📩 Changing Emergency Contacts in EPIC from 1.8 to 2.5+ Style
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Move Emergency Contacts from 1.8-Style Events to 2.5+ Contacts

Quick Reference QR-AE-005 · Audio Enhancement EPIC · Rev 1.0 · Sept 2026

After upgrading to EPIC 2.5 or later, move notification recipients out of the old event actions and into Contacts.

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Written by: Brad Roy, VSC Director of Operations · Verified against: AE EPIC 2.5 Admin Manual (DC-40654.0824); EPIC Release Notes · Applies to: Servers upgraded from EPIC 1.8–2.4 to 2.5 or later

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Do this before editing any events. AE: when migrating from a version prior to 2.5, notification events must be manually migrated to a contact list and then added to events. If administrators edit events after updating to 2.5 prior to migrating contacts, event contacts may be lost.

1️⃣ Remove the old recipients

  1. Log into EPIC. Go to Settings › Events › Advanced.
  2. Open the event drop-down and select your event. This example uses SAFE Alert.
  3. Find the action that holds recipients: sendEmail (email) or sendSms (text).
  4. Click the edit pencil, select all of the recipients and delete them.
  5. Click Update Action. Repeat for each event that sends email or text.

Settings › Events. The Advanced button is at the top right.

Settings › Events. The Advanced button is at the top right.

Advanced › the sendEmail action. Clear Enter Recipient, then click Update Action.

Advanced › the sendEmail action. Clear Enter Recipient, then click Update Action.

2️⃣ Create your contacts

  1. Go back to the regular Event Builder by clicking Events at the top, then click Contacts.
  2. Click Add Contact and fill in the name, email, mobile number and job title.
  3. Pick the Contact Group(s). The group decides which notifications a contact receives.
  4. Click Add Contact.

Contact group

Who belongs in it

School

Principals and building-level administrators

District

Neighboring building principals (if not using District View), SROs, superintendents, operations

Support

People who know EPIC's back end. Typically used for system-monitoring events, like devices going offline.

Events › Contacts › Add Contact. Pick the group(s) and click Add Contact. The mobile number is redacted.

Events › Contacts › Add Contact. Pick the group(s) and click Add Contact. The mobile number is redacted.

3️⃣ Add a Messages action to each event

  1. Go back to the Event Builder (the arrow left of Contacts, or Events at the top).
  2. Click the event to notify on, e.g. SAFE Alert.
  3. Scroll down, open Immediate Actions (also labeled Then these actions will happen) and choose Messages – Send text and email notifications.
  4. Select the Contact Group(s) that should receive it.
  5. Edit the Email Subject and Message if you want. The defaults are good. Insert tags (variables) as needed.
  6. Set when it runs. Start with previous runs it at the same time as the action above.
  7. Scroll to the top and click the green Save button.

Event

What triggers it

SAFE Alert

Paired alert: the person pressed both sides of their own microphone, or a SAFE button was pressed

SAFE Alert – non-paired

Both sides of a microphone pressed outside its own room, or both sides of a badge. Starts triangulation on the front-office kiosk.

Immediate Actions › Messages – Send text and email notifications.

Immediate Actions › Messages – Send text and email notifications.

The Messages action: contact group, subject, message, insert tags, and Start with previous.

The Messages action: contact group, subject, message, insert tags, and Start with previous.

Message variables (insert tags)

Tag

What it inserts

{schoolName}

School name (e.g. VSC High School)

{roomName}

The Room Name from Map Setup (not the Display Name)

{eventName}

Name of the event (e.g. SAFE Alert)

{deviceName}

Device name set in Devices (e.g. VHS-105-MS700)

{mapName}

Map name: usually the building, or a floor or section

{zoneName}

Zone name (listed in EPIC's binding variables)

{ip}

Device IP address (listed in EPIC's binding variables)

{dateTimeOfEvent}

Date and time the event was triggered

{emailActionUrl}

Link back to EPIC. For a SAFE Alert it can offer escalation to Lockdown (VSC understanding).

{alertName}

Alert name. Usually the same as {eventName} (VSC understanding).

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Won't save? If EPIC reports missing fields or invalid data, check the entries outlined in red. Sometimes default entries are there with no values. Delete them and save again.

📚 Sources & credits

  • Procedure and field notes: Brad Roy, VSC Director of Operations (demo: VSC High School)
  • Audio Enhancement, EPIC Release Notes 2.5.4.2 through 3.2.5: pre-2.5 contact migration warning
  • Audio Enhancement, EPIC 2.5 Admin Manual DC-40654.0824: Contacts and contact groups (p. 70), Messages action (p. 66)
  • EPIC Advanced action editor, Binding Variables list (screenshot 9/16/2025)

Source files: SharePoint › Odoo › Quick Reference › VSC Guides › Audio Enhancement › QR-AE-005.