Written by Anneri Fourie | Crises Control Executive
Why Mass Notification Software Can Be the Difference Between Safety and Chaos
Many organisations still rely on outdated methods to communicate during emergencies. These might include group chats, loudspeakers, or even manual phone trees. In normal situations, they’re inconvenient. But during a terrorist threat or other critical event, they can become a serious liability.
Martyn’s Law is being introduced to make sure venues and organisations are better prepared for such events. It places a legal duty on operators to plan for, respond to, and communicate clearly during a major incident. The law highlights something many already know: when a crisis strikes, confusion is dangerous.
But knowing what to do is not the same as being able to do it. Many organisations are asking the same question: How do we actually deliver on these new responsibilities in a way that is effective, fast, and measurable?
This is where mass notification software like Crises Control comes in. It helps you get clear, verified messages to your people instantly, no matter where they are or what device they are using. More importantly, it gives you the tools to show that you’re doing everything Martyn’s Law requires.
Let’s break down how this works and why it matters.
What Martyn’s Law Means for You
Martyn’s Law is named after Martyn Hett, who tragically lost his life in the Manchester Arena bombing. Since then, his mother, Figen Murray, has worked tirelessly to make sure other families never face the same pain.
The law applies to a wide range of public venues, from theatres and nightclubs to shopping centres and stadiums. The idea is simple: if you welcome the public into your space, you must take steps to keep them safe.
Depending on the size of your venue and the number of people it can hold, you may need to:
- Complete terrorism risk assessments
- Train staff in how to respond to attacks
- Develop and maintain a written emergency plan
- Ensure communication during incidents is fast and effective
It’s not about security theatre or ticking boxes. It’s about being genuinely prepared to act.
Why Mass Notification Software Is Essential for Compliance
What It Is and What It Does
Mass notification software allows you to send critical messages to groups of people quickly and across multiple platforms. With one action, you can send alerts through SMS, email, voice calls, app push notifications and even desktop pop-ups.
This type of communication is especially important during a crisis when time is short, emotions are high, and misinformation can spread fast.
How It Supports Martyn’s Law
Under Martyn’s Law, communication is not optional. It is a core requirement. You must show that you have a way to reach your staff and emergency responders reliably, and that you’ve tested and documented how you’ll do this.
Mass notification software gives you a clear, fast and traceable way to do just that. It reduces delays, prevents confusion, and shows a record of who was contacted, when, and how they responded.
Crises Control takes this even further. Let’s look at how it works in practice.
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How Crises Control Helps You Meet the Demands of Martyn’s Law
Crises Control is more than a messaging tool. It is a fully-featured compliance and crisis incident management platform, designed for serious operational resilience. Here’s how it helps you meet each of the key requirements of Martyn’s Law.
1. Reach People Instantly When It Matters Most
During a serious incident, every second counts. Crises Control allows you to:
- Send messages to thousands of users in under a minute
- Use multiple communication channels to increase delivery rates (SMS, Email, Push, MS Teams and phone calls)
- Create automatic message templates for known incident types
- Target messages by group, role, location or custom criteria
Staff can confirm receipt or respond with pre-set replies, so you can track who is safe and who needs help in real time. All of this is captured in an audit log for review later.
2. Keep Your Emergency Plans Actionable and Available
Martyn’s Law requires venues to create and review emergency procedures. But too often, those plans live in Word documents that are hard to access in a real emergency.
Crises Control lets you build those plans directly into the platform. You can link them to specific incident types, update them as needed, and assign steps to specific people or roles.
This means when something happens, your team knows exactly what to do, who is responsible, and how to stay on track. And if plans change, everyone sees the latest version.
3. Run Drills and Capture Results Automatically
Staff training and regular simulations are part of your legal obligations. But organising and tracking these activities manually is time-consuming and prone to error.
With Crises Control, you can:
- Schedule and run training exercises from the platform
- Send automated reminders to staff
- Monitor participation and response times
- Log all activity for compliance records
These features turn training from a once-a-year chore into a continuous improvement process. They also help you show evidence of preparedness, which regulators will expect.
4. Integrate with Your Existing Systems for Faster Response
Crises Control is designed to work with your existing tools. You can integrate it with:
- CCTV and access control systems
- Fire alarms and sensors
- HR platforms and contact directories
This means certain types of events can trigger alerts automatically, without human input. It also allows you to keep user lists up to date and make sure alerts always reach the right people.
It’s Time to Leave “Good Enough” Behind
Many organisations still believe that having a printed emergency plan and a WhatsApp group is enough. But Martyn’s Law changes the standard. It asks not just if you have a plan, but how well that plan can be put into action under pressure.
Crises Control helps you go beyond basic compliance. It provides tools that actually make you safer, faster and more coordinated in a crisis. It also gives you the documentation and audit trails that regulators, insurers and stakeholders will expect.
Crises Control: Designed to Grow With You
No two organisations are the same. That’s why Crises Control is built to be flexible. Whether you run a single venue or a national estate, you can:
- Choose the features that match your needs
- Add new users or departments as you grow
- Customise notifications, escalation paths, and integrations
It also supports GDPR compliance and keeps data secure using UK-based hosting and strong encryption. With a mobile-first approach and dedicated UK support, it is built for how teams actually work today.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Martyn’s Law isn’t just another regulation. It is a wake-up call for everyone responsible for public safety. The law will hold venues to a higher standard, and rightly so. But with the right technology, meeting that standard doesn’t have to be difficult.
Crises Control gives you the tools to meet the letter of the law and the spirit of it too. You can protect your people, stay compliant and respond quickly and confidently when it matters most.
Get in touch today to book a free demo and see how Crises Control can support your Martyn’s Law strategy.
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