How 311/CRM Software Has Transformed Natural Disaster Relief
Hurricanes, wildfires, and other natural disasters can cause considerable chaos to your community. The communication of immediate relief efforts alone can be overwhelming, complicated and can cause more damage to the environment if not handled properly and efficiently.
While CRM software is most commonly utilized for non-emergency service orders, citizen enagement, case tracking and reporting, it can also be useful in the event of a natural disaster. By leveraging the communiation and geo-tracking capabilities of a CRM software solution, emergency management officials can be more equipped to help communities prepare and recover from natural disasters.
Easier Citizen Submissions & Communication Following a Natural Disaster
Software solutions can play a vital role in streamlining recovery efforts and geting residents and businesses back on their feet.
CRM/311 software empowers citizens to report damage on their property and around the community through their mobile device. With a CRM solution, citizens can submit reports of property damage through a portal that can be accessed by all government departments. Not only does this eliminate the need for stressed citizens to fill out paperwork or go to a government office in the wake of a disaster, but it frees up government staff from taking phone calls and manually entering the information into a database and finding the right people to work on it.
With features like photo and video attachments and location tagging, it's also easier for citizens to provide all the relevant details up front, providing a fuller picture for staff and reducing the need for follow-up. Through automatic notifications, staff can easily communicate with citizens and businesses on the status of clean-up and relief efforts through email or text, eliminating communication barriers and keeping everyone in the loop.
Geo-Target Regions in the Path of Natural Disasters
311/CRM software helps make data-backed, informed decisions on where to send relief teams first and what kind of aid they may need. Functionality like real-time mapping that leverages GIS technologies allows emergency management professionals to check community safety and monitor cleanup progress. Based on citizen submissions, government employees can map what part of the community was most impacted and what kind of damage has occurred in the area – blocked roadways, flooding, powerline or tree damage.
With these insights, municipalities can more accurately assess whether citizens are in danger, and rescue workers can map out and prioritize assistance to areas with the greatest potential risk or greatest concentration of people.
Gather Data to Support Natural Disaster Relief Funding
Natural disasters can be catastrophic to recover from. The financial burden to rebuild damaged infrastructure and properties around the community can be millions, if not billions of dollars.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, weather-related disasters can produce losses of more than $1 billion each.
311/CRM software can help cities that have been affected by natural disasters collect data and reports to secure relief funding and discounts on insurance premiums to rebuild the community.
Real-Life Success: Sedalia, MO Uses 311 Software to Document Flood Damage
In June 2022, Sedalia, MO had torrential rainfall and flash flooding that caused severe damage in the community. The mayor issued a Disaster Declaration and directed residents to the Comcate customer portal to submit documentation with pictures and descriptions of the damage to the city.
Sedalia used Comcate’s 311/CRM product to manage, report and document the submissions coming from citizens to request insurance claims and relief funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
“We received 107 citizen submissions from the incident. We were able to compile incident locations for the Public Works Department, communicate back to citizens regarding their claim, and easily send information to insurance,” said the Administrative Assistant for the City of Sedalia. She continued, “All-in-all it was a pretty seamless process. Comcate made it much easier for us to navigate and we are thankful to have Comcate to help us through the crisis.”
For an example of how Sedalia utilized their customer portal for more streamlined disaster relief, check out the city’s flood damage information submission process on their website.
Don’t Wait until Disaster Strikes
A CRM software solution can be a powerful tool in the wake of a natural disaster, but it’s also pretty useful in non-emergency times as well. By automating many of the tasks in receiving citizen submissions, assigning work, and communicating status between involved parties, a CRM software solution can make fixing damage of all kinds to city property much easier.
Want to learn more about how a CRM/311 software solution could benefit your city? Schedule a call with Comcate today.
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Learn how Comcate can help make government delivery simple, and offer a modern digital experience to help you increase transparency, efficiency, and performance across your departments. If you have any questions about implementing our software, please fill out the form below or call us directly at (415) 632-1248.
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