Alert broadcasting to unconfigured communications devices

A method performed by a processor and associated computer memory of an alert broadcasting system for preparing and broadcasting an alert message to a plurality of communications device upon receiving notification of an event from an external system, the associated computer memory comprising one or more databases and the method comprising the following steps:

• monitoring for notification of an event from the external system configured to report said notification;
• storing in the computer memory a specification for each of a plurality of logical locations in association with respective specification of a physical location, one or more said logical locations comprising an intelligent wireless network source accessible to said communications devices at least one of which is a wireless communications device;
• preparing the alert message based on the notification of the event;
• in response to receiving said notification of an event, referencing the computer memory for location and/or distribution list information associated with the event and using said location and/or distribution information to identify the communications devices;
• subsequently retrieving from the computer memory the specification of said one or more logical locations based on the referenced location and/or distribution list information;
• wherein identifying the communications devices comprises detecting at the intelligent wireless network source via said retrieved logical locations said wireless communications device wherein said detecting comprises receiving at the intelligent wireless network source a network connection request originating from the wireless communications device and establishing a connection to the wireless communications device at the intelligent wireless network source;
• and, communicating the alert message to the communications devices.