Federal Signal Paves Way For Alerting And Notification Systems World Over

 

Alerting and notification sysytems share an important place in fire services

Federal Signal is a leader in the design and deployment of fully redundant indoor, outdoor and personal alerting and notification systems that protect communities and citizens around the world. Mission-critical communications are enabled by Federal Signal alerting and notification systems, which are deployed in hundreds of implementations in countries, states, counties and cities around the world. Integrated alerting and notification systems are part of the Federal Signal industry public safety platform that enables the safe and secure communities of tomorrow and today.

Public safety and security entrusted to Federal Signal

When the Washington D.C. Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) needed a secure, reliable and redundant mission-critical communications network to stand behind the inauguration of President elected Barack Obama they turned to Federal Signal Corporation. For more than 90 years, Federal Signal has enabled scalable mission-critical communications when time is of essence and the message is urgent.

The integrated secured alerting and notification system from Federal Signal consists of a custom notification communications field sites that features digital speaker arrays, intelligent command and control software, a voice controller, IP-based cameras and wireless capabilities backed up with robust wireless mesh technology. Advanced technology to help protect people, property and the environment during the inauguration was packaged in one seamless system that was powered by Federal Signal's global public safety industry platform.

Omaha UASI region enables alerting and scenario management

When the Omaha Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) region needed to enhance emergency management, Federal Signal was their partner of choice. In addition to the implementation of the Federal Signal SmartMSG critical communications system, the Omaha UASI region also licensed the scenario manager module. The module offers emergency managers an integrated incident planning and execution tool to enable the definition of tiered response plans, based on incident events and their dependencies with other tasks, resources or procedures. This application module set a new paradigm in achieving National Incident Management System (NIMS) compliance

We are pleased to partner with Federal Signal to enhance emergency management and response

and electronic execution of response plans and mutual aid requests.

Communications across devices and geographies

"We are pleased to partner with Federal Signal to enhance emergency management and response," commented Paul Johnson, Director of Emergency Management for Douglas County. Our regional deployment of a redundant and multi device Federal Signal SmartMSG-based alerting emergency management system will enable over 2,500 county emergency management, first responder and municipal personnel to significantly enhance our management and response to critical incidents within the Tri-County Omaha Region."

Federal Signal's extensive customer support, which includes: user training, consultation of hardware and system needs, system maintenance, application configuration, off-site redundancy and back-up and recommendations for best practices has been critical to the success of the Omaha UASI regions comprehensive alerting and notification strategy.
Duke University deploys campus safety and security system

More than ever, parents are seeking comprehensive ways to stay in touch with students on campuses so they can rest assured that their kids are safe and secure. At the same time, campus administrators are leveraging advanced communications technology to enhance campus safety. Duke University, located in Durham, North Carolina, has met both objectives by deploying a Federal Signal campus safety and security system to keep students, faculty and staff informed of life-threatening emergencies.

Advanced alarm technology  will help to supplement security and safety world over

Aaron Graves, associate vice president for campus safety and security at Duke, said, the University was looking for a reliable system to help protect its growing campus community with an undergraduate and graduate student enrollment of nearly 14,000 and 33,000 faculty and staff. "We required a campus safety and security system that allows us to quickly connect with students, parents, faculty and staff when events demand."

The Federal Signal campus safety and security solution includes an electronic Federal Signal digital siren network that can produce tone-alerts and voice announcements heard throughout the campus community. The siren system is IP-enabled and controlled by Federal Signal's Command Digital System which is interfaced with the Universities local area network (LAN) enabling secure and reliable siren activation by campus safety officials.

Platform power enables public safety

The siren plugs into Federal Signal's public safety industry platform to enable simultaneous activation of sirens and alerting to cell phones, landline phones, radios, PDA's, pagers, e-mail addresses and other indoor warning devices. This unique safety and security platform provides distributed instant messaging and scenario management architecture that features instant scalability, redundancy and automated fail-over features. Enabling public warning in Marion County, Indiana. The Indianapolis-based Marion County Emergency Management Agency counts on a broadband-enabled Federal Signal alerting and notification network to deliver mission-critical emergency communications to its first responders and citizens. The system positions about 170 Federal Signal 2001 series sirens strategically throughout Marion County for optimal delivery of emergency warning communications to the public. Federal Signal deployed a dedicated, secured 4.9 GHz public safety broadband wireless network to control and monitor the emergency siren system.

Advanced technology for public safety

"We are excited about the increased capabilities and enhanced abilities this system will provide to warn the public of impending danger," said John Ball, director of Marion County Emergency Management.

