DO

1. Look at Multiple Solutions

Many vendors will claim they have a mass notification solution, but not all tools are created equal. Some only send SMS text messages and push notifications. Some have limited ability to integrate with other technology. Some include incident management capabilities while others require organizations to make an additional investment in a separate solution. Researching different solutions will make it easy to spot differences to help make the right choice.

2. Bring in Other Departments

Too often, the responsibility of selecting mass notification software will fall on one person or department. The problem is that different departments may have different goals they are trying to achieve and needs they are working to address. The IT team may have different requirements than the security team, who may have different ideas for what the best solution would be than HR or the facilities team. Bringing different groups together will help identify what everyone wants to accomplish by implementing mass notification software, the different use cases it will be deployed for, and potential issues that may arise before any decisions have been made.

3. Ask Questions

When choices have been narrowed down, solutions may begin to look similar, so it’s important to ask vendors questions to determine what sets them apart. If a vendor says their solutions has a certain feature or can perform a certain task, ask to see it demonstrated. If there are questions about whether the software can connect to other technology, ask if there is a way to make it work together. The more questions posed to the vendor the more confident an organization can be in their selection.

4. Think About More Than Emergencies

Mass notification software is often seen as a solution for emergency communication, and while this is a primary use case for most tools, those that can handle non-emergency tasks can offer more value. Whether it is a school looking to schedule its bells, a hospital trying to automate announcements for visitor hours, or an office letting employees know a company-wide meeting has started, being able use mass notification software outside of emergencies will help keep people familiar with how to use it and incorporate it into an organization’s daily operations.

DON’T

1. Rely on Patchwork Solutions

Organizations can sometimes fall into the trap of checking a box when it comes to selecting a software solution. When the time comes to implement it though, they may discover they are missing critical components which require additional investments, but mass notification software should bring disparate technology together, not create more silos to manage. Solutions that do more may seem expense up front but can provide long-term value by doing more work with a single tool rather than multiple ones.

2. Invest in Additional New Technology

For some organizations, the need for mass notification software may be urgent. This may lead to selecting a solution that fulfills all the requirements but is incompatible with much of the technology that is already in place in an organization. This can result costly equipment replacements and delay implementation. Being able to leverage existing tools like desk phones, paging systems, desktop computers, digital signage and more with simple integrations helps organizations get more value out of existing technology investments and allows them to get up and running sooner.

3. Overlook the Value of Reaching Everyone

The most valuable component of mass notification is having a tool that gives an organization the ability to reach all their people with consistent messaging when it matters most. Select software that gives the option to use text and audio delivered to a wide range of on-site and mobile devices. This gives organizations the best opportunity to interrupt ongoing activities and get information to their people no matter where they are or what they are doing.

By following these guidelines, organizations should be able to set themselves up on the right path to select mass notification software that meets their needs and helps keep their people safe and informed during a crisis.

The post The Dos and Don’ts of Selecting Mass Notification Software appeared first on My TechDecisions.

As the impact of the pandemic continues to linger, more significant safety changes are on the horizon, and mass notification tools will have to follow suit. Here are some of the ways you can expect mass notification to evolve in a post-COVID-19 world.

1. Use Cases Will Continue to Grow

If there is one thing this crisis has taught us, it’s that flexibility is key. Changing expectations, guidelines and outbreaks mean everyone needs to do their part to stay safe.

Over the course of the pandemic, organizations have used mass notification systems in a variety of creative ways to meet their needs and keep people informed.

From moving to mobile communications to share updates with remote workers to celebrating patients being taken off ventilators in hospital settings, campuses are adapting the way they use mass notifications to assist with these challenging times.

At the same time, the violent threats many campuses were using mass notifications to prepare for aren’t going away.

Violent incidents can happen anywhere at any time, so every organization needs to have a way to communicate critical safety information that reaches all of its people.

It’s not just K-12 schools, college campuses and hospitals that need to be concerned about violent threats. Movie theaters, houses of worship, and manufacturing facilities are just some of the organizations that have come under threats in recent years.

Mass notification systems need to give any organization the flexibility to prepare for any event that could drastically disrupt regular operations.

