Parent Emergency Communication System (PECS) FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about PECS

What is PECS?

PECS is the parent emergency communication tool within CatapultEMS.  You can use it during an Action Alert (Code Red) to communicate with students' parents/guardians.

Do I currently have access to PECS?

PECS is an add-on feature. Contact your Customer Success Manager to add the ability to contact families during an emergency.

How do I communicate with families with PECS?

PECS is a messaging tool. You can communicate with parents via email, text, CatapultCMS website announcement feed, CatapultCMS website pop-up, emergency website, Catapult District Branded App, Twitter, and  Facebook.

Can I communicate back and forth with families?

PECS does not have two-way communication functionality.

Is there a limit to the number of update notifications that I can send?

You can send emergency updates to parents twice: once at the initiation of PECS, and once at the resolution. 

Is PECS available to all sites?

PECS is available to users assigned to the District Safety Team. Site Safety Team members may have access to send messages if permitted by the district. 

Am I able to use PECS when not in an Action Alert?

PECS is only able to be used during a live Action Alert (Code Red).  To communicate with families outside of an emergency, we have CatapultCONNECT. Contact our sales team at sales@catapultk12.com to add the feature.