American Signal Corporation (ASC), a Milwaukee-based company that develops a variety of sirens and emergency alert systems, and Two-Time Winner in the 2018 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program, is sounding the alarm – warning against a shortsighted approach to municipalities that have begun to abandon traditional siren systems in favor of reliance on only email and mobile phone alerts.
ASC’s emphatic defense of traditional outdoor sirens comes on the heels of recent, misguided transitions away from tornado sirens.
Some counties are opting instead to solely use a mass notification technology that relies on cellphone, text, email and landline alerts.
ASC believes the move is ill-advised and a mistake that could prove hazardous for their citizens.
“When municipalities abandon sirens in favor of new technology, they’re not taking into account the situations when cell phones are either unreliable or unavailable,” said Richard Roe, Executive Vice President at ASC.
“The recent wildfires in California are one of the many relevant examples.
In fact, most SoCo Alert calls failed to connect in the first hours of the Sonoma County wildfires, leaving area residents in tremendous danger.”
(KPIX CBS SF Bay Area reports on Sonoma County supervisors meeting to discuss report on fire alert plan failures. Courtesy of KPIX CBS SF Bay Area and YouTube. Posted on Feb 27, 2018.)
In the wake of the fires, Sonoma County Fire and Emergency Services faced significant criticism for failure to notify residents in a timely manner.
Residents had to first register with the county to have SoCo alerts sent to a mobile phone via call, text or email.
For many residents, their first warnings of the fire came from their neighbors or their own visual confirmation.
The fires killed 24 people and destroyed approximately 5,130 homes.
“We believe mass notification should be a layered approach,” explained Roe.
“We are proud siren manufacturers but are also innovative on the software side.”
“Our CompuLert NEXGen system manages all layered approaches of mass notification, including sirens, notifications, texts and emails.”
“The solution for municipalities should be not to abandon sirens, but to support them.”
(Learning from failures in last year’s Wine Country wildfires, Sonoma County recently tested a new wireless emergency alert system, but it got mixed results. Courtesy of KPIX CBS SF Bay Area and YouTube. Posted on Sept 12, 2018.)
OUTDOOR WARNING SIRENS
In order to provide citizens with the most effective outdoor warning sirens possible, cities, municipalities, universities, industrial plants and nuclear power plants around the world trust American Signal Corporation as the highest standard in outdoor notification equipment and systems.
The i-FORCE by ASC is designed for community, DOD applications, colleges, universities, industrial, nuclear, petrochemical, or other applications that require high levels of sound pressure level output with superb acoustical performance and brilliant voice notification broadcasting.
The i-FORCE sirens can be activated individually or in dynamic groups from a central point using Ethernet, satellite, radio, cellular or landline.
“Locally stored” messages at the sirens greatly enhance intelligibility tones or pre-recorded voice messages.
The electronic control decoders are programmable for various tone out protocols. Any of 10 standard or optional customized tones can be activated.
E-CLASS OUTDOOR WARNING SIRENS
The latest in innovative emergency notification products from ASC. Developed with over 35 years of alerting and voice notification experience, the E-Class is a high powered configurable voice/siren.
The E-Class high powered voice/sirens are fully configurable for a wide range of alert signal tones as well as highly intelligible pre-recorded or live voice directions for community, industry, or DOD Mass Notification applications.
ASC can also provide all electronic control components such as the Siren Control, (Telephonic – or – Radio – or Satellite) Decoder (optional), pre-wired at the factory.
This factory wiring maximizes efficiency and accuracy, resulting in reduced installation time and cost.
Outdoor warning sirens and relay systems available from ASC represent the pinnacle for mass notifications and early warnings, and encompass all variables that may affect the safety and wellbeing of those who rely on them.
From national weather service storm warnings to complete solutions for emergency and mass notifications, ASC’s outdoor alert technologies set the tone for worldwide safety.
COMPULERT™ NEXGEN
AMERICAN SIGNAL CORPORATION’S PREMIER CENTRAL CONTROL PLATFORM FOR ALL MASS NOTIFICATIONS.
