Effectively notifying the public of a situation today will test the integrator’s knowledge of the vast array of possibilities.
The ability to communicate with the public when an emergency occurs is critical. Each new incident that occurs on site or elsewhere highlights the issues, deficiencies and problems that can occur if people can’t be informed in time that there is a shooter on a campus, or a bomb entering a military site. The days of specific tones for tornado or fire are long past, and the era of voice arrived several years ago.
The latest technologies follow the course of society in general. When the Egyptians decided to protest the government, their primary means of communication was social media. The security and fire industry is quickly realizing that such methods — and other technological means — are embedded in society today.
SDM recently spoke with two experts in emergency communications to find out what the trends are, how they can be applied, and what integrators need to be aware of when implementing them. Tom Hammerberg is president and executive director for the Automatic Fire Alarm Association, Jasper, Ga. Larry Mann, project manager, Central Station Inc., Birmingham, Ala., is a committee member on UL 2572, a developing standard for emergency communications.
SDM: What types of systems and components fall under the term “emergency communication systems?”