How to Use Paging Systems as an Effective Life Safety Tool in Schools
An effective safety plan within educational facilities starts with strong communication. Now more than ever, the K-12 environment needs dependable technology that keeps students, educators, administrators, and emergency departments connected and informed both audibly and visually.
PA and intercom systems are typically relied on to deliver messages to students, staff, and visitors. It’s easy and effective at communicating the daily schedule, dismissal, and other routine announcements, but how does it stand when emergencies strike? Do messages reach the entire campus quickly and reliably? It is able to provide clear, concise life safety instructions? Is it accessible and intuitive during times of duress?
If any of these answers were no or brought up any concerns about the the systems current capabilities to meet new safety protocols, it may be time for a communication overhaul.
Ways to Turn Your PA System into an Effective Life Safety + Mass Notification Tool
Integrate IP Endpoints
IP endpoints extend the reach of a school’s current PA system, broadcasting messages both visually and audibly to areas that might have been outside the scope of the original communication system. As schools transform unused real estate into functional classrooms or build out their campus, IP integration-friendly IP endpoints can be added at any time to ensure that every area receives critical life-safety information. These IP endpoints can be speakers, clocks, or horns that can be placed in classrooms, hallways, gymnasiums, lunchrooms, and areas that need coverage.
Deploy a Combination of Audible and Visual Messages
School campuses are notorious for being noisy during classroom transitions, assemblies, sporting events, and before and after school. In these situations, it’s possible that audio notifications are falling on deaf ears. IP endpoints with built-in displays and flashers ensure students, staff, and visitors can see the messages when they can’t hear it. This goes for those wearing headphones during classroom instruction and with hearing impairments.
Enable Mobile Message Delivery
Traditionally, a PA system delivers messages only to speakers and displays on-premise. In integrating a mass communication system with mobile delivery capabilities, people who may be off the property, like employees on a lunch break or parents, can receive text messages on their smartphones. Everyone, regardless of whether they are at or en-route to the school campus, receives emergency notifications, which helps save lives.
Automate the When, Where, and How of Your Emergency Notifications
The brain of a mass communication system allows audible recordings and visual text to be customized and scheduled for automatic delivery. This eliminate human error, common under stressful situations, which vastly improves a school’s life safety measures. Pre-recorded and scripted messages regarding lockdowns, active shooters, inclement weather, and more can be initiated quickly at the press of a button on an IP phone, for example, rather than requiring staff to broadcast live announcements on the fly. This method leaves nothing to chance, making your school environment safer and minimizing the burden of your staff.
Sync Security and Communication Systems
The same security condition that triggers a siren throughout a school campus can also activate a pre-recorded and scripted message to IP speakers and displays. Speakers originally intended for PA applications can now also broadcast evacuation and lockdown information, while displays can present a wide variety of information for wayfinding, security, and regulatory purposes. United under the aegis of a mass communication system, these once single-purpose products can function as a multifaceted communication tools.
Layer in Routine Announcements
The same IP endpoints integrated into the PA system for greater security coverage can also handle the delivery of routine announcements. The PA backbone, combined with new mass communication technologies and products, is more cost effective and provides more capabilities. The same useful PA features for broadcasting bells, morning schedule, and general announcements remain, but with additional emergency notification features. Administrations don’t have to completely restructure their communications platform or procedures - just boost its functionality with the addition of new life safety technology.
LVS understands the critical importance of clear and efficient communication in educational environments. Our team works with AtlasIED to design IP based paging and mass notification systems to provide seamless connectivity, ensuring that administrators, teachers, and staff can stay connected effortlessly, fostering a secure and collaborative learning environment.
When communication matters most in these environments, LVS and AtlastIED lead with InformaCast® Emergency Mass Notification Software from Singlewire® to provide the speed and reach to get critical information into the hands of people who need it. This versatile mass communication system works with mobile and on-premise to protect people when emergencies strike. Our team is a single source for a complete life safety solution. Using Atlas’s IP End points of speakers, horns, + clocks, the solution is designed and installed to provide energy efficient messaging, paging, and notifications that are clearly heard and visually seen.
In a K12 Environment, Atlas’s IP End points and InformaCast® Software Suite provides a dependable “one-two punch” protecting the school building, its students, teachers, and administrators. The devices will provide an audible and visual solution for Emergency Notifications, Paging, Incident Management, Visitor Management, Bell Systems, Active Shooter Safety, 911 Alerting, and Severe Weather Alerting. Emergency notifications - all with capabilities to integrate with cell phones for emergency notifications.