That means understanding how to alert people for active shooter situations, severe weather, medical emergencies and more. It also means understanding what devices and systems can be used to alert people inside and outside of your facilities to keep them out of harm’s way.

Earthquake and gunshot detection and surveillance camera triggers are just some of the new technologies expanding mass notification ecosystems beyond traditional IP speakers and mobile phones to provide a more powerful and complete safety solution.

Organizations are also becoming more creative in how they are using mass notification to help automate and handle other regular tasks.

School bells schedules and other scheduled announcements are one way organizations are already expanding their mass notification.

As mass notification solutions and the technology those solutions integrate with become more sophisticated, so will the ways a mass notification system can be deployed. With the right integrations, the possibilities can be truly limitless.

2. More Regulations Recognizing the Importance of Mass Notification

Before the pandemic, more and more organizations were turning to mass notification due to state and federal regulations that are being put in place.

Requirements like Kari’s Law, Alyssa’s Law, NFPA 72 Chapter 24 and Ray Baum’s Act forced organizations to cover their bases when it comes to having the right systems in place to alert its people.

In a post-pandemic world, it is likely there will be additional legislation introduced that requires organizations to notify people about health crises.

These new laws will likely force organizations to invest in new tools that ensure alerts reach everyone, local health and safety officials are aware of a potential outbreak, and outdoor signals prevent people from entering potentially infected areas.

Organizations can save time and money by anticipating and paying attention to changing regulations. Being proactive in finding and implementing a notification solution can save headaches and money down the road with a tool already in place.

It may require expanding the use of a tool already in place or adding a supplementary tool, but that can be much easier and less costly than starting from scratch.

3. Collaboration Tools Will Become Important Endpoints

Tools like Microsoft Teams and Cisco Webex Teams make it easy for people to collaborate on projects and are gaining prevalence in modern workplaces. Mass notification has often relied on being able to reach people in the devices and systems they use regularly.

These kinds of collaboration tools are quickly rising to prominence alongside email and mobile phones as critical communication tools, so being able to reach people via these systems with safety information will likely grow as a priority for organizations.

Related: Why It Is Wise to Adopt Multiple Mass Notification Systems

Mass notification systems that can deliver messages directly into these systems and offer the ability to trigger mass broadcasts without needing to leave and log into another tool will have a distinct advantage for organizations prioritizing speed and reach for their notifications.

These tools will be helpful not only for notification purposes but also for incident management following an alert. Without ever needing to leave a collaboration tool, organization leaders can gather and begin assessing an emergency situation and deploying a response.

For organizations that have large numbers of remote workers, this can be particularly useful for keeping everyone informed on how a situation is unfolding.

4. Connecting Everything Will Become Easier

Solutions have become more specialized, but that can often mean organizations end up managing multiple systems. This can impede their ability to quickly alert everyone during a crisis event as too much time is spent logging in and out of different systems.

Even mass notification solutions that try and do it all have become somewhat specialized, with some only providing organizations with a means for mass SMS text messaging, while others can only reach on-premises devices without the necessary mobile component. This can be a costly and inefficient way to address alerting needs.

If the past is prologue, we’ll see integration standards continue to develop. For example, the method by which mass notification systems connect to digital signage platforms has rapidly evolved over the past few years as the industry has coalesced around the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP).

What once required custom software engineering is now a relatively easy configuration. We can expect to see the same thing happen with other integrations like access control systems, gunshot detection systems and video surveillance.

Organizations will continue to look for mass notification tools that can help solve as many problems as possible through a single solution. That means solutions will continue to add integrations with devices to provide a valuable and effective notification solution. Mass notification systems will also provide more options for incident management to deploy responses, offer updates, and give an all-clear after an initial message goes out.

By managing every message, device, system and group from a single platform, organizations can save money, expand the reach of their emergency messages, and get those messages out more quickly than relying on multiple disparate systems and devices.

No one can say for certain what the future will bring, but safety concerns will never go away. Mass notification solutions will continue to evolve to address new threats and challenges, and organizations should be looking at their needs to understand how they can keep their people safe and informed in a post-COVID world.

