4 Things to Follow When Selecting an Emergency Mass Notification System

Alerting and Notifying

Ensuring that individuals are alerted to the fact that there is an emergency is important, but how do you go about providing specific information and instructions to students, faculty, staff, and visitors across multiple facilities?

Sounding a warning tone gets people’s attention, but it does not convey information about the emergency at hand. Consider an emergency notification system that does both—sounds emergency tones/visible strobes and displays or speaks an emergency message that notifies individuals of the emergency and appropriate steps to ensure safety.

Code Compliance

Finally, be mindful of important mass notification codes and mandates when selecting an emergency notification system:

• The Americans with Disabilities Act specifies that emergency preparedness and response programs be accessible to people with disabilities, including emergency mass notification and access to information.

• The Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) reauthorizes the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) and mandates under federal statutes that universities and colleges issue emergency warnings. The HEOA further establishes requirements for timely warning and emergency notification.

• In addition to its core focus on fire alarm systems, the National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code (NFPA 72) includes requirements for mass notification systems used for weather emergencies; terrorist events; biological, chemical, and nuclear emergencies; and other threats.

Jamie Underwood is Director of Marketing Communications at Alertus Technologies. Click here to learn more about Alertus’ unified facility notification solutions.

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