For more than 90 years, Federal Signal has enabled scalable mission-critical communications

"Indianapolis residents will now be served by one of the most advanced, innovative systems in the country." The Federal Signal interoperable communications platform and emergency siren system connects the Marion County emergency operations center with remote weather monitoring stations to support the data received from services such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Remote cameras can monitor local dams, bridges and other key county assets and then pass images across the broadband wireless network. The video system can also link to the mobile data terminals in police and emergency vehicles to help first responders protect people, property and the environment.

Abbeville County turns to Federal Signal to alert citizens

Government leaders in the County of Abbeville, South Carolina, needed a comprehensive way to reach out to citizens in the event of emergency events. Federal Signal's SmartMSG alerting and notification system offered the technology-based tools they needed to bring mission-critical information and rapid communications together in a seamless package.
"Federal Signal's mass citizen alerting system provides our county with a comprehensive citizen alerting and notification system for emergency situations that impact public safety and security," said Steven McDade, director, emergency management for the County of Abbeville, S.C. "This robust system pulls information from the National Weather Service and alerts impacted citizens, and it provides advance information on school and road closings to help our first responders better protect our citizens and communities."

Technology averts tragedy for the City of Bloomfield Hills

Federal Signal provides fire industry with the latest alarm and notification systems

After an argument, a 67-year old woman trekked out into the cold autumn evening sparsely clothed and shoeless. The cold weather created hypothermia concerns for first responders, so the officers quickly searched the area - with no results. A tracking dog and sheriff's helicopter equipped with a thermal imaging camera also failed to find the missing woman. At this point, the City of Bloomfield Hills activated its Federal Signal SmartMSG critical communication system to reach out to residents for help. The Federal Signal SmartMSG system can speed web-based alerts to people and groups over mobile phones, e-mail, computers, pagers and other communications devices. Within five minutes after a local citizen received the SmartMSG alert, the missing woman was found hiding under a bench near her home. Acting Chief Paul Myszenski at the Bloomfield Hills Department of Public Safety said: "Public safety and security is our top priority, and instant alerting and notification technology from Federal Signal enabled our first responders to quite possibly save a life."
All Hazard warning siren system provides tsunami warning in the Pacific Northwest, tsunami preparedness is part of everyday life. Washington State deployed a Federal Signal All Hazard Alert Broadcast warning siren system along its Pacific coastline to communicate with communities and citizens during tsunamis and other critical situations.

"Public safety is always a top-of-mind concern for state, county and municipal leaders in Washington State," said George L. Crawford, Washington Military Department, Emergency Management Division. "We are delighted that Federal Signal partnered with us to develop and deploy their All Hazard Alert Broadcast warning siren system. Washington State's emergency managers and first responders can now receive timely mission-critical information during a range of man-made and natural events, such as tsunamis, volcano eruptions, mudflows, floods, chemical spill emergencies and evacuation orders."

A satellite-based communications backbone connects the public warning sirens directly with the Washington State Emergency Operations Center. State leaders now receive real-time data from remote monitoring stations and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). When an emergency occurs, the State can activate a single siren, a zone of sirens or all the state controlled sirens.

Fire and smoke alarm prove useful during unalarmed fire accidents

Status monitoring capabilities help ensure that sirens will function when needed.

Michigan medical coalition speeds up alerting and notification

When Michigan's District 1 Regional Medical Response Coalition sought a solid communications solution to connect medical centers and first responders, they deployed the Federal Signal SmartMSG critical communications system. Ingham Regional Medical Center in Lansing, Michigan, is one of more than a dozen hospitals, EMS agencies and other first responder teams within the District 1 Coalition that brings together their different communication systems and devices with interoperability powered by Federal Signal. The system can send web-based alerts to people and groups over mobile and smart phones, e-mail, computers, pagers and other communications devices. In addition, the system tracks staff response times. If response time is too long, other groups will be alerted to assist. The District 1 Coalition deployment quickly scaled to include about 2,500 medical first responders.

Byron Callies, environment care manager for Ingham Regional Medical Center, noted: "The ease of use and intuitiveness are amazing. Everyone is able to use it, and wants to use it when they understand the capabilities. I come across communication problems everyday, and I'm now in the mindset of ‘how can Federal Signal help with this.' Much of the time, I'm able to find a solution." John Waters of Livingston County EMS is chair of the District 1 pre-hospital group. He said: "What attracted me to Federal Signal is that it allowed for me to utilize the existing communication assets of the various organizations, and simply tie them together everyone was amazed."