Emergency-Ready: How Digital Displays Can Save Lives

The fire alarm sounds. The building trembles slightly. A voice over the intercom announces something about “immediate evacuation,” but the words get lost in the echo of the high-ceilinged lobby.

Confused employees look at each other. Which exit? Where to meet? The printed evacuation map on the wall is from before last year’s renovation. The resulting confusion wastes precious minutes—minutes that matter when safety is on the line.

Workplace emergencies demand clarity exactly when chaos threatens to take over. This is where workplace digital signage steps in, transforming screens in your building into a potential lifesaver.

Digital signage as the emergency information cornerstone

Workplace digital signage (WDS) fundamentally transforms emergency communication by leveraging strategic placement in high-visibility areas where employees naturally gather and move throughout their day.

These displays, already positioned to maximize everyday workplace communication, can instantly convert to emergency beacons during critical situations. With emergency alerts overriding regular content across the entire network, critical information reaches everyone simultaneously in locations they already look to for workplace guidance.

What makes Joan’s WDS truly powerful is its versatility. The same system that delivers wayfinding guidance and welcomes visitors Monday through Friday becomes your emergency alert hero in critical moments.

Joan also seamlessly integrates with your existing infrastructure, eliminating the need for significant upfront investment. Just connect your displays with Joan, and you’re ready to go.

Emergency information use cases

Workplace digital signage excels at delivering various types of emergency information:

Evacuation routes appear instantly on screens throughout your facility, showing clear paths to the nearest exits. The digital format allows routes to update in real-time if particular exits become blocked or unsafe.

Emergency exits and assembly points guidance helps everyone know both how to exit and where to gather afterward, preventing the confusion of dispersed evacuees and helping account for all personnel.

Fire alarm activation points displayed on digital signage ensure people can quickly locate alarms and extinguishers during fire emergencies, potentially containing small incidents before they escalate.

Emergency contact numbers for internal security, external emergency services, and medical assistance appear prominently when needed, eliminating delays caused by searching for this critical information.

First aid stations and AED locations highlighted on digital displays guide people quickly to medical supplies during health emergencies, potentially saving lives during cardiac events where minutes count.

Live emergency alerts provide real-time notifications about developing situations from fires to severe weather, or natural disasters, with information that updates as circumstances change.
Lockdown procedures displayed during security incidents give clear instructions for securing areas, silencing devices, and other safety protocols specific to external threats.

Best places to display emergency information

Strategic placement maximizes the effectiveness of emergency digital signage:

• Building entrances and lobbies provide immediate visibility upon entry, ensuring even first-time visitors understand emergency protocols from the moment they arrive.
• Hallways and intersections represent decision points where people must choose which way to move during evacuations, making them perfect locations for directional emergency guidance.
• Elevators and stairwells serve as critical movement paths during emergencies, with digital displays providing updated information on which routes remain safe to use.
• Reception areas reach visitors who may be unfamiliar with the building layout and particularly vulnerable during emergencies.
• Near workspaces and offices ensures employees receive alerts regardless of whether they’re focused on work with headphones on or in conversation with colleagues.
• Restrooms and washrooms provide captive visibility in areas everyone visits regularly, ensuring maximum exposure to emergency information.
• Kitchenettes and cafeterias reach people in gathering spaces where groups might otherwise share misinformation during developing situations.
• Fitness and recreation areas overcome ambient noise that might mask verbal announcements in spaces where music or equipment sounds are common.
• Warehouses and production spaces address the unique safety considerations of environments with machinery, high shelving, or specialized equipment.

Joan’s WDS in action

Let’s walk through how emergency messaging works with Joan’s WDS, powered by a flexible content management system (CMS) that can run on any display:

Step 1: In the dashboard, users can select from pre-designed emergency templates or create custom alerts.

Step 2: The system allows for high-contrast color schemes, large typography, and clear iconography to ensure emergency messages stand out instantly.

Step 3: Once your alert is ready, you can deploy it instantly across your entire display network or target specific zones based on the emergency type and affected areas.

Step 4: Your emergency alert now appears on all selected displays, delivering life-saving information directly to employees and visitors where they can’t miss it.

Building a safer workplace with Joan

Digital emergency signage represents a fundamental shift from passive safety compliance to active protection of what matters most.

Joan’s workplace digital signage revolutionizes emergency communication. Instead of employees scrambling to locate critical information during emergencies, safety alerts find them, appearing instantly on screens they already view throughout their day. This creates a workplace where life-saving information reaches people exactly when and where they need it most.

Ready to transform how your organization handles emergency communication?

Contact our workplace specialists today to discover how Joan’s digital signage solutions can enhance safety throughout your facility.