Pat Scheckel is Vice President of Product Management at Singlewire Software. Based out of Madison, Wis., Scheckel has more than 20 years of experience in the IT industry, including two decades with unified communications, and has helped numerous organizations implement mass notification solutions to enhance communication and safety.

The post How COVID Will Change Mass Notification Trends on Campuses appeared first on My TechDecisions.

Read Next: PotterNet Now Features Audio Control for Mass Notification

For example, text alert systems are effective ways to reach on-campus and off-campus students, employees and parents who have signed up to receive emergency notifications on their mobile devices, but what about on-campus visitors who aren’t registered or students who have turned off their phones to take a test? Additionally, there can be delays in community members receiving text messages for a variety of reasons.

Loudspeaker announcements are instantaneous and can reach most people on campus, but what about the hearing impaired or people who are off-campus but still need to be notified? Digital signage emergency notifications also are instantaneous and can be read by most community members, but what about the sight impaired, as well as individuals who aren’t onsite?

These examples demonstrate that several mass notification systems should be deployed so that the weaknesses of one solution can be compensated for by other solutions. When adopting systems, be sure to account for visitors, the hearing and sight impaired, individuals who are both on campus and off campus, as well as members of the community who might not be able to understand English.

Read the Campus Safety 2020 Emergency Notification Survey Results

[This article originally appeared in our sister publication Campus Safety.]

The post Why It Is Wise to Adopt Multiple Mass Notification Systems appeared first on My TechDecisions.

PotterNet is a desktop application that facilitates the networking, monitoring and control of IPA, AFC/ARC and PFC-4064 fire alarm control panels.

The application utilizes a distributed client-server model for communication in order to reduce or eliminate single points of failure. PotterNet will monitor all compatible panels in a single building, on a local campus or across multiple sites worldwide.

Integrated audio enables live or recorded mass notification paging over TCP/IP to virtually any voice or paging system in the world.

Live or recorded pages, custom messages, flexible location selection and All Call capability make PotterNet audio for mass notification ideal for K-12 schools, college/university campuses, military installations or any facility that has a need to communicate emergency situations quickly, according to the company.

Related: Mass Notification System Best Practices: Getting the Most Reach

The PotterNet update also provides access to Potter’s device monitoring dashboard called IntelliView. IntelliView allows users to access Potter fire panels and receive event statuses instantaneously anywhere in the world.  It has many advanced features, including panel control to assist in commissioning and one-man walk tests.

“These new updates to the PotterNet software will provide end users with more control than ever,” says Bob Teta, engineering manager for the fire and security division at Potter. “We are very excited to get these to market and deliver even greater levels of protection and security.”

Potter has been a leading supplier of fire and securitsy products since 1898, when Charles E. Potter developed some of the industry’s first electronically coded signals for monitoring both burglar and fire alarm systems and their transmission to central monitoring stations.

This post premiered on our sister site, Security Sales & Integration.

The post PotterNet Now Features Audio Control for Mass Notification appeared first on My TechDecisions.

During the hours-long chaos, the University of California, Davis — which is just blocks from where the rookie officer was killed — sent text and email messages to approximately 70,000 students, staff and faculty, warning them the suspected killer was on the loose.

But only a fraction of those 70,000 individuals initially received the critical messages. It wasn’t until almost an hour and 15 minutes after the first message that the entire campus population received the warning.

Cell phones have become incredible tools in our society, but while cell phone alert technology has become popular in recent years, it’s only completely effective with an integrated mass notification system.

After all, for students, faculty and staff who don’t have their phones turned on or for those who keep their phones deep inside their backpacks, they will likely never receive the warnings.

Related: RFP Template: Campus Safety

Emergency managers have a variety of alert technologies available and should use more than one to ensure individuals are effectively and sufficiently warned about an impending threat.

These technologies blanket an area and can be used to alert students, staff and faculty who are inside multiple campus buildings, as well as outdoor spaces like parking lots, green spaces and more.

Furthermore, these advanced technologies can be used to alert individuals about a variety of threats, including weather-related events like tornadoes and floods, as well as man-made events, like active shooters and more.