ASC’s system has been purposefully built to provide the ultimate mobility, reliability, and performance as an industry-leading mass notification platform.
Cloud enabled, available as SaaS (Software as a Service), or on premises, CompuLert™ NEXGen is the only multi-threat detection multi-channel mass notification platform capable of interfacing with virtually any threat detection device and communicate life safety information over a myriad of technologies.
CompuLert™ NEXGen sets itself apart in any further mass notification system comparison:
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CompuLert™ NEXGen’s architecture was developed to support large, nationwide disaster management and emergency communications systems, down to individual small cities and villages.
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It provides our clients – and system integrators – with the ultimate capabilities to develop specific, robust solutions.
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CompuLert™ NEXGen is a powerful mass notification platform, capable of seamlessly integrating critical communications systems with distributed data collection and sensing equipment, to provide custom life safety solutions.
WHAT CAN COMPULERT™ NEXGEN DO?
INTEGRATED SENSING CAN INCLUDE:
- Wind speed detection
- Radiation detection
- Chemical detection
- Water level detection
- Lightning detection
In a mass notification system comparison, no other system offers this level of functional integration.
(Learn More about the updates and benefits of CompuLert™ NEXGen. Courtesy of American Signal Corporation and YouTube. Posted on Jan 12, 2017.)
DESIGN PHILOSOPHY
Building upon CompuLert’s 30-year reputation of proven reliability, CompuLert™ NEXGen has been designed to support Fault Tolerant deployments.
Its N-Tier platform architecture supports distributing service layers across physical hardware and geographical locations, while maintaining data integrity and providing fault tolerance.
As the command and control hub for mission critical “life safety” systems, CompuLert™ NEXGen can be deployed in several high-availability and fault-tolerant scenarios.
The entire application can be installed on a single PC, providing industry-leading features and capabilities within budgetary constraints, or installed on one or many servers to ensure availability during man-made or natural disasters.
In a mass notification system comparison, CompuLert™ NEXGen stands out as ultimately reliable in all situations.
ASC a Double Winner in the 2018 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program
American Signal Corporation
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Best Alert Notification System
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ASC Aware Desktop & IoT Alerting
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*ASC is also 2017 ‘ASTORS’ Award Winner
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Best Mass Notification System-Application
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CompuLert NEXGen Mass Notification Platform
The Annual ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program is specifically designed to honor distinguished government and vendor solutions that deliver enhanced value, benefit and intelligence to end users in a variety of government, homeland security and public safety vertical markets.
The 2018 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program drew an overwhelming response from industry leaders with a record high number of corporate and government nominations received, as well as record breaking ‘ASTORS’ Presentation Luncheon Attendees, with top firms trying to register for the exclusive high – end luncheon and networking opportunity – right up to the event kickoff on Wednesday afternoon, at the ISC East registration!
Over 130 distinguished guests representing National, State and Local Governments, and Industry Leading Corporate Firms, gathered from across North America, Europe and the Middle East to be honored among their peers in their respective fields which included:
- The Department of Homeland Security
- The Federal Protective Service (FPS)
- Argonne National Laboratory
- The Department of Homeland Security
- The Department of Justice
- The Security Exchange Commission Office of Personnel Management
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection
- Viasat, Hanwha Techwin, Lenel, Konica Minolta Business Solutions, Verint, Canon U.S.A., BriefCam, Pivot3, Milestone Systems, Allied Universal, Ameristar Perimeter Security and More!
The Annual ‘ASTORS’ Awards is the preeminent U.S. Homeland Security Awards Program highlighting the most cutting-edge and forward-thinking security solutions coming onto the market today, to ensure our readers have the information they need to stay ahead of the competition, and keep our Nation safe – one facility, street, and city at a time.
The 2018 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program was Proudly Sponsored by ATI Systems, Attivo Networks, Automatic Systems, Desktop Alert, and Royal Holdings Technologies.
Early Bird Nominations are now being accepted for the 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland SