Community resource management software developed by VisionLink is powering the American Red Cross “Safe and Well” website, which allows victims of disasters like the Joplin tornado to join a registry that tells friends and family they are safe when other forms of communication are disrupted.

VisionLink’s system powers the “Safe and Well” site deployed by the American Red Cross (www.safeandwell.org). The site provides a secure platform for members of communities hit by disasters to register their name in a secure database which family and friends around the globe can access when landline telephones, cell service and other forms of communication are disrupted.

“We have been handling very heavy traffic on the Safe and Well site in the wake of the Joplin tornado,” said Douglas Zimmerman, president and CEO of VisionLink. “On a typical day, we handle a few hundred searches. Thanks to our robust architecture, in the 24 hours following the Missouri tornado, we were able to handle more than 40,000 searches.” Zimmerman also noted that social media outlets such as Twitter and Facebook are helping broadcast disaster information and bringing more visitors to the site than ever before. One Twitter post about the Safe & Well site from the Red Cross Twitter account was re-tweeted more than 1,000 times.

Unlike other sites which also allow registration after disasters like the Joplin tornado, visitors to Safe & Well are only able to access specific registrants after providing some basic information, such as a name, phone number or address. This allows information to be disseminated to appropriate visitors while protecting the privacy of registrants.

Unsurpassed Reliability

During disasters, many channels of communication are disrupted. VisionLink’s robust platform has earned it high praise from customers. The American Red Cross, for example, uses VisionLink products for mission-critical software for client tracking and case management, as well as for the National Shelter System of more than 60,000 disaster shelters responding to some 75,000 disasters each year. During Hurricane Katrina, VisionLink became known as “the one system that did not fail.” 

VisionLink’s CommunityOS(SM), a partnership building software platform deployed across communities and around the world, allows groups to efficiently coordinate services to clients, manage directories of resources, services and assets and coordinate volunteers and communication programs. Integrated analytics, mapping, and social media displays provide real-time outputs.

To learn how to support about Red Cross disaster relief efforts in Joplin, please visit www.redcross.org.