It’s “next step” time for mass notification systems. Driven by the new UL 2572 standard for emergency communications/mass notification systems and next week’s expected approval in Chicago of the NFPA National Fire Alarm and Signaling Systems Code 2010, which contains important changes regarding mass notification, that next step will stress using a facility’s life safety/fire system as the most robust and reliable platform that can integrate the diversity of exciting mass notification systems.

In an exclusive interview with GE Security’s Ted Milburn, he pointed out the need for various methods of getting the word out to talk better with each other. Different sources define their mass notification approach differently. “Using highly reliable life safety/fire as the platform can pull everything together.” While IP-based approaches maybe inexpensive to install, there is the concern of reliability.

Check out the UL 2572 details at http://ulstandardsinfonet.ul.com/outscope/outscope.asp?fn=2572.html

Just this week, GE Security released GE EST3-Sixty to meet the new UL standard 2572, for control and communication units for mass notification. The system offers a combination of crisis management tools and the latest Voice-over-IP (VoIP) and fiber optic communications. EST3-Sixty integrates protection and notification systems to utilize multiple forms of communication including paging systems, fire alarms, electronic signage, e-mail notifications, computer pop-ups, text messaging and other means for communication.

Security Magazine has extensive background on mass notification.

Incident Warning and Mass Notification Continue Growth

http://www.securitymagazine.com/CDA/Articles/Blog_Technologies/BNP_GUID_9-5-2006_A_10000000000000575023

and

A Big IFSEC Winner: Dedicated Micros Wins Security Industry Award for Emergency

Messaging and Mass Notification System

http://www.securitymagazine.com/CDA/Articles/SEC_Newswire/BNP_GUID_9-5-2006_A_10000000000000598921

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