Purpose

• Phone trees quickly spread brief messages to large numbers of people. Phone tree systems are an efficient tool for many types of groups and can serve important roles in mobilizing individuals in a network.
  
  

Operation

• Coordinators are at the head of the phone tree. When they receive important or critical information they call the next person (or group of people) underneath them on a network. The individuals who were initially contacted by the coordinator will then contact group members who are below them on the network.
  
  

Primary Contact

• Phone trees need a reliable point of contact person to serve as the coordinator. The coordinator's primary job is to be available to start contacting the network group when the need arises.
  
  

Network

• Reliable people must form the phone tree network in order for it to be efficient. This network of people should be available for the most part to quickly pass along important information that they receive from those above them on the phone tree.
  
  

Organizations

• Many different types of organizations use phone trees. Churches, businesses, insurance companies, military groups. law enforcement and educational organizations all can benefit from the use of a phone tree.