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Send one alarm to several cellphones from a single email

Send one alarm to several cellphones. When a pump won't start at first light, the operator, the supervisor and the electrician all know at once. One alert email reaches every phone on the rule, and whoever is closest goes. Each person gets their own copy, and duplicate numbers are removed.

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  • Each person gets their own text
  • Numbers stay private
  • No per-user fees

Works by email with

  • GE iFIX
  • Pump & lift stations
  • Nurse call & pendants
  • Generator & power

Several phones per alert

Try it: turn it off and on.

1

One phone: only the supervisor knows

3

Three phones: operator, supervisor and electrician each get a copy

On. The phone gets 3 texts.

With Several phones per alert off, the phone gets 1 texts: Welco: [North Reservoir] High lift pump 2 fail to start at 5:51 AM. Reply STOP to opt out. With it on, it gets 3: Welco: [North Reservoir] High lift pump 2 fail to start at 5:51 AM. Reply STOP to opt out. Welco: [North Reservoir] High lift pump 2 fail to start at 5:51 AM. Reply STOP to opt out. Welco: [North Reservoir] High lift pump 2 fail to start at 5:51 AM. Reply STOP to opt out.
Animation: Several phones per alert switched off and on. One phone: only the supervisor knows. Three phones: operator, supervisor and electrician each get a copy.

What a shared alarm changes for a small crew

  • Whoever is closest goes

    Everyone on the list sees the same line at the same moment, so nobody waits for a phone call.

  • One silent phone can't hide it

    A dead battery or a phone left in the truck no longer means the alarm sits unseen.

  • One copy per person

    A number listed twice, or written two different ways, still gets a single text.

  • No group chat noise

    Each text is one-to-one, so nobody sees anyone else's number or reply.

How to send one alarm to several phones in 3 steps

It isn't a group chat. Welco sends each person a normal text from the same email. Like the rest of Welco's features, it runs on the alert email you already send.

  1. Invite each person

    Each person opens an email invite or join link and enters their own cellphone number. They reply YES to one text, and only then do alerts start. See an example join page.

  2. Add them to a rule

    Pick people for an alert rule from the staff who joined. Each rule keeps its own list, so pump alarms and building alarms can reach different people.

  3. Send a test alarm

    Trigger one alarm from your system and watch each phone on the list get its own copy. The feed shows every phone the text went to.

A worked example: a pump that won't start

A water plant's SCADA in a small Saskatchewan town tags alarms by group. When a high lift pump fails to start at first light, three people need to know.

Alert email from ifix-alarms@wtp.example.ca, subject “ALARM: HIGH LIFT PUMP 2 FAIL TO START”. Welco trims it to one text of 92 characters: “Welco: [North Reservoir] High lift pump 2 fail to start at 5:51 AM. Reply STOP to opt out.”

Text received: Welco: [North Reservoir] High lift pump 2 fail to start at 5:51 AM. Reply STOP to opt out.

Characters195921 credit

Animation: the alert email "ALARM: HIGH LIFT PUMP 2 FAIL TO START" is trimmed into one text: "Welco: [North Reservoir] High lift pump 2 fail to start at 5:51 AM. Reply STOP to opt out."

The rule texts the shift operator, the utility foreman and the on-call electrician. All three see the same line, so whoever is closest can go.

Put your whole crew on one alarm

Invite your crew once. After each person joins, every matching alert reaches all of them.

7-day free trial, 15 message creditsCard required for verificationNo charge for 7 daysEmail reminder before billing

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Alarms that usually go to more than one phone

Several phones make sense when one missed buzz would hurt.

How many phones should get each alarm?

For most small crews, two or three phones for critical alarms and one for the rest works well. Texting six people about a minor alarm teaches them to ignore texts.

  • Big lists for critical alarms

    Critical alarms, shift changes and small teams where whoever is closest goes.

  • One phone for routine alerts

    A routine alert sent to six phones uses six message credits, every time it fires.

  • Split the list with rules

    Send pump alarms to three phones and building alarms to two others, each from its own rule.

  • Shrink the list at night

    Pair the list with on-call routing, so nights reach the on-call tech and one backup.

Frequently asked questions

Does texting several phones cost more than texting one?

Yes, a little. Each phone gets its own text, so each copy uses credits. There are no per-user fees, so adding a person only uses credits for the alerts they receive. See pricing for the plans.

Can people on the same list see each other's numbers?

No. Each person gets a normal one-to-one text from the alert number. It isn't a group message, so nobody's number is shown to the others on the list.

What if the same person ends up on the list twice?

Welco removes duplicate numbers from a rule before sending, so that phone gets the alert once. This also covers a number written two ways, such as 416-555-0123 and +1 416 555 0123.

How does a new hire get on an alert list?

Send them an invite. They join with their own cellphone and reply YES to the confirmation text. Then add them to the rule, and every matching alert reaches their phone too. Nobody else on the list has to do anything.

Can the plant manager get only the biggest alarms?

Yes. Put the manager on a second rule that matches only words like CRITICAL or FAIL. The crew's rule still texts them every alarm, while the manager hears about the ones that may need a decision.

Why did one phone miss an alert that the others got?

Open the alert in the feed and read the result for that phone. The usual causes are a phone that was off, a STOP reply, a landline, or a person who never replied YES. The delivery report labels say which one, and each has its own fix.

What happens if one person on the list replies STOP?

Only that phone stops getting texts. Everyone else on the rule keeps getting every alarm.

Get the alarm to everyone who can fix it

Send one invite per person. Once they reply YES, every matching alert reaches the whole crew.

Invite my crewBook a demo

7-day free trial, 15 message creditsCard required for verificationNo charge for 7 daysEmail reminder before billing