In Depth

Crisis Connections

With good planning, Web and mobile technologies can help find and inform employees in the event of a disaster. A global company shows how.

By Susannah Patton

That will change. Messineo and his IT team are now working to allow BlackBerry and cell phone users to send text directly to the IRS. This involves new coding that will accept BlackBerry messages as real-time updates. By the third quarter of this year, if a hurricane hits, a power line goes down or a bomb explodes anywhere where Gale does business, its employees will be able get in touch with the IRS instantly, Messineo says, from any device.

Although McCrae hopes there won't be a next time, he believes his experience in the hours following the bombings taught him some key lessons.

"It's important to imagine how you would respond to a wide range of crises," he says. "Then, you've got to have a system that will allow you to communicate using multiple devices. If you have flexibility, you have a much better chance of finding your employees and making sure that your property and systems are in place."

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