Broadcasting to a Group

The broadcast feature lets you send a message from the badge to entire group.

Broadcasting is different from calling a group:

Recipients of a broadcast may cancel it by pressing the Call button during the broadcast. Recipients may also respond to everyone in the broadcast group by pressing and holding the Call button before the broadcast ends.

The following table summarizes the commands you use to communicate in a broadcast:

Action Recommended Commands

Initiate a broadcast to a group

Broadcast to Tech Support.

Initiate an urgent broadcast to a group

Urgently broadcast to Tech Support. *

Initiate an urgent broadcast to the emergency broadcast group

Double-click the Call button.

Initiate an urgent broadcast to the emergency broadcast group

Press and hold the Hold/DND button.

Initiate an urgent broadcast to the emergency broadcast group

Not supported

Initiate an urgent broadcast to the emergency broadcast group

Double-tap Call.

Cancel a broadcast

Press the Call button while listening to the broadcast.

Choose the Vocera Call Button command while listening to the broadcast.

Tap End Call while listening to the broadcast.

Reply to everyone
  1. Press and hold the Call button before the broadcast ends.
    • When it is OK to talk, the device plays a chime.

    • If somebody else has already started to reply, you hear a warning sound.

  2. Begin speaking.

    Everyone in the broadcast group hears you immediately.

  3. When finished, release the Call button.

    Everyone in the broadcast group hears a chime, letting them know they can now reply.

  1. Press any key from 1 through 9.
    • When it is OK to talk, the device plays a chime.

    • If somebody else has already started to reply, you hear a warning sound.

  2. To end your reply, press any key from 1 through 9 again.

Not supported

  1. Touch and hold Push To Talk before the broadcast ends.
    • If it is OK to talk, you hear a beep. Other users also hear a beep to indicate that a reply is starting.

    • If somebody else has already started to reply, you hear a chirp.

  2. Begin speaking.

    Everyone in the broadcast group hears you immediately.

  3. When finished, release the Push To Talk button.

    Everyone in the broadcast group hears a chirp, letting them know they can now reply.

You cannot initiate a broadcast to a group that is already receiving one. The Genie prevents you from starting the second broadcast, but it allows you to join the broadcast in progress (if you are a member of that group), or it tells you to try later (if you are not a member of that group). An urgent broadcast to a group that is already receiving a broadcast will always break in.

If you are already listening to one broadcast when someone attempts to include you in another broadcast, you receive the call waiting tone. Similarly, you receive the call waiting tone when someone calls you while you are receiving a broadcast. For more information, refer to Call Waiting.