Executive Summary
When an emergency occurs on school grounds, there is no margin for miscommunication. Yet many schools still rely on a single channel to deliver critical alerts — a single point of failure means a greater risk to the entire school.
Mount Clear College recognised this vulnerability and took action. By implementing Vivi as part of its Emergency Management Plan (EMP), the school transformed its approach to emergency communication — introducing multiple layers of redundancy, clear visual instructions and device-based alerts.
The result is a faster, more reliable way to reach staff and students when it matters most — and a model that challenges other schools to reconsider whether their own emergency communication systems are truly fail-safe.
The Challenge: Over-reliance on the PA syste
Before implementing Vivi, Mount Clear College relied primarily on its public address (PA) system to communicate emergency alerts across the school. While effective, it created a single point of failure.
For Aidan Edwards, Leader of School Development and IT Services, that reliance on a single communication channel created an uncomfortable risk.
“All it would take would be for one PA amplifier to go out and you’d knock off half the communication for the school.”
Clarity was also a concern. Verbal instructions could be missed or misunderstood, especially in high-pressure situations.
“Prior to Vivi, we weren’t providing clear enough information… we were relying on one source of information.”
Located in a bushfire-prone area (category 2), the school faced heightened risk. Bushfires can escalate quickly and as a school, they need to move quicker.
The Solution: A Classroom Tool Addressed a Much Bigger Risk
Mount Clear College initially began exploring Vivi as a classroom technology platform. But during the evaluation process, Aidan saw an opportunity to address a much more critical issue – emergency communication resilience.
“We looked at Vivi for classroom technology use… but in the back of my mind I had plans for improving redundancy in our emergency alerting process.”
When he discovered Vivi’s emergency alert functionality, the connection became obvious.
“When we discovered the emergency alerting functionality, it essentially solved that issue where Vivi could take over any display that we had in the school. It was a no brainer to implement it.”
With screens installed throughout classrooms and corridors, the school suddenly had access to a network capable of delivering visual emergency instructions instantly.
Compliance also played a role. Vivi’s ST4S approval meant it was already approved for use within Victorian government schools, while single sign-on integration removed barriers for staff adoption.
Building True Redundancy Across Every Channel
Rather than replacing existing infrastructure, the IT team integrated Vivi alongside current systems.
Using API integrations, alerts can now be triggered from a single point and distributed across multiple communication channels simultaneously.
“Someone can trigger an alert that fires across the entire college — through Vivi displays, our door access system and the PA system.”
This approach created the multi-layer redundancy the team had been searching for.
Alert types were also aligned with existing emergency procedures, including lockdowns, evacuations and other incident responses.
The Impact: From Uncertainty to Confidence in Every Emergency
Today, Vivi is embedded across the entire school — from classrooms and corridors to the STEM centre.
The platform supports both everyday communication and emergency preparedness.
Emergency alerts are regularly tested during mandatory drills conducted each term. When an alert is triggered, Vivi overrides displays throughout the school to show clear visual instructions, reinforcing messages delivered over the PA system.
“What’s being said over the PA is summarised and clarified on the screens so staff can quickly see the exact steps they need to take.”
For Aidan, the biggest benefit is the confidence that communication will reach people when it matters most.
“I’m confident knowing that when an emergency is initiated, the message will get out there and there are multiple layers of redundancy.”
Ensuring No One Misses the Message – Even Beyond the Classroom
The college has also begun using Vivi Device Alerts, which send emergency notifications directly to staff laptops.
This provides another layer of redundancy for areas where a PA announcement or display alert might not be noticed.
“If a staff member isn’t in a classroom or can’t hear the PA system, device alerts ensure they still receive the communication.”
Mount Clear College is exploring additional use cases for targeted alerts, including medical emergencies where trained staff can be notified instantly.
A Message for Schools Relying on One System
For Aidan, the recommendation to other education leaders is simple.
“If you’ve got Vivi, it’s a no-brainer to use the emergency alert functionality. Embed it within your emergency management plan.”
By embedding Vivi into both everyday communication and emergency planning, Mount Clear College has eliminated single points of failure — ensuring the platform is always in use and ready to deliver critical messages when seconds count.
Join a Vivi School Tour
To showcase their approach in action—including their emergency communication processes and whole-school connectivity — we will be hosting a Campus Innovation Tour at Mount Clear College on 17 April at 11:00 am AEST. If you would like to attend, please register here: https://www.vivi.io/anz-school-tours/.
