Make one announcement, reach everyone: broadcast alerts across multiple radio channels
In a busy school, leisure centre, warehouse or security site, people are spread out. Some are on reception, some are in offices or classrooms, some are outside, some are moving between areas. Radios help teams stay in touch, but there is a common problem: different groups often use different channels.
That is fine day to day, until you need to reach the right people quickly.
The problem (and why it matters)
When something changes fast, you do not want to:
- Ring around departments
- Hope someone relays the message correctly
- Switch channels and repeat yourself
- Waste time working out who is listening where
You want one clear instruction, delivered quickly, to the people who need it.
A simple solution: broadcast announcements (voice, text or both)
We have developed a feature that allows a selected member of staff to send a broadcast message to users on different radio channels.
In plain terms: one person triggers a message once, and multiple groups can receive it, even if they are normally on different channels. Depending on what suits your site, you can set up broadcast as voice, text or both options. Voice and text are triggered separately, so staff can choose the right one in the moment.
Where appropriate, users can have dedicated buttons for voice broadcast and text broadcast (where supported), so the right message can be sent quickly under pressure.
How it can be set up (options you can choose)
1) Choose who is allowed to send a broadcast
You may want only certain roles to be able to make an all-team announcement, for example:
- Senior leadership, duty managers or supervisors
- Reception or control room
- Site management and security
Or, if you prefer, the feature can be available to all users.
2) Choose who receives the broadcast
Not every message needs to go to every radio. You can choose:
- All users receive it
- Only selected users receive it (for example, managers, first aiders, fire marshals, site team)
This is useful if you want a calm escalation path: the right people hear the alert first, then act.
3) Make the broadcast channel ‘receive only’
A common worry is: “What if someone talks over the announcement?”
We can set the broadcast channel so that some or all radios can only receive on that channel. That means:
- The message comes through clearly
- Fewer interruptions
- Less chance of confusion
4) Reduce accidental use with a long-press action
Emergency features should be quick, but they should not be triggered by mistake.
We can protect the broadcast feature behind a long-press button action, so it only activates when someone deliberately holds the button for a set time.
Real-life scenarios (a few examples)
Example 1: A site-wide alert (schools, offices, public buildings)
A safeguarding or security concern is reported near the front entrance. A designated person triggers a broadcast:
“Lockdown. Lockdown. Lockdown. Please move inside. Await further instruction.”
The message reaches the right radios across different channels without anyone needing to switch channels, repeat the message or relay it.
Example 2: A safety instruction (warehouses, factories, events)
A vehicle incident blocks a loading bay. You need to stop foot traffic and redirect staff quickly:
“All staff. All staff. All staff. Do not use Bay 3. Use Bay 1. Supervisor to attend.”
Example 3: A service update (leisure, hospitality, facilities)
A plant room issue means an area must close immediately:
“Poolside. Poolside. Poolside. Pool closed now. Please clear the area and report to reception.”
In each case, the benefit is the same: one clear message, delivered quickly, without confusion.
Key benefits (why managers like it)
- Speed: one message, delivered immediately
- Clarity: fewer relayed messages, fewer mistakes
- Control: decide who can send and who can receive
- Reduced disruption: receive-only options keep announcements clear
- Flexible setup: can be tailored to your site layout and roles
- Supports duty-of-care: helps teams act together during time-critical situations
Important note about compatibility (and why we ask a few questions)
This feature is available on specific radios and needs to be set up correctly to match your team structure.
In some limited cases, it may be possible to add a similar setup to existing radios, but most organisations achieve this by upgrading to compatible radios.
If budgets are tight, that does not always mean a full replacement on day one. In many cases, we can:
- Recommend a complete replacement for a clean, consistent setup, or
- Plan a partial migration (upgrade the key users first), with an end goal to move the full team over time
The right approach depends on what you have today and what you need the system to do. We’ll recommend the most suitable upgrade options from our range, including a phased plan if needed.
Want to see what this could look like for your team?
Use the contact form on this page to request more information.
To help us respond quickly, please include:
- Your organisation type (school, leisure, warehouse, security, etc.)
- Rough number of radios/users
- Whether you want all-staff broadcast or managers-only
- Whether you prefer voice, text or both
- The situations you are most concerned about
We will come back with clear, plain-English guidance and a practical recommendation, including the best upgrade path for your budget.
Complete this form to get more information today:
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is a broadcast alert on a two-way radio? A way for one person to send a voice announcement or text alert to multiple users, even if they are on different channels.
- Can the broadcast be voice, text or both? Yes. You can set up voice broadcast, text broadcast or both options (where supported). Voice and text are triggered separately, so staff can choose the right one when needed.
- Who can be allowed to send a broadcast message? You can limit it to selected roles (for example, managers, reception or security) or allow it for all users.
- Can only certain people receive the broadcast? Yes. You can choose whether everyone receives it, or only selected users such as supervisors or key staff.
- Can you stop people talking over the broadcast? In many setups, the broadcast channel can be made receive-only for some or all radios to keep messages clear.
- How do you prevent accidental activation? The feature can be set behind a long-press action so it only triggers when someone deliberately holds the button.
- Will this work on our existing radios? Sometimes, but only on certain models. In most cases, organisations get this feature by upgrading to compatible radios.
- Do we need to replace all radios at once? Not necessarily. If budgets are tight, you can upgrade key users first and migrate the rest over time.