These technologies include:

• Outdoor warning and voice sirens. While some view outdoor warning sirens as archaic, the technology has advanced in recent years to allow numerous customizable voice and tone alerts warning of the many different threats facing campuses. Furthermore, sirens are incredibly effective as they can be often heard indiscriminately over a wide area. With the right control system, emergency managers can also sound these tones and messages indoors through existing speakers.
• Desktop alerts. Technology now allows emergency messages to deploy pop-up messages in network devices, including computers and other technologies connected to a campus network. Emergency managers can push messages to these devices, warning anyone using a laptop, tablet or other devices. Emergency managers can also integrate smart boards and digital signage into their notifications, alerting those in classrooms or other areas of campus.
• Mobile alerts. While it’s not recommended to use only mobile alerts, they can be incredibly effective in reaching a population of students, staff and faculty who have access to their phones. Furthermore, technology now allows two-way communication between mobile devices and emergency services, allowing users to provide information that can quickly put emergency alerts into place and mitigate the impact of active shooters or other man-made threats.
• Intuitive control platforms. Messages are only effective if they quickly reach the intended audience. Advanced control platforms allow emergency professionals to customize their alerts to automatically sound based on weather notifications. Furthermore, emergency personnel can quickly activate alerts based on credible information, targeting only those in an affected area. These alerts can be activated through a variety of platforms, including remotely by cell phone.

When integrated, these technologies create an effective emergency management platform that allows campuses to quickly and easily alert individuals of any impending threat, keeping students, staff and faculty out of harm’s way.

And once an integrated emergency management system is in place (and rigorously tested), emergency managers and campus officials must work to inform students, staff and faculty about the system to ensure buy-in and awareness of the alerts.

A mass notification system is only effective if individuals understand the threats and the directions provided, which means marketing and building awareness of the system is critical for success.

No one technology should be relied upon independently from an entire integrated system.

The short-sighted approach of using only one technology puts individuals in danger and creates risks that can be easily overcome with a fully integrated mass notification system.

This post premiered on our sister site, Campus Safety. 

The post Mass Notification System Best Practices: Getting the Most Reach appeared first on My TechDecisions.

Tailored to the K-12 educational and healthcare markets, as well as corporate facilities requiring a robust, high-tech communications system, the third-generation IPX Series of IP endpoints ensures quick and efficient notification through audio and visual messaging.

Through a Unified Communications (UC) environment or the AtlasIED GLOBALCOM.IP ecosystem, the IPX Series “delivers smart automation, including pre-programmed notifications for common functions like bells and critical alerts,” according to the company press release.

A comprehensive library of pre-recorded messages is available through GLOBALCOM.IP or .EDU, which can be broadcast across the facility or directed to specific zones.

The IPX Series is also compatible with third-party scheduling and communications software including Cisco and Avaya.

The IPX Series uses existing IT infrastructure and offers auto-provisioning once it is on the network. “Talk To Me” interoperability ensures the IPX units can work within any VoIP system

The AtlasIED IPX series takes full advantage of existing voice and data networks while preserving the convenience of VoIP phones to cover important areas that a VoIP handset alone cannot. All of the products in the series are shipping now.

Cisco Partnership Increases Reliability of IPX Series

As a Cisco Premier Partner, AtlasIED makes its endpoints available on Cisco Solutions Plus or through AltasIED Solutions partners. The partnership adds functionality, redundancy, and the renowned Cisco name to AtlasIED’s IPX Endpoint solutions.

Within Cisco Call Manager (CUCM), AtlasIED IPX Series devices automatically provision onto the existing network for easy installation and seamless communications between Call Manager.

GLOBALCOM.IP and IPX Series devices support Cisco’s Unified Survivable Remote Site Telephony (SRST), which provides remote location call-processing redundancy if access to the centralized Cisco CUCM is interrupted due to a Wide Area Network (WAN) outage.

The post New AtlasIED IPX Series IP Endpoints for Mass Notification appeared first on My TechDecisions.

