Security Magazine logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Security Magazine logo
  • NEWS
    • Security Newswire
    • Technologies & Solutions
  • MANAGEMENT
    • Leadership Management
    • Enterprise Services
    • Security Education & Training
    • Logical Security
    • Security & Business Resilience
    • Profiles in Excellence
  • PHYSICAL
    • Access Management
    • Fire & Life Safety
    • Identity Management
    • Physical Security
    • Video Surveillance
    • Case Studies (Physical)
  • CYBER
    • Cybersecurity News
    • More
  • BLOG
  • COLUMNS
    • Cyber Tactics
    • Leadership & Management
    • Security Talk
    • Career Intelligence
    • Leader to Leader
    • Cybersecurity Education & Training
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Annual Guarding Report
    • Most Influential People in Security
    • The Security Benchmark Report
    • The Security Leadership Issue
    • Top Guard and Security Officer Companies
    • Top Cybersecurity Leaders
    • Women in Security
  • SECTORS
    • Arenas / Stadiums / Leagues / Entertainment
    • Banking/Finance/Insurance
    • Construction, Real Estate, Property Management
    • Education: K-12
    • Education: University
    • Government: Federal, State and Local
    • Hospitality & Casinos
    • Hospitals & Medical Centers
    • Infrastructure:Electric,Gas & Water
    • Ports: Sea, Land, & Air
    • Retail/Restaurants/Convenience
    • Transportation/Logistics/Supply Chain/Distribution/ Warehousing
  • EVENTS
    • Industry Events
    • Webinars
    • Solutions by Sector
    • Security 500 Conference
  • MEDIA
    • Videos
      • Cybersecurity & Geopolitical Discussion
      • Ask Me Anything (AMA) Series
    • Podcasts
    • Polls
    • Photo Galleries
  • MORE
    • Call for Entries
    • Classifieds & Job Listings
    • Continuing Education
    • Newsletter
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Store
    • White Papers
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • This Month's Content
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
Education:University

An “Easy Button” Approach to Emergency Communications

Siemens_casestudy
February 1, 2016

Established in 1851, Florida State University (FSU) is a senior member of twelve units of the State University System of the Florida Board of Governors. FSU’s main campus covers more than 13 million-square-feet and is located in Tallahassee, the capital of the state.

FSU is recognized by the National Weather Service as a “Storm Ready University.” This designation is given to organizations and communities that are better prepared to save lives in the event of severe weather conditions due to their commitment to advanced planning, education and awareness. Because this area of Florida can experience sudden, extreme weather events, including lightning, tornados and hurricanes, FSU has been proactive and is prepared not only for a severe weather, but also other threats. With more than 44,000 students, faculty and staff on campus, the Emergency Management Coordinator and his staff take their responsibilities seriously about warning people about life safety risks.

FSU was facing the challenge of numerous complex and disparate systems of emergency notification and warning, which required several users to login and activate multiple applications during a weather event or crisis on campus. Due to the multiple delivery methods, each system required its own activation procedure to fully implement all of the communication modalities, from sirens to text messages and emails. Instead of being a facilitator, technology was becoming a barrier to the rapid notification and also was requiring continuous training and maintenance.

Siemens delivered a multi-tiered Mass Notification solution to combine numerous modalities for emergency communications into a central activation portal, aka “Easy Button.” Siemens integrated more than 15 layers of communications for indoor, outdoor and personal device messaging, while additional modalities continue to be pulled into future phases. Components of the solution included the phone system/PBX, social media, giant voice via high powered speaker arrays, audible voice broadcasts across fire annunciation systems, web page updates, a gateway for web based alerting to email/cell phone/SMS messaging, blue light phone towers, and voice

mail systems. Multiple delivery methods are required to reach people inside campus buildings as well as outside on the quad and outdoor venues. Since no one delivery method reaches everyone every time, multiple layers are required and builds redundancy so that the people that you are trying to protect not only receive the message, but also react appropriately.

Siemens also designed and installed a Local Operator Control (LOC) in the dispatch center for simplified activation of the system which allowed security personnel to rapidly initialize an alert and return their attention to incident management. Weather alerts for a severe thunderstorm, lightning, flash flood and tornado are all preprogrammed, while the message issued for a dangerous situation are the same.

The system gives the dispatcher the ability and authority to trigger an alert with a single button push. The system provides an immediate response with instructions to shelter in place, but then provides more information as soon as the situation is assessed by authorities. Bujak stated, “The campus community knows we take alerts seriously and this leads to greater levels of trust and a greater feeling of safety for students, faculty, and visitors across our campus.”

The “Easy Button” project reduced the mass notification/ECS activation from an average of 20 minutes to less than five minutes with most modalities activating within two minutes—a 90% improvement. Additionally, dispatchers require very little training on the system due to its ease of use.

KEYWORDS: campus security security education

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
To unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Security's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024

    Security's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024

    Security magazine's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024 award...
    Cybersecurity
    By: Security Staff
  • cyber brain

    The intersection of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence

    Artificial intelligence (AI) is a valuable cybersecurity...
    Logical Security
    By: Pam Nigro
  • artificial intelligence AI graphic

    Assessing the pros and cons of AI for cybersecurity

    Artificial intelligence (AI) has significant implications...
    Technologies & Solutions
    By: Charles Denyer
Subscribe For Free!
  • Security eNewsletter & Other eNews Alerts
  • eMagazine Subscriptions
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Online Registration
  • Mobile App
  • Subscription Customer Service

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Security audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Security or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Crisis Response Team
    Sponsored byEverbridge

    Automate or Fall Behind – Crisis Response at the Speed of Risk

  • Perimeter security
    Sponsored byAMAROK

    Why Property Security is the New Competitive Advantage

  • Duty of Care
    Sponsored byAMAROK

    Integrating Technology and Physical Security to Advance Duty of Care

Popular Stories

Pills spilled

More than 20,000 sensitive medical records exposed

Laptop in darkness

Verizon 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report shows rise in cyberattacks

Coding on screen

Research reveals mass scanning and exploitation campaigns

White post office truck

Department of Labor Sues USPS Over Texas Whistleblower Termination

Computer with binary code hovering nearby

Cyberattacks Targeting US Increased by 136%

2025 Security Benchmark banner

Events

May 22, 2025

Proactive Crisis Communication

Crisis doesn't wait for the right time - it strikes when least expected. Is your team prepared to communicate clearly and effectively when it matters most?

September 29, 2025

Global Security Exchange (GSX)

 

View All Submit An Event

Products

Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

See More Products

Related Articles

  • SEC0820-Entry-Feat-slide1_900px

    Pre-Entry Video Observation (PEVO): A Fresh Approach to an Old Idea

    See More
  • perimeter-security-freepik1170.jpg

    Defending your perimeter: Taking an intelligent, layered approach to security

    See More
  • social-enews

    Send the Right Message: How to Streamline Emergency Communications in the Social Media Era

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • 9781498767118.jpg

    Intelligent Video Surveillance Systems: An Algorithmic Approach

  • physical security.webp

    Physical Security Assessment Handbook An Insider’s Guide to Securing a Business

  • A Leaders Guide Book Cover_Nicholson_29Sept2023.jpg

    A Leader’s Guide to Evaluating an Executive Protection Program

See More Products
×

Sign-up to receive top management & result-driven techniques in the industry.

Join over 20,000+ industry leaders who receive our premium content.

SIGN UP TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing