MASS NOTIFICATION
A look into the technologies, services and solutions shaping the market
Are you prepared to Communicate in an Emergency?
Mass Notification has been at the forefront of many discussions. Emergency situations have been popping up everywhere, even in Canada. The standards for commercial buildings in Canada have changed (NFPA 72 / UL 2572) and it is now important to have a reliable Mass Notification System (MNS) installed in public facilities. MNS improves the safety, confidence and well being of the patrons and employees of the facility by providing clear, intelligible sound (instruction/information) throughout a facility during an emergency, or during times when it is important to communicate to the patrons within the facility. The system aids in the execution of emergency plans, procedures and communications to everyone within the building, helping to maintain order and reduce the loss of life and prevent serious injury.
It is crucial to be able to communicate critical information (live or pre-recorded) intelligibly throughout a facility in a quick and efficient manner so that the message reaches everyone within the facility. MNS works in conjunction with PA Systems and Life Safety Systems. Internal building MNS should incorporate, PA/Intercom systems, fire voice systems, network PC’s, CCTV systems, Flat panel or LED displays, and phone systems. Ideally, wide Area MNS would consist of an outdoor public address, giant voice speaker systems, sirens and strobes, electronic signage, emergency call stations, and CCTV systems. MNS should also include a form of distributed recipients, including cell phones and SMS (text) messaging, pagers, personal email, hand held radios, instant messaging, or computer pop-ups.
MNS will be important in facilities where large crowds of people regularly gather. These venues include (but are not limited to) educational facilities, hospitality and retail spaces, office buildings, sporting venues, hospitals, and transportation.
An effective Mass Notification System should be able to be used in any number of emergencies, including; weather, building emergencies (localized disturbance, building hazard (electrical/mechanical failure), threatening individuals, and evacuation. The system allows the operator to manage large groups of people and safely deal with the situation at hand.
When designing a MNS, it is important to think about the following questions. Who must be notified? What buildings or geographical area(s) require coverage? Who will operate the system and from where? Will the message be live or pre-recorded? How quickly will the information be required? Will the system be used in nonemergency situations? Will the MNS interface with other systems?
TOA Corporation’s first emergency broadcast system debuted in 1963. Since then TOA has been an industry leader in Emergency Communication in the Asian and European markets and now in North American markets. TOA products can be found throughout large and small facilities including, World Fairs (Expos), Several Olympic Venues (Beijing National Stadium (“Birds Nest”) at the Beijing Olympics), 1981 Kobe Portopia exposition (where TOA’s large PA System earned an excellent reputation), airports including Osaka, Narita, Montreal, Halifax, and Tokyo international airports, and various commercial buildings, including sporting stadiums, schools, museums and other public buildings.
You rely on our sound systems, why not trust our voice evacuation and building security products as well.
... clearly hearing every announcement.
Today the issue of safety is more important than ever. At TOA, we have developed reliable products that provide superior sound quality and 24-7 operation. TOA's products are the first to meet Canadian UL standards for Mass Notification. Our Voice Evacuation System works 24-7 to keep the public safe when an emergency arises, and for everyday use. Need to control door access and communicate across a network, our Intercom products have you covered. Speakers provide clear, intelligible sound, ensuring your message is heard!
Check out TOA to learn how to effectively communicate and provide a safe environment every day, especially in an emergency.
Turning Complex Realities into Effective Notifications
By David Fleming
Acomprehensive mass notification system that pushes out multiple messages across several different platforms increases the odds of reaching a large audience and prompting an appropriate and timely reaction.
That is why the demand for advanced mass notification systems and software has grown exponentially over the past several years. One recent study projected the mass notification market to be worth more than $8.5 billion by 2020, making it obvious that more and more institutions are turning toward a layered approach to deliver emergency alerts. It is a prudent choice, since the odds of reaching an intended audience only increase with multiple means of communication, and it is an approach that is especially crucial when it involves a potentially dangerous situation.
According to a study conducted by the University of Texas at Austin titled “Using Multiple Channels and Sources to Combat Noise and Escalate a Sense of Urgency,” the most effective way to convey seriousness is to send messages through multiple channels.
“The reason why I think it has to be redundant today is that increasingly we’re being hit with so many different messages through mobile devices, through desktop computers … we have lots of different communication channels,” Dr. Keri K. Stephens said in a video supporting the study. “The challenge for organizations is when they have a real emergency, something really important to communicate to people, they need to be able to reach us.”
It is extremely important to understand all of the factors that go into mass notification communication in advance of
implementing a new system. Every organization and location will have unique needs and requirements. Those issues will need to be resolved before people are put in harm’s way.
For example, desensitization can cause emergency notifications to be misinterpreted, delayed or disregarded. A Pew Research Center study showed that young people average more than 60 text messages per day. Even though they are seen as a real-time approach to communication, many have become desensitized to them as a timely platform. That is why it is critical to consider a multilayered approach that includes audio, visual and messaging applications to ensure everyone is being reached. Using only one system, particularly text or email, is not enough to ensure than an emergency notification will elicit an appropriate reaction. There are a number of important questions that must be answered before an appropriate emergency communication plan can be implemented. These include organizational development, planning, security system implementation and the type of message to be dispersed. Here some questions you may want to consider before implementing a mass notification system:
• Who should be involved in the planning process?
• What are the audiences within your organization and the surrounding community?
• How will you ensure that messages are delivered in a timely fashion?
• What message delivery systems are currently available?
• What is the balance of your systems between audio, visual and messaging platforms?