Mass notification systems, as most technologies, have evolved over the years to incorporate so much more than what their fire alarm ancestors were capable of. And it couldn’t have happened at a better time. Too often we hear about tragedies across the country where mass notification was
or could have been utilized. The most obvious example comes from active shooter incidents, often across college campuses but also in office buildings, movie theaters, and so on. On top of that, chemical spills, natural disasters like tornadoes and hurricanes, and still fires are all situations where mass notification systems can come in handy.

There is so much available in mass notification nowadays. Multiple trigger systems, similar to fire alarm systems, have been created for different emergencies such as chemical spills. Systems can be set to notify first responders in case of emergency to speed up the reactionary process. And increasingly mobile devices have been incorporated into mass notification. Software exists that can even send personalized instructions to employees based on their duties within the company and the area of the building they are in.

When installing these systems there are certain qualifications that must be met, and once these systems are in place there are tests and evaluations that must be conducted regularly. Our document will explain some of the different types of systems you can install in your building, and how to keep up with them to ensure they are useful in case of an emergency. As UNC Chancellor Carol Folt said after a delayed response in the school’s mass notification system during a crisis, “Even if we’re successful 99 times out of 100, that extra one is really important.”

Don’t Miss: Why Is A Mass Notification System So Important?

When it comes to Mass Notification Systems (MNS), it has been said, “What you do in the first 60 seconds of a crisis will have more impact on the outcome than the first response of any municipal agency.” While this may be the goal that many MNS programs attempt to reach, the truth is that too often these timely goals are not met when implemented.

The science of Mass Notification actually evolved from the Fire Alarm Systems technology. Making sure all personnel were evacuated from a burning building was top priority and the notification part of these systems had to meet industry standards such as NFPA 72. With the advent of the 9/11 attack and other similar recent terrorist emergencies, MNS now have higher expectations and demands.

A good example of the shortcoming of Mass Notification Systems is the recent incident at the University of North Carolina. On the night of July 22nd two armed robberies occurred which forced administrators to sound the campus emergency alert system. The message was to alert students and staff to stay inside campus buildings. The intent was for the alarm to go out via emails, text messages and social media postings. The problem was that the messages did not arrive until 40 minutes after the initial alarm.

What went wrong? Some comments on Facebook postings hinted that the email and text message advisories were slow. UNC Chancellor Carol Folt stated a “complete unacceptable” failure of the system, and further commented “Even if we’re successful 99 times out of 100, that extra one is really important.” The MNS incident is currently under review by the university. The sad thing is MNS performance failure is more common than many would like to admit.

Staff need to not only create great emergency plans with defined objectives, but should also have a proven command and mobility technology platform in place for the easy distribution of these emergency measures. Remember, 79% of companies said their staff needs access to emergency information. On the other hand, 77% of organizations depend on antiquated binders to hold their emergency plans. There is much work to be done in updating old tech emergency plans.

Test and Evaluate Annually

As we have seen in the UNC robbery event, planning and implement- ing an MNS event can have dramatic consequences. This is why it is paramount that facilities, organizations and first responders designate at least one day each year for all participants to take part in refresh training and a test exercises. One of the important areas of today’s MNS is how well all elements work seamlessly. An MNS within a facility communicate with local first responders and they in turn often communicate with government organizations.

The US in 2012 set aside 20 megahertz of commercial spectrum and 7 billion dollars of funding for the creation of FirstNet, a secure dedicated broadband service for public service workers across America. So far only a few police departments across America have implemented the FirstNet system. One is the Texas Department of Public Safety, Region II Headquarters, Harris Count Sheriffs Office Texas which includes the city of Houston — the 3rd largest police force in America. One of five police departments in the country using a secure broadband network, deploy- ing this new technology in their instant command center.

Software called Mutualink has features that can take a snap shot with smartphone, add notations, and share data in real time with any police department across America. The system has the capability to pull video from remote IP cameras on a 64 inch touch screen.

This software was recently used in the Boston bombing. The Mutualink system is currently in use at Knoxville, TN schools and University
of Tennessee Police Department, and Texas A&M University and Harris County Sheriff’s Office.

