Branch Duress and All-Clear Software for Banks and Credit Unions

For financial institutions, SAFESIGNAL^® integrates seamlessly with SAFESTATUS^® to improve communications and help streamline all-clear and perimeter check procedures at the branch.

Help satisfy risk and compliance concerns with a full reporting of branch opening and closing all-clear procedure activities.

For Banks and Credit Unions:

Protect staff during branch openings and closings.

Enhance Procedures

Improve communication between branch and other staff while enhancing and standardizing existing all-clear procedures.

Auditing and Reporting

Generate reports showing which branches and staff members are conducting all-clear procedures.

Improve Perimeter Checks

Improve communication between staff to make branch openings/closings more efficient.

Allow others to Check In

During an all-clear procedure, improve communication and eliminate staff from being startled because an authorized employee is already on-site (i.e, IT staff working on a server or facility maintenance).

Protect Lone Workers

Utilize Stand By Alerts to provide additional safety measures and peace of mind to lone workers concerned about their surroundings (i.e., walking to personal vehicle late at night).

Assist with Compliance

Assist with compliance for establishing procedures for branch openings and closings as specified in the Bank Protection Act as well as Part 748 of the NCUA Rules and Regulations.

Check In

We know there are times when non-branch staff are authorized to be at the branch after-hours (i.e. IT staff, maintenance staff). This often presents challenges for someone conducting an all-clear check where they have no awareness that an authorized employee is on location.

SAFESIGNAL can eliminate confusion and improve communication between staff by utilizing the Check In functionality.

Perimeter Check

Communication challenges often occur when conducting perimeter checks. At times, unnecessary additional perimeter checks are performed or they are missed entirely.

SAFESIGNAL improves communications between staff by providing an awareness that a perimeter check was completed, who completed it, and the results. Prior to starting an all-clear check, real-time reporting of recent perimeter checks are displayed eliminating the possibility of procedures not being followed.

All-Clear

Branch standards and processes can vary from branch to branch. This can be confusing to staff that relocate temporarily, or when resources are shared between branches.

SAFESIGNAL provides tools to improve communications, promotes a standard, and provides additional protection for opening and closing branches.

SAFESIGNAL not only improves communication and safety at the branch, but also provides specific reporting insight for risk and compliance departments to know which branch locations are following procedures.

Stand By Alert

At any time if your employee is concerned with their surroundings they can initiate a SAFESIGNAL Stand By Alert.

SAFESIGNAL can pro-actively notify emergency contacts as well as company first responders of the concern and an additional notification if the situation escalates. The precise location of the individual is included in communications to provide further assistance.

How It Works

John arrives at the branch and is ready to conduct a branch opening so he opens his SAFESTATUS^® mobile app and selects All-Clear from the SAFESIGNAL menu. SAFESIGNAL immediately lets John know if an employee is in the building and what they are there for (i.e., IT or HVAC maintenance issue) so he won’t be startled when he enters the branch. Additionally, John can see if anyone has conducted a recent perimeter check and if there were any reported issues. When ready, John sets a customizable SAFESIGNAL Timer for 5 minutes and sends a mobile push notification to other branch staff to let them know he is starting an All-Clear Branch Opening procedure.

John enters the main entrance, and upon entering an assailant attacks him, points a firearm at John and demands his phone.

At this point John has several options to get help and notify others of the danger depending on the situation.

If the assailant notices that John has a SAFESIGNAL Timer counting down on his phone he may order John to tap the All-Clear button and report that everything is ok. John taps the All-Clear button and enters his Duress Code that on-screen clears the procedure and visually presents that everything is All-Clear. SAFESIGNAL immediately sends a mobile push notification to all SAFESIGNAL Contacts as well as Administrators at headquarters alerting them that John has entered the Duress Code.

If the assailant chooses to smash or turn off the phone the SAFESIGNAL Timer is still running in the cloud, and upon expiring a mobile notification is immediately sent out in the same manner as above.

Staff receiving the duress notification can quickly enter a real-time group chat and discuss who is taking actions per their crisis management plan for robberies. Other branch staff can be notified via Castatus Crisis Manager to stay away from the branch until the situation is taken care of.

Security staff can activate their cameras and monitor the situation until law enforcement arrives. The assailant is still unaware they have been discovered, but upon exiting the branch the assailant is taken into custody.

The entire incident is automatically logged within Castatus Crisis Manager for auditing purposes or internal review.

CASTATUS^® gives your team one platform for the whole workday: the productivity tools they use every day and the mass notifications you hope they never need.

The Castatus Cloud Feature Guide walks through all modules, from visitor check-in and deliveries to crisis manager and employee safety status, and shows how one login and one contact list help keep your people safe and informed.