Page 62 - Security Today, September 2019

Connecting Mass Notification
Emergency communications are especially necessary when dealing with safety issues
BTy Pat Scheckel
he Internet of Things continues to grow, offering new possibilities for organizations to communicate messag- es and automate processes. This can be especially help- ful when dealing with safety issues. The more devices and systems your organization can access and leverage
for safety, the better chance you have of keeping your people out of harm’s way during an emergency.
The challenge becomes connecting all those disparate systems. Organizations are facing a wide variety of threats, including active shooter situations, severe weather, medical emergencies, cybersecuri- ty attacks and more. These events can put people at risk, disrupt daily operations and result in catastrophic consequences for organizations that are not adequately prepared. Different devices and systems tied to the Internet of Things can assist in responding to and managing these situations, but if they exist separately, you can lose precious sec- onds when trying to alert people about an emergency or lock down a building.
It’s in these situations where a mass notification system on the backend can provide a number of benefits. When an emergency oc- curs, an organization’s first responsibility should be to alert its people that a potentially dangerous event is taking place. When it comes to getting that alert out, the two most important factors are speed and reach. Speed is how fast a message gets distributed, and reach is how likely it is that everyone receives the message that is being distributed. The Internet of Things can help greatly extend the reach of messages, but a mass notification system can help link everything together to also enhance the speed.
Triggering Events with Email
With the proper configurations, a mass notification system can receive triggers from and send messages to the Internet of Things. One of the
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ways some mass notification systems accomplish this is through email monitoring. Connected IoT systems typically send emails to desig- nated addresses when certain parameters have or haven’t been met. The mass notification system can then monitor these email addresses for specific phrases.
If a particular phrase is found, it can then trigger broadcasts that are sent to specific groups of people in a variety of formats.
For example, if an ammonia sensor in a factory detects a rise in ammonia levels, it may send an email to a facility safety email ac- count. That account can be monitored by the mass notification sys- tem to detect phrases from that sensor. When that phrase is detected, it can then trigger an evacuation notification to let people know they should clear the area until levels have returned to normal.
This configuration can be applied to any system capable of sending an email, including earthquake detection, threat detection, HVAC systems, CCTV cameras and more. Email is often the lowest common denominator—most systems have this capability, making it invaluable to security professionals.
Using Contact Closures
Another option for triggering devices and systems connected to the Internet of Things is with contact closures. When a contact closure is triggered, it can activate a mass notification broadcast. This can be useful in situations where a small emergency is taking place but a larger audience needs to be notified to help provide assistance.
For example, if someone is in a remote area of a facility and suf- fers a heart attack, someone may need to open an AED box to use the defibrillator. When the box is opened, the contact closure on the box sends a signal to the mass notification system. The system can then broadcast using audio, text and other visual elements to let other per- sonnel know that someone is experiencing a medical emergency.
INTERNET OF THINGS
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