Ongoing MNS training is vital. Showing staff that could be involved in a dangerous active shooter scenario what to do can go a long way in saving lives.

Mass Notification Can Be So Much More

While Mass Notification System’s primary design might be for that occasional active shooter or chemical spill scenario, there are many features that can be used in every day non-emergency operations. This could include intra- and inter-plant communications, such as public address and intercom systems. Using parts of the MNS for daily activity allows personnel to become familiar with operations, thereby providing more effi- cient performance when a MNS emergency does occur. Additionally, daily use of non-emergency MNS functions helps in justifying system costs.

Bad weather alerts can be an important role for MNS. Tornadoes account for 1500+ injuries, and lighting for 300+ injuries. High-powered outdoor sirens such as Federal Signal’s New 508 can be effective warning systems. The 508 system provides maximum coverage with unidirectional rotating pattern of 128 dB at 500 Hz.

We are all familiar with the red fire alarm pull station on the wall. This image has slightly changed with the diversification of MNS. Now you may find similar pull stations but with the color blue. One example of these MNS emergency stations is the SS-2414E Bopper Stopper from Security Technologies Inc. These types of emergency switches can also be used to automatically lock or unlock doors to reduce the movement of an active shooter.

Standards To The Rescue

We have seen that being able to communicate with occupants, first responders and other parties in an emergency is critical. One of the best ways to accomplish this coordinated critical communication is through a fire alarm evacuation system. This concern was recognized by the National Fire and Protection Association (NFPA) with the release of their 2010 edition of NFPA 72. (Free viewing of NFPA documents is now allowed online.) It was the first edition to address MNS in a non-fire situation.

Systems in NFPA 72 include systems within a building and systems external that would interface with first responders. These systems would include two-way fire fighter communications, radio enhancements, elevator communications and refuge area communications.

In October 2011 ANSI/UL 2572 Mass Notification Systems was published by Underwriter’s Labs (UL). UL is noted for providing product safety standards. In this case UL provided the product standards in which the manufacturers of MNS equipment can become listed. This listing will assist in individual products being used in combination with other appliances to form a MNS.

Some of the specific areas addressed include: construction, product marking, installation of wiring diagrams and instructions, testing risk of fire and shock hazards and testing reliability and performance. Operation performance might include security and data protection. Coordination with in-building fire alarm signals would include priorities, interfaces and conflicting and overlapping signals.

Mobility Completes the System

According to a 2015 PEW Research Center Report, today nearly two-thirds (66%) of Americans own a smartphone of some kind, up from 35% in the spring of 2011. Additionally, 68% of smartphone owners use their phones to follow along with breaking news events.

In the past, mass notification was typically a one-way communications. An emergency announcement was broadcasted to all. This has been upgraded with two-way communications allowing all employees or students to provide valuable and immediate feedback as to the emergency situation at hand.

On the other end of the MNS mobile communication spectrum, police vehicles are increasing in direct digital voice, video and data communications with command centers. One good example is the InMotion Solutions oMG2000 mobile gateway from Sierra Wireless. This pilot program provides mobile units for all 62 police cars of the Brazos County Sheriff’s Office in Bryan, Texas. The system utilizes FirstNet Ban 14LTE support. It has been estimated the department collects an average of 4.5 terabytes of video every day.

“The switching between the Band 14 and Verizon Wireless LTE network is seamless with no drops in connection. The start-up and connection times to our network are extremely fast, and the gate- way is ready to go before the tablet has even started,” says Josh Hearen, Deputy Sheriff, Civil and Warrants Division, Brazos County Sheriff’s Office.

An Intelligible Voice

You hear an announcement come over the public address system. Would this message save your life? What if it was followed by more detailed evacuation instructions? NFPA 72 defines “Intelligible Voice” as being clear and understandable. While with today’s technology it is possible to measure what is considered intelligible voice, NFPA has yet to require quantitative measurement. It has, however, provided a new Annex D section in NFPA 72 – 2010 on voice intelligibility design using quantitative measurement. One

can also look to voice intelligibility test equipment such as the DSP2B Speech Intelligibility Meter from Gold Line. Make sure to check their STI Training Video series for some valuable additional information.

