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Algo Emergency Notification
Emergency Alerting and Critical Events – IP Endpoints & Push Buttons
Algo’s IP endpoints for emergency alerting seamlessly integrate into most leading VoIP systems to ensure building occupants receive communication for safety, security, and emergency events. Deliver critical messages in seconds to any mass audience.
Delivering Effective Emergency Notification
Having a precise and trusted method to deliver emergency notifications is a crucial element in any size building. An effective emergency mass notification system will connect and inform an entire organization in an emergency within seconds.
Emergency alerts need to be highly noticeable and attention-getting in order to convey crucial information to a mass audience in the least amount of time. They are often recognized as audible or visible alerts where a loud sound is emitted that can be easily heard and may be complemented by the flashing of a visual alerter (strobe light).
Algo provides easy-to-use IP endpoints for emergency mass notification systems allowing users to deliver real-time alerts and critical information to groups of any size. The emergency mass notification system can be used by small businesses to large enterprise corporations, keeping occupants informed of critical events happening around them.
Types of Emergency Notifications
Algo IP endpoints can be configured to deliver alerts in multiple ways to suit the needs of any environment. The most common types of emergency notifications include:
- Active alerting – live voice
- Pre-recorded
- Alarm
- Flashers
- Push to activate
Benefits of Emergency Notification
- Easy integration into most leading UC environments
- Very bright, very loud, attention-getting IP endpoints
- Simple device management and configuration
- Scale over any size organization for maximum
Common Application Use Cases
- K12 and higher education emergency alert notification for lockdown, evacuation, shelter, medical, all clear, etc.
- Manufacturing factory / plant safety alerting.
- Workplace medical emergencies such as activation of an AED defibrillator, help / assist button activation at reception desk or in a restroom or human resources (HR) interview room, etc.
- Security breach of an exterior door in a high asset facility such as a distribution center or warehouse.
- Weather event notification.
Activating an Emergency Alert
There are two activation options available using any Algo IP speaker, strobe light, or the 8301 paging adapter:
- Via SIP
- Via button
As a compliant 3rd-party SIP endpoint, Algo IP Speakers, Visual Alerters, and Paging Adapters can register up to 10 Emergency Alert extensions. This alerting extension allows for a pre-recorded WAV file announcement and/or tone to be broadcast when the extension is called (e.g., lockdown, evacuation, shelter, all clear, weather, safety event, security alert, etc.). All Algo devices have 1 GB of memory allowing for customizable WAV files to be uploaded.
Cancellation
A Call to Cancel feature is available to allow the emergency alert to play continuously for as long as desired until canceled. Alternatively, the WAV file alert can be configured to play for a pre-set duration. The user does not have to remain on the telephone when calling the Emergency Alert extension. As soon as the call is made, the Algo IP endpoint will play the WAV file as configured, making emergency alerting simple and efficient from any telephone or device in the unified communication (UC) environment. Once the Call to Cancel extension is configured, the same canceling extension will apply to any of the Emergency Alert extensions registered.
Buttons and Accessories for Alerting
Emergency Alerts can easily be activated through an installed button or accessory as an alternative option. Buttons, such as the Algo 1202 and 1203 buttons, provide a contact closure that can interface to the relay input of an Algo IP Speaker, Visual Alerter, or the 8301 IP Paging Adapter. Each button uses a single twisted pair of 24-gauge wiring to be connected.
Three configuration options are available via the relay input of an endpoint upon activation:
- Play and/or multicast an alert.
- Call a target extension and play a discreet WAV.
- Call a target extension and have a two-way call via the embedded microphone of the speaker.
Power for the Algo 1202 and 1203 buttons is provided by the available PoE from the Algo IP endpoint.
Multicasting an Emergency Alert
Multicasting is commonly used for emergency alerting to have a critical alert broadcast to many devices at once. Any combination and number of Algo IP endpoints can be configured as a multicast for emergency alerting to cover any size room, building, campus, or enterprise.
With multicast, a call can be made to initiate an emergency alert extension which simultaneously launches a multicast to any number of Algo IP endpoints, such as speakers, visual alerters, and paging adapters, as well as to multicast-supported IP telephones.
Multicast-configured receivers require no SIP registration.
IP Visual Alerting for Enhanced Situational Awareness
In many situations, the use of heavy machinery and heavy-duty ear protection may prevent a worker from hearing an emergency alert, or in some cases, noise sensitivity may be a crucial factor to consider. Each environment is unique and may require different solutions to ensure an emergency alert is noticed. Algo IP strobe lights can be deployed on their own for silent alerting or they can be used to complement audible alerting systems.
The 8128 IP Visual Alerter and 8138 IP Color Visual Alerter are commonly deployed across many verticals, such as education, warehouse, manufacturing, hospitals, and logistics. Numerous flash patterns can be configured through the web interface for flexible alerting to suit any environment. As a four-color visual alerter, the 8138 has even more customizability options and can easily color-code alerts for specific situational events.
While education facilities may deploy the 8128 or 8138, a common choice in many classrooms is the 8190S IP Speaker – Clock – Visual Alerter in classrooms. The 8190S provides both audible and visual alerting, including the benefits of any Algo speaker with the color and flash pattern variations of a multi-color visual alerter.
Monitor and Manage Your Emergency Alerting Devices
When deploying Algo IP endpoints for emergency alerting, managing devices is as simple as logging into the web interface of each individual device. However, in large deployments where hundreds of devices are installed, organizations typically like a single pane view to manage devices. In such cases, using a tool to manage and monitor all devices in a single place is the preferred option for usability, simplicity, and time efficiency. Algo’s devices are designed to seamlessly integrate into both small- and large-scale environments and have the management tools and capability to operate easily in either.
Algo has three solutions for device monitoring and management:
- using the web UI for individual device monitoring,
- using the 8300 IP Controller for on-premises device monitoring,
- and using the Algo Device Management Platform (ADMP) for cloud-based device monitoring from any location.