• Will you create pre-approved messages in advance or sign off on each message before it is sent?
• How do you delineate test messages, emergency alerts and all clear notifications?
Determining the most effective means to communicate with large audiences can be a complex process. However, taking the time to proactively craft an effective emergency operations plan that includes a multilayered emergency communication system and appropriate messages, will not only cut down on response times during potentially dangerous incidents, but it will make the response of your audience more potent and powerful. And, in the end, that will help everyone remain safe.
David Fleming is the Chief Design Officer for Code Blue Corporation.
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It’s
Aiphone Lighting the Way to Security Solutions
Emergency stations are beacons of safety on college campuses and in parking facilities, stairwells, elevators, as well as office and industrial complexes — places where people may need immediate assistance from first responders.
The push of a button provides a two-way link using audio or video intercoms built into stand-alone towers or wall boxes. This is where Aiphone, the pioneer and leader in intercom technology, plays an important role. Since the mid 1980s, Aiphone has continued to innovate and advance intercom technology. The company’s current IS and IX Series emergency towers are the results of Aiphone’s commitment to quality design.
Aiphone’s IS Series can be hardwired, connected over a network or combined in a hybrid system. The IS Series emergency stations integrate with various building security components for greater overall system functionality.
The robust IP-based IX Series expands security and communications along a network. IX Series stations connect via CAT-5e or CAT-6 cable, drawing power from the Ethernet (PoE). An Aiphone mobile app for smartphones and tablets provides additional flexibility and allows communication while on the facilities’ Wi-Fi.
First responders can instantly locate station calls. Audio is crisp and unbroken. Video is crystal-clear without frustrating transmission errors. A wide angle color lens captures a broad view identifying views of adults and children.
Any camera is only as good as the monitor displaying the video. Aiphone master stations are equipped with 3.5-inch direct-view TFT color LCD displays. The TFT technology provides the brightest and best resolution of all flat-panel techniques, helping to improve image resolution and addressability.
Emergency stations feature two call buttons — one for emergencies and another for non-critical calls — helping first responders focus their resources. Station-mounted speakers are available to broadcast emergency news. All Aiphone emergency stations are ADA compliant. Towers can be customized
by size, color, configuration and signage.
But Aiphone does not stop at quality product design and manufacturing processes. Do you have a customer who wants to see the product in use? No problem. Tell the sales team when and where you need to demonstrate an emergency station and an Aiphone Expert will be there to help you close the sale.
Aiphone’s QuikSpec design tool, available on the company’s website, easily and accurately helps design and assemble complete Aiphone emergency stations. The number of options makes it easy to overlook a tower component, mounting bolt, power supply or accessory and leaving equipment off a bid results in lost profits. Aiphone products can ship via UPS, saving costly freight forwarding charges.
Aiphone’s innovative modular tower design ensures easy installation. Each rugged, steel-bodied module weighs only 90 pounds, allowing them to be transported in a truck or van, moved using a hand truck and installed by two people. There is no need to rent an expensive crane to lift them into place.
Any concerns during installation are handled by Aiphone’s award-winning, North American technical support team. Team members can be reached by phone or through the QuikChat link on the website.
Aiphone has decades of success in the intercom market. When choosing an Aiphone emergency station, you are backed by the industry’s leading design, service, support and reliability manufacturer.
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Delivering Emergency and Critical Communications
When emergency strikes, be it an airport fire, a hurricane, mass shooting, toxic chemical spill or a power blackout, it is essential that situational awareness, communications and control with affected parties be established as quickly as possible. Amika Mobile has developed the world’s first integrated emergency critical communication and control solution that addresses enterprise security for the Internet of Things (IoT) and automatically discovers recipients and targets alerts to their location. Amika Mobile® Corporation is privately held specializing in critical and emergency communication and control. Its flagship product, the Amika® Mobility Server (AMS), addresses IoT and BYOD security and is ideal for alert/ response in enterprise, community, airport, sports arena, shopping center and campus where visitors may not always be pre-registered in a contacts database since the AMS can auto-discover mobile devices for emergency alert/response. AMS supports 2-way communications and seamlessly integrates with physical systems to trigger event actions such as lockdowns just-in-time®. AMS is a software platform for on-premise, cloud or hybrid operations, fully scalable for both small and large deployments up to millions of users. AMS captures, disambiguates and manages dispa-
rate sensor events from physical security systems such as gunshot detectors, access control, fire or gas panels triggering targeted or locationbased alerts to groups or en masse. AMS and Amika®Panic can trigger lockdowns and alerts based on disparate events from gunshot detectors, access control, fire panels, cameras, wall mounted, desktop or mobile panic buttons, etc. Amika ® Situation Commander tracks event alert/response in real-time. AMS alerts over ANY layer including SMS, MMS, email, desktop, laptop, tablets, Smartphone pop-ups, VoIP, Callouts, Fax, paging, PA, Facebook, Twitter, RSS Feeds, etc. Mobile devices, desktops, overheads and message boards are all simultaneously alerted. AMS monitors and delivers regionally advisory government alerts from NOAA, IPAWS, Alert Ready and MASAS as well as GDACS in CAP /CAPCP formats. AMS supports mobile and desktop panic apps. Public venues like airports, train stations, hospitals, ports, entertainment venues or sports arenas would benefit from AMS. AMS alerts securely over wire or mobile. Amika Mobile® has won 18 awards including ASIS Accolades and US GOVIES in 2015 and 2016 for Best Emergency Communications Solution and sells products through partners. See www.amikamobile.com.
