Overview
Using Envoy's Emergency notifications feature, admins can collect pre-set responses from recipients to gather real-time data on who might need assistance in an emergency. By default, the responses are "I'm safe" and "I need help," but you can customize them and add additional options. These responses are shown in the Incident log, which can be viewed on the web or on the Envoy mobile app.
Employees can learn how to respond to communications in this article.
Asking for responses
Learn more about how to send an emergency notification from the web dashboard or mobile app.
When sending an emergency notification, you'll see the option to allow recipients to respond. By default, I'm safe and I need help are the two response options listed.
To add more responses on Web:
Check the box next to Emergency message and Ask recipients to respond. Once checked, response options will appear.
To add an additional response, click + Add option.
To edit an existing response, just click your cursor into the text box. The changes save automatically.
You can reorder the responses by using the toggles on the right-hand side.
To change the response category, click on the shield icon and select either Safe or Needs help.
Finish filling out recipients and delivery methods, then click Send now to send your emergency notification.
To add more responses on Envoy mobile:
Available on app versions 5.08.0 and above
While drafting your communication, check the Yes option under Ask recipients to respond.
By default, I'm safe and I need help will populate. To add more options or edit the existing ones, tap + Add response option.
To change the response category, tap on the shield icon to switch between I'm safe and I need help.
Finish filling out the rest of your notification, then tap Send.
Responses are available using every delivery method, making it easy for visitors and employees to respond on any platform.
For these messages that require responses, a follow-up notification will be sent 10 minutes after the initial message to those who didn't respond. A maximum of 2 follow-ups will be sent using the same delivery methods as selected initially.
When combined with two-way chat, recipients will be required to respond before using the chat feature.
Using the Incident log
Web
To access the message sent log on the web dashboard, navigate to Communications > Incident log. Click the message you want to see details for.
Using the dropdown menus, you can filter by status or recipient type (employee, visitor).
Editing responses
Things can change quickly in an emergency. Admins can edit responses on behalf of employees using the incident log. This is especially helpful for admins conducting a roll call at muster points.
Navigate to Communications > Incident log. Click the message you want to see details for.
Click on the ellipses (...) next to the employee response you want to edit. Click Edit responses.
In the response pop-up, you can change the response recorded. Click Update to finalize the response.
Note: You'll only be able to select options different from the current response.
You can repeat this process as many times as needed to ensure accuracy. The incident log will show the most recent edit, and who made it.
Exporting responses
You can export the message response log in CSV format from the web dashboard.
Navigate to Communications > Incident log and select the incident you want to export.
Once in the incident viewer, click Export. Your download will begin automatically.
Open the csv file in your preferred software.
Mobile
Open the mobile app. Your emergency notification should appear on the app's home page, under Announcements.
Tapping the notification will display more details and let you respond if needed.
Tap Manage Emergency to open the mobile incident log.
By default, the Responses tab will open, displaying the incident log.
Editing responses
Navigate to the incident log on the mobile app. You should see a complete list of recipients and their current responses.
Click an employee's name to view more details, including the status of each delivery method and when they responded.
Tap on the ellipses to edit the response. Selecting the response will update the incident log.
Responses after an incident ends
Once an admin ends an incident, all responses are locked.
Recipients can no longer update their own status.
Admins can no longer edit responses on behalf of recipients.
All response data remains visible in the Incident log for audit and compliance purposes.
Note: If you need to capture a last-minute status update, do so before ending the incident.
Admin notifications
When a respondent selects "I need help," a notification is sent to all Emergency Response Team members at the send location, as well as to the sender, to notify them of the response.
For workplaces without an Emergency Response Team, all global and location admins will be notified, in addition to the sender.
FAQ
How many times can you change someone's response?
A response to an emergency notification can be changed as many times as needed while the notification is visible. After the notification is archived, it cannot be changed.
How many times will the notification be sent?
For these messages that require responses, a follow-up notification will be sent 10 minutes after the initial message to those who didn't respond. A maximum of 2 follow-ups will be sent using the same delivery methods as selected initially.