, Securitas, and the City of Jyväskylä. In connection with the defense exercise, the crisis exercise of the Vesanka daycare school was conducted in collaboration with the police, fire and rescue services, Avarn Security, Jyväskylä Region Public Transport, and the psychosocial support and crisis group of the wellbeing services county. A central collaboration partner was the Kiponniemi Activity Center which served as an evacuation center, and participants from the city organization included the city communication, service managers, and the local public food service provider, Kylän Kattaus.
– Usually, school evacuation drills end when people have been evacuated to the assembly point. In reality, that’s when the actual organization of the crisis situation begins. At the Vesanka daycare school, the entire personnel, about 60 daycare children, and 190 pupils participated in the exercise. Naturally, we also cooperated with the pupils’ guardians throughout the day, explains Joel Linna, the principal of Vesanka daycare school.
During the exercise, the daycare school used Secapp for alerting and communication among the personnel of the school and external parties, as well as for conveying and creating situational awareness.
With Secapp, all exercise participants were reached in real time
A clear plan and schedule had been created for the exercise day: it was an imaginary bomb threat and evacuation situation that would begin when a suspicious and unknown vehicle is noticed in the daycare school’s yard. The goal was to evacuate the school and transport the pupil groups by bus to the evacuation center, where the school day would be organized exceptionally.
During the exercise, Secapp was conveniently used on the mobile devices of the personnel. It was used to alert all relevant users about the situation, including the school’s personnel, service managers of Jyväskylä, city communication, and the director of department. The high-priority Secapp alert bypasses the phone’s silent mode, providing a strong notification that ensured that the information about the crisis situation reached the intended individuals immediately.
In addition to alerting, Secapp was used to convey the development of the situation and to create a diary about the progress of the situation, where the actions taken can be viewed retrospectively. Through Secapp, different situational information was transmitted, for example, about the presence of pupils and the arrival of the first bus to the evacuation center. Secapp’s quick response feature, which can require respondents to respond immediately (OK/NOK), for example, based on whether they are present at the building, supported the creation of a situational picture. This way, a rapid overview of who was involved in the evacuation situation could be made.
– Secapp worked flawlessly during the exercise and helped us reach all exercise participants. The development of the situation was communicated to everyone in real time and through Secapp, the personnel received the needed instructions, Linna describes.
Thanks to good preparation and planning, the exercise day, including the transitions, was successful and received praise from various parties.
Secapp helps succeed in a critical situation in the best possible way
Secapp is utilized by all members of the Vesanka daycare school community: school and daycare personnel, cleaners, the Kylän Kattaus food service, librarian, and school nurse. Secapp is used for sending out the most common alerts, including evacuation and fire alarms, shelter-inside situations, child disappearance or search, and “I need help” requests. It is also used for sharing information about safety notifications concerning the whole facility. The most common operating instructions, along with the unit’s floor plan, and an area map have been downloaded into Secapp Files.
– In developing safety culture, the most important thing is to take care of the big picture. I like to refer to it as the safety ecosystem. Secapp is an important part of communication during a critical situation and together with solutions like Turvakaappi and Säppi, as well as various practiced protocols, it forms a system, where each component has been carefully considered.
In safety management, plans must be in order and the big picture under control. In the end, however, the “last mile is what matters”. The outcome significantly depends on how well the individuals at the end of the safety chain handle their tasks in critical situations. Secapp helps us all succeed in the best possible way, Linna praises.
Secapp connects all personnel within the educational institution
Before Secapp, the daycare school didn’t have any common system for reaching the entire personnel, apart from announcements. Nowadays the use of Secapp is practiced regularly during the school’s safety drills, and it is ensured that the personnel stays familiar with using the system. When the use of the system is practiced, it works well in its purpose. In the feedback from the personnel regarding this exercise, the importance of regular practice of applications and tools was emphasized.
“Secapp’s absolute strength is that it connects all users of the institution to the same electronic system. This way, the situational picture of safety can be delivered to everyone. Everyone knows what is going on and what the plan is. My hope is for Secapp to become a part of everyday life in all schools and daycare centers.”
