HELENA, MT - The MTDOC is exploring a new communications platform to improve its process of alerting department and other key state officials of major incidents at correctional facilities throughout the state.  Invizeon Corp.'s CHAIN system  is an automated notification network that will replace a previous system that relied on a series of phone calls from by officers. CHAIN will be used for "priority one" incidents, which include an escape, death, power outage, suicide, assault, riot, hostage situation or sabotage.

"This system will enable command post staff to spend more time resolving issues in lieu of tracking down the appropriate administrators to ensure the incident is properly reported in a timely manner," Montana State Prison Warden Mike Mahoney. "It will represent a significant improvement in our overall management of critical events."

CHAIN provides interoperable communications across all levels of government and non-government organizations. It transmits a notification to thousands of recipients, depending on the type of incident involved, and can include alerts issued to local law enforcement agencies, other state agencies and even to neighbors near a correctional facility that had an incident.

To help officials determine when and which people were notified, the system requires recipients, who receive alerts via email, and from wireless and land line phones, to acknowledge that they have received the message.