Some have confused the code requirements for intelligibility with audibility. Audibility refers to such things as alert tone loudness which in general should be 15dB above ambient sound pressure levels.

Diversification Gets The Job Done

Let’s take a moment and look at how a MNS needs to communicate with a typical office worker. Mary arrives at work and parks her car, having smartphone communications available. At the office she is working on her desktop PC in which email is the preferred communication channel to catch her attention. Later she has a meeting in which only emergency company phone calls are allowed. During the day, as Mary walks around the building, video displays and public address speakers are the preferred MNS communication methods. Additionally don’t forget voice messages over the fire evacuation system when personnel are in such places as the rest rooms.

The challenge here is that all these systems must seamlessly integrate MNS communications. The choice of the type of announcement is critical as you would want to use soft sounding alert tones for a active shooter scenario as not to excite the shooter but properly and quickly alert staff.

This article was updated from a piece originally published in 2016.

The post Mass Notification Systems: Warning Isn’t Enough appeared first on My TechDecisions.

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However, with advancements in notification strategies, mass notification systems have taken on a much broader scope of functionality outside of emergencies.

In the higher education setting, colleges and universities embrace mass notification technology early on as a way to send out communications to students, staff and visitors on campus.

This guide takes a look at new mass notification technologies, and how colleges and universities are getting their messages out to students, faculty, staff and visitors.

Why Notify in Case of a Non-Emergency

Emergency communication systems aren’t just for emergencies anymore. “Mass notifications were alerts for emergency events like fire, weather, or within the past decade, firearm-related activity,” says Jared Bickenbach, Market Analyst, Access Control, Fire & Security, IHS Inc.

Many colleges and universities rely on mass notification to streamline day-to-day communications, including alerting faculty members about a meeting update, informing students if a class venue has changed, reminding students of approaching or shifting deadlines, special events or a change in a professor’s office hours.

When storms hit, colleges also use notification systems to inform students of canceled classes or building closures caused by unsafe conditions, such as flooded parking lots and power outages.

“As emergency notification capabilities become more capable and flexible, educational institutions see they can use some of these systems for non-emergency mass updates, such as everyday business and marketing needs,” says Bickenbach.

Mass Notifying to a Mass Audience

Colleges and universities should know who they are launching their mass notification messages to, and how many people are on campus during specific days/hours. Once these numbers are determined, colleges can decipher what content is most appropriate for their audiences.

Universities like West Virginia University have their people-count nailed down, and are more than prepared to launch mass notification messages.

“We have an average of 45,000 people on our campus on any given day comprised of students, faculty, staff and visitors who may be near campus in town,” says Spencer Graham, Manager of Operations for West Virginia University’s Information Stations

Location, Location, Location

College and universities should be aware of where the most traffic on campus is, and determine which location should be equipped with mass notification technologies.

“Compared with many other types of organizations and locations, educational campuses are often much larger and spread out, with more green spaces,” says Ben Lawrence, Senior Sales Engineer, Four Winds Interactive, LLC.

Even though emergency paging technology usually doesn’t go into class- rooms, colleges should consider installing mass notification technologies there — this is where students spend a bulk of their time during the day.

“Digital signage screens are usually located where they can be seen by the most people, like lobbies, eating areas, breakrooms, hallways,” says Lawrence.

However, not everyone will be where they can see one of these dis- plays or hear loudspeakers.

Colleges and universities also need to keep students living off cam- pus in mind. This is especially crucial for emergency situations; if these students aren’t properly notified, then they could risk going on campus during a crisis, such as an active shooting.

“An educational institution has to be able to reach far beyond the campus, to students and others who are off-premises,” says Bickenbach.

More Ways to Mass-Notify

While leveraging campus-wide networks, many colleges and universities have added digital mass communication channels to bring information, such as emergency notifications, to campus-wide locations and groups.

“WVU’s Information Stations Network includes 110-plus digital signs in highly visible locations across our campus,” says Graham. “The university has a WVU Today web page and its own channel on the campus’s cable-TV feed.”

Outdoor speakers, public-address systems, and emergency call boxes also offer more information beyond a pure alert signal, especially as these systems become integrated with an institution’s digital network.

This is particularly useful for emergency mass notification. Updated technologies, like speakers, can help a college offer action strategies for students, faculty and staff to follow during and after an emergency.

“We want to be able to clearly tell people what to do, because there are more threats than just fire, and for some threats, you don’t want people to leave the floor or building,” says Scott Lord, Director of Innovation and National Accounts, All Systems.

Students, faculty, staff, and visitors have also created additional de facto mass communications channels, such as connecting mobile devices to wireless carriers and to premise WiFi services.

These devices allow colleges and universities to reach a growing percentage of their populations via bulk text, email, voice messages, Tweets, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and other social media accounts controlled by a college’s administration.

“When our digital signage content management system gets an alert through its RSS feed, it switches all the digital signs into emergency- notification mode, and displays an alert message,” says Graham.

Use Mass Notification Wisely: Don’t Over Alert

Using mass notification must strike a balance between alerting for appropriate events – it should not occur so frequently that students, faculty and staff ignore messages.

Colleges and universities should use their mass notification for important events, including cancellations due to weather.

“WVU currently has emergency alerts, indicated with a red screen, and weather alerts, with a green screen,” says Graham. “Weather alerts are for conditions that make the university plan to shut down, which has only happened once or twice since I started working at WVU.”

Graham also says college should create templates for their mass notification systems, simplify their alert categories, and make clear design differences between emergencies and other announcements.

“And don’t test too often,” he says. “Buy and implement systems that can work together. We use e2Campus software, which triggers our digital signage to switch to alert status, sends the text message alert and the email alert message all at the same time.

Graham suggests colleges identify who should be in charge of deciding to trigger emergency alerts

“The WVU police department triggers emergency alerts,” he says.

Lawrence says if your system is flexible enough, not all alerts need to reach everybody.

“With digital signage, some alerts may be limited to specific locations,” says Lawrence. “For example, if there’s a water line break or a chemical spill in a specific building, you might bracket alerts to that area.”

Lord says colleges should analyze what their risks and needs are, and then decide how their mass notification technologies will handle them. “See if a system can serve multiple purposes, like, can a fire alarm

and voice evacuation system also do hallway paging,” he says. “If you can integrate emergency notification with other mass notification requirements, you can get better coverage, and more value for your investment.”

The post Mastering Mass Notification Strategies in Higher Education appeared first on My TechDecisions.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has addressed certain standards related to emergency notification for fire and non-fire related with codes such NFPA 72 and NFPA 101. That’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to codes impacting MNEC system design.
Take this quiz to gauge your mass notification code knowledge:

Quiz Maker – Commercial Integrator

Designing a Mass Notification System – Audio Solution

Depending on how you did on the quiz, you may need to brush up on your mass notification code knowledge. Even if you scored 100 percent it’s essential that mass notification system designers be vigilant in making sure their up to speed on relevant codes.

For instance, a lot of security or AV professionals charged with designing MNEC systems might not realize the importance of shutting down ambient background sound in the event of an emergency in order to avoid any conflict of signals and to help easily direct building occupants to safety, points out Jonathan Leonard, president of audio and life safety solutions provider Lencore.

It’s not that soundmasking and MNEC can’t co-exist, just that they need to be integrated properly and up to code.

“In the event of an emergency, according to NFPA 72 code, notification and direction must be clearly understood in order to direct people to safety,” says Leonard.

“Furthermore, think of those with disabilities. The ADA is very serious about mass notification codes enforcement for those with disabilities, including people who are either hearing impaired or vision impaired.

“It is paramount to ensure that there are no competing audio signals, including sound masking, or waterfalls, which can be both disorienting and mask all speech, which then can make it very difficult to understand where to go and what to do.”

This free resource from Lencore, Know the Code: Sound Masking and NFPA 72, is a good way for mass notification system designers to brush up on their code knowledge.

The post Quiz: Is Your Mass Notification System Up to Code? appeared first on My TechDecisions.