Mass Notification Appeal
Building upon basic voice communication systems, new mass notification platforms can integrate multiple technologies to communicate via public address, digital signage, texting, E-mail and more. For security contractors that adeptly maneuver through issues unique to the market, opportunities can be expected to follow.
The Protection Bureau of Exton, Pa., provided Millersville University with Cooper Notification's Roam Secure Alert Network (RSAN). The emergency communication solution is integrated with Cooper Notification's WAVES speaker array, above.
Prior to the NFPA 72 changes, Colombo says private industry looked to the Department of Defense (DoD) guidelines as a kind of de facto standard under the Unified Facilities Code (UFC). The code changes will now likely mean more business opportunities for fire/life-safety professionals.
“Although NFPA actually helped write the UFC for the Air Force in the early 2000s, NFPA 72 itself has not been exactly helpful in setting requirements that dealers could live by, but this new code will remedy that,” Colombo says. “It’s quite extensive and it provides direction that alarm companies, mostly integrators, will find beneficial.”
One of the most significant additions to the 2010 edition of NFPA 72 is a new chapter titled “Emergency Communication Systems (ECS),” which incorporates the design, installation and testing requirements for MNS. (The terms ECS and MNS are used synonymously.)
Among other noteworthy changes systems integrators will need to know, the new ECS chapter mandates a risk analysis be completed before starting the design of these systems. The intent is to provide the basis for developing an emergency response plan and the design of the MNS unique to each installation’s needs and requirements.
Designers will now have to plan for both fire and nonfire emergencies when determining the required performance of the MNS and how various signals are handled, according to Ted Milburn, GE Security’s product marketing manager for the Americas.
“You have to understand what the environment is, what the needs are, and then build a system based around that risk analysis,” Milburn says. “An integrator that has all the skill in pulling all of these systems together may still not meet the needs unless you have done a great risk analysis.”
UL has worked diligently with industry stakeholders to create an MNS standard. Its efforts have resulted in the recent release of an “outline of investigation” that will soon lead to an MNS standard known as UL 2572. In June, GE Security became the first manufacturer to meet UL’s pending MNS standard with its EST3-Sixty solution.
Rob Tockarshewsky, UL’s global marketing manager for fire and security, compares the security industry’s lagging MNS standards to the home automation industry’s woes of 10 years ago when it suffered from bringing together its disparate parties and technologies.
“Home automation means a lot of different things to a lot of different people; same thing with mass notification. It can be as simple as a loud speaker alerting you to a fire, to now campus-wide audio and video and texting, and third-party central stations getting involved,” he says.
If you enjoyed this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our FREE digital newsletters!
About the Author
Rodney Bosch, Senior Editor
Although Bosch’s name is quite familiar to those in the security industry, his previous experience has been in daily newspaper journalism. Prior to joining SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION in 2006, he spent 15 years with the Los Angeles Times, where he performed a wide assortment of editorial responsibilities, including feature and metro department assignments as well as content producing for latimes.com. Bosch is a graduate of California State University, Fresno with a degree in Mass Communication & Journalism. In 2007, he successfully completed the National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association’s National Training School coursework to become a Certified Level I Alarm Technician.
Related Content
Security Is Our Business, Too
For professionals who recommend, buy and install all types of electronic security equipment, a free subscription to Commercial Integrator + Security Sales & Integration is like having a consultant on call. You’ll find an ideal balance of technology and business coverage, with installation tips and techniques for products and updates on how to add to your bottom line.
A FREE subscription to the top resource for security and integration industry will prove to be invaluable.
