On January 11th, 2011 The Brisbane River burst it's banks and rising floodwater entered the streets and buildings of the CBD. There had only been a few hours warning and this had caught many businesses unprepared.

One such company enlisted our help to contact four hundred staff who were located in the flood zone.

In a few hours we were able to set up a crisis communication centre for them using staff contact information imported from their HR system. We sent over 1,000 automated SMS and telephone voice messages to check on the safety of those members of staff and their families.

Almost immediately the replies trickled back in, and within about 45 minutes all but a handful of staff had been safely accounted for; the remaining few were contacted manually and also found to be safe.

The overwhelming response from staff was a feeling of gratitude toward the management team for their concern and action. Many were impressed by the companies ability to take control in a crisis, and this has inspired lasting confidence among the staff who were affected that day.