Page 113 - Security Today, July/August 2019

"How do you deliver time-sensitive instructions to audiences who may not see, hear or understand routine communication formats?"
By Jerry Geis
even to a first-time visitor on campus.
Miles away, Jeff Bravin pondered similar challenges at the American
School for the Deaf in West Hartford, Connecticut. As executive direc- tor for ASD, Bravin wanted to enhance student safety and communica- tions beyond the typical alarms and flashing lights throughout campus.
“We wanted something more visual and accessible for our stu- dents,” Bravin said.
For both CSDB and ASD, the solution required layering messaging in multiple formats and vehicles, so no student, staff or visitor fell through the cracks.
Integrating and Centralizing Disparate Systems
To make that possible, the schools partnered with Layered Solutions to integrate, centralize and automate their existing security and com- munications tools. That integration enabled the schools to manage disparate technologies like LCD panels, LED signs, PCs, phones, fire alarms, public address systems and more from a central dashboard, and deploy messaging in multiple formats from a tap on their smart- phone, desktop or other device, like wireless panic buttons.
Both schools started small, with simpler integrations, and gradu- ally added more capabilities over time. First up was adding visual components to audible alerts and vice versa.
“Every classroom at ASD has an IP clock that offers captioning,” Bravin said. “So any time we need to communicate an emergency, there’s captioning that happens there.”
Additionally, someone will come on a TV screen with instructions in sign language, and the phone access system will notify students with auditory needs (hearing aids, cochlear implants) that something requires their immediate attention.
CSDB, which began integrating systems with Layered Solutions two decades ago, has grown its integrations considerably during that time, expanding automations from the main school building to resi- dence halls, parking lots and gates. One iteration, says Brown, involved using a wireless button system in classrooms and dorms to request support at different levels.
“Level one was a request for help to a direct supervisor or desig-
nated backup,” Brown said. “Level four is what we called an on-cam- pus 911 call that went out to about 30 people. It meant something significant was happening, and we’d flood support to that room.”
Eventually, Brown’s team also implemented mechanisms to discern whether an emergency was behavioral or medical.
“We had that ability throughout the whole campus: in classrooms, conference rooms, dormitories, both on the deaf and blind sides of our campus,” Brown said.
Over time, Brown’s team found more uses for the button system, like managing lockdowns across multiple locations.
“We integrated it with our card system so doors would lock,” Brown said. “We also integrated it with our gates system so they’d lock too. We’d have LED banners running, text messages going to all staff, voice messages going to recipients who requested them. All of that by pressing one button.”
Before Brown’s retirement in December 2018, his team added red and green lights by entrances so someone driving to CSDB could spot, at a glance, whether it was safe to enter the campus. Addition- ally, gates were programmed to issue alerts to security staff if left ajar, or if a malfunction was detected.
Applying Emergency Integrations to Routine Operations
Enhanced mass notification integrations aren’t just beneficial in emergencies. For ASD, the ability to deploy routine messages or images to TVs across campus is a huge plus, says Bravin. Brown also used those capabilities for classroom bell changes, and to facil- itate daily tasks like letting preschool staff know someone was at the door.
Daily uses also meant students got used to seeing and hearing the mass notifications functions.
“They grew familiar with that kind of communication, as opposed to all of a sudden the LCD TV showing a real-time clock did some- thing weird in an emergency,” Brown said.
Automations invariably translate to faster turnaround and lighter staff load, according to Bravin. To that end, Layered Solutions works with school leaders to map out possible scenarios and responses, then pre-program messages for instant dissemination when staff has only moments to spare. The built-in automations also expedite creating messages on-the-go.
Grow as You Go
Like ASD and CSDB, most organizations using Layered Solutions’ system or pursuing their own brand of integrations begin by tackling simple interfaces, then add capabilities as their needs evolve and resources become available. That gradual build helps organizations achieve a lot with relatively little effort or funds, says Rick Wagner, vice president of sales for Layered Solutions. After all, enabling exist- ing tools to play well with each other is a much more palatable invest- ment than buying all new devices and revamping entire systems— particularly when money is tight.
Some new additions happen naturally as Layered Solutions adds no-cost upgrades to its software, like the Missing Person function.
“If there’s a missing child or person we need to locate, we just drag a photo of that person into a folder on our desktop and it pops up on
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