Mass Notification Systems

Originally developed by the United States Department of Defense as a military base warning system, Mass Notification has evolved into a commercially available solution for any organization that needs to quickly inform and guide large groups of people in an emergency. Where some Mass Notification solutions are primarily software-based messaging systems, the recommended solution of the National Fire Code is to build the Emergency Communication /Mass Notification system as part of the Fire Alarm system:

Chapter 24, Emergency Communication Systems (ECS) of NFPA 72 (2010 edition), National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, defines ECS as “a system for the protection of life by indicating the existence of an emergency situation and communicating information necessary to facilitate an appropriate response and action;” and defines a Mass Notification System similarly to the UFC as “a system used to provide information and instructions to people in a building area, site or other space using intelligible voice communications and possibly including visible signals, text, graphics, tactile, or other communication methods.” Chapter 24 describes how integrating ECS into fire alarm systems makes sense, and the requirements of this chapter have been correlated with the requirements of the UFC. It also provides minimum requirements for system designers, installers, and facility managers using MNS.

Unified Notification Platform (UNP) is Honeywell’s industry-leading notification application. It is a unified Mass Notification Ecosystem that allows fire and life safety professionals to leverage various notification assets, getting the right message to the right people in the shortest amount of time. As the most scalable and feature-rich notification solution on the market, UNP integrates with several IP-based endpoints and communication systems, enabling rapid alerting to more effectively inform and protect people located on-premise or off-premise. UNP improves network-wide communication, security, emergency responsiveness, and productivity. With UNP, organizations can facilitate enterprise-wide consistent, multi-layer communication for virtually any communication need, including real-time and automated notifications for emergency alerts, regularly scheduled announcements, mass notification, and facility-wide paging.

UNP eliminates communication barriers by uniting previously siloed and fragmented systems. It processes into a centralized platform to facilitate communication of critical information more efficiently and more effectively.

WHY UNP? Fire and life safety professionals need to expedite the activation and broadcast of emergency messages to the affected group through a multi-layered approach in the shortest amount of time. UNP allows you to send critical notifications to alert the correct group by efficient means through a variety of mass notification networking options. UNP improves network-wide communication, security, emergency responsiveness, and productivity across your organization.

Features

• Cost-Effective, Multi-Channel Notification
  Leverages the mass communication capabilities of existing assets to add notification layers
  • Phone System (outbound mass dialing)
  • Security / Access Control systems (automated lock-down or unlock)
  • Paging System (automated and live voice messages)
  • Personal computers (email)
  • Mobile devices (SMS text messages)
  • Cable TV override
  • Digital Signage, Message Boards.
  • Accepts CAP Feeds to receive NWS, IPAWS, EAS, AMBER Alerts and sends to CAP enabled devices.

• Consistency
  Integrates and automates previously siloed systems to provide consistent emergency messages.
• Simple to Use
  Single web-based console to disseminate messages.
• Scalable and Flexible
  Able to meet a wide variety of organizational requirements. Messages can be structured and prioritized and sent through many different means.
• Open Platform
  Supports standard protocols and API’s for more integrations with IP and CAP enabled devices.
• Tailored
  Can be localized to a single building or broadcast more widely to multiple buildings or a region.
• Efficiency
  Notifications can be launched through remote activation, leverages personal alert/notification via mobile devices, real-time situational awareness and decision-making.
• Different Levels of Users
  Allows for different levels of authorization.

Building an effective Mass Notification System requires a systems integrator with extensive and broad experience in the communication industry. Torrence employs certified professionals with expertise in Fire Alarm, Sound and Paging, Video, Telecom, Radio, corporate-level IP/IT Integration, and Wired and Wireless Messaging systems.  The are many considerations when undertaking the design and implementation of an Emergency Communication/Mass Notification System. Torrence can help. Contact us to assist with the planning, design, installation, and commissioning of an industry-approved solution.

Case Studies