Honeywell’s Focal4 Shared Situational Awareness (SSA) system from Gamewell-FCI delivers real-time topic trending information from Twitter.

By monitoring many disparate systems, identifying potential threats and trends, and delivering that information to facilities and security management through one central PC or multiple field personnel, Focal4 helps to streamline facilities’ day-to-day operations and greatly improve response to emergencies, according to a press release by Honeywell.

Integrated into the Focal4 software as an easy add-on, CAPSOL, which stands for Capture Social Media, uses search engine optimization to look for keywords cited in open and public Twitter feeds. Because Twitter activity posted online is public and includes geo-locations based on the IP address of the person initiating the communication, CAPSOL and Focal4 can more accurately pinpoint the location of that communication and provide greater insight through deeper knowledge.

“When we look at how people communicate today, it’s through social media,” said John Stofa, CET, CFPS and municipal account manager, Honeywell Fire Safety, Northford, Conn. “Twitter provides instant communication between people and CAPSOL can intercept all of those communications and make it actionable,” he said.

To educate on SSA and how it can play a critical role in mass notification, a free Gamewell-FCI whitepaper, “Combining Situational Awareness and Emergency Communication,” is available for download.

“It’s all about our ‘see something, say something’ world. If we see something on social media through CAPSOL, we can tailor and push out that activity to put feet on the ground and make a timely warning,” Stofa said, adding that CAPSOL also allows users to aggregate information so it’s known whether one person or multiple people are tweeting about an event.

Focal4 is a vendor-agnostic software platform that aggregates information from all types of systems and manufacturers, including access control, video, fire alarm, HVAC, traffic, mobile devices and more. The open architecture solution is easy to scale up, making it fit smaller facilities as well as enterprise systems worldwide.

As a natural extension of an organization’s security system, Focal4 provides a comprehensive picture of all events in and around a facility or campus, enabling security directors, emergency management officials and first responders to make fast, accurate emergency response decisions.

“CAPSOL helps us get ahead of a situation,” Stofa described. “Maybe a bomb hasn’t gone off; maybe a shooter hasn’t started; and perhaps we can get people on the ground to solve a problem before it occurs. It’s proactive and powerful. We can make a difference and save lives and even help people save themselves as well.”

 Visit Gamewell-FCI.com for more information.