It’s National School Choice Week 2019! This is the time of year where families participate in thousands of information sessions, open houses, school fairs, and celebrations all over the country to help inform them about the different K-12 schooling options available. And there is really so much to consider; location, the qualifications of the teaching staff, the quality of school lunches, etc. With the increase in school shootings and other violent events, the quality of a school’s crisis management and response is definitely at the forefront of most parents minds. After all, how can a child focus on learning if their basic need for safety isn’t met?
Alertus Virtual Seminar Recap: Roadmap from Preparedness to Recovery
The Alertus Webinar Series brought together four emergency experts to take our audience on a journey throughout the entire emergency response scenario. These emergency experts provided valuable tools and knowledge into emergency preparedness, emotional recovery, business continuity, and more, to help organizations properly prepare for and address any emergency.
Preparing: Addressing Common Mistakes From the Planning Stage Before It’s Too Late
During: Crisis Communication: Initial Response Through Recovery
Business Continuity: Active Shooter Security Risk Assessments - Lessons from Parkland, Annapolis and Jacksonville Shootings
Emotional Support: Terror in the Workplace: Mental Health Lessons Learned from Recent Attacks
Understanding Alertus System Security
The Alertus Emergency Mass Notification System is an industry-leading, powerful, and flexible solution. For over a decade, we’ve seamlessly integrated with and provided potentially life-saving alerts across organizations’ existing infrastructures
and technologies, including desktop computers, PA systems, VoIP phones, digital signage, mobile devices, fire panels, and more. We pride ourselves on our ability to help you defend against physical attacks, but did you know that we work equally as hard to make sure our system is safe from cyber attacks?
Signs That It's Time to Scale Your Emergency Mass Notification
So you’re wondering if it’s time to scale your mass notification. It is certainly an important question to ask. At Alertus, we’ve seen thousands of organizations that have started off with small systems specializing in a specific type of notification. It’s often a text or email service that allows them to send alerts to individuals, but emergency managers are looking for more, and rightfully so. Reaching everyone, and everywhere, is the number one priority in an emergency. Systems that only offer one type of notification drastically miss the mark when it comes to reaching every inch of a facility with critical information. This leaves just one option, scale!
FEMA to Conduct IPAWS National Test on Oct 3, 2018
Today the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), is conducting a test of the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) and the Emergency Alert System (EAS) as part of its Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS).
The test will begin at 2:18 p.m. EDT with the WEA system, and the EAS test will begin at 2:20 EDT.
WEA test messages will be sent to cell phones connected to wireless providers participating in the program. According to FEMA's website:
Cell towers will broadcast the WEA test for approximately 30 minutes beginning at 2:18 p.m. EDT. During this time, WEA compatible cell phones that are switched on, within range of an active cell tower, and whose wireless provider participates in WEA should be capable of receiving the test message. Some cell phones will not receive the test message, and cell phones should only receive the message once. The WEA test message will have a header that reads "Presidential Alert" and text that says:
“THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”
The WEA system is used to warn the public about dangerous weather, missing children, and other critical situations through alerts on cell phones. The national test will use the same special tone and vibration as with all WEA messages (i.e. Tornado Warning, AMBER Alert). Users cannot opt out of receiving the WEA test.
The EAS is a national public warning system that provides the President with the communications capability to address the nation during a national emergency. The test is made available to EAS participants (i.e., radio and television broadcasters, cable systems, satellite radio and television providers, and wireline video providers) and is scheduled to last approximately one minute. The test message will be similar to regular monthly EAS test messages with which the public is familiar. The EAS message will include a reference to the WEA test:
“THIS IS A TEST of the National Emergency Alert System. This system was developed by broadcast and cable operators in voluntary cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Federal Communications Commission, and local authorities to keep you informed in the event of an emergency. If this had been an actual emergency an official message would have followed the tone alert you heard at the start of this message. A similar wireless emergency alert test message has been sent to all cell phones nationwide. Some cell phones will receive the message; others will not. No action is required.”
For more information, visit: https://www.fema.gov/emergency-alert-test
The Alertus Mass Notification System supports the Common Alertus Protocol (CAP) and is interoperable with IPAWS, enabling organizations using the Alertus System to receive and activate alerts quickly and effectively. When the Alertus System processes a CAP file it constructs and disseminates a detailed alert notification using the core CAP fields, then, following pre-configured alert profiles, activate alerts when the CAP alert meets specified criteria such as severity, location, and certainty.
To learn more about Alertus System activation methods, please visit: https://www.alertus.com/activation
Addressing the Growing Need for Mass Notification in News & Media Outlets
News and media outlets have seen a startling increase in the number of violent attacks on both journalists and facilities. One jaw-dropping incident took place only several miles from the Alertus Technologies headquarters at the Capital Gazette in Annapolis, MD when a gunman forced his way into the facility and killed five employees. Unfortunately, this incident is only one of many we’ve seen in recent months. While it is hard to always control external threats, there are actions organizations can take to better address and respond to these threats, and it starts with emergency mass notification.
Maximizing Your System Capabilities with Alertus ENS
Whether you received the Alertus Desktop™ Notification donation for your campus and want to expand your capabilities, or looking to build a brand new notification system for your organization, your investment into the Alertus Mass Notification System is about getting the best in emergency notification to help keep the people in your facility safe. With Alertus Enhanced Notification Service (ENS), you can both expand and maximize your system’s capabilities, while getting the peace of mind that comes with live technical support.
4 Steps to Better Emergency Notification
The increase in violence and unpredictable weather threats is enough to keep anyone awake at night, especially those in the security and emergency management field. Whether it’s a university or office complex, it’s hard keeping everyone safe. Various types of mass notification systems certainly help, but having the tools to communicate with everyone does not mean you’re communicating effectively. These four steps below will help you improve your emergency notification and make sure you’re effectively reaching everyone, everywhere.
Mass Notification Systems now eligible under New 2018 Tax Incentives for Security and Fire Protection Systems
The 4 Areas of Comprehensive Notification Coverage
Reaching everyone, everywhere can be easier said than done. Organizations often have many moving parts making it hard to ensure that life-saving communication reaches everyone, especially in an emergency.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is a U.S.-based organization established in 1896 and has since written hundreds of codes and standards to ensure facility safety. The NFPA 72: National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code Handbook outlines the safety provisions necessary for fire detection, signaling, and emergency communications. Chapter 24 of the Handbook provides guidelines for emergency communication systems and stipulates four types of Emergency Communication System Layers.
The 2018 Seminars Start Big At Home
The Alertus Seminar Series hosted its first seminar of 2018 at headquarters with Johns Hopkins Healthcare System and it was definitely a huge success. Originally scheduled as a one day seminar, the event was expanded to two days, March 29 & 30, 2018, to accommodate the overwhelming response of registrants.
Four Ways to Use Your Alertus Desktop Notification Software
One of Alertus’ most frequently requested and utilized emergency notification tools is our software that can override computer screens with a message in the event of an emergency, known as the Alertus Desktop Notification. Most of our customers are familiar with this solution, but many end users might not be aware of the full breadth of features available.
Severe Weather Awareness
The term severe storm encompasses numerous types of dangerous weather that both emergency management professionals and citizens must prepare for. Today marks the first day of Severe Storms Awareness Week in Maryland, where we are no stranger to tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards, floods, hail storms, ice storms, and much more. Regardless of your location and the storms common to your region, below are some proposed steps to prepare your facility for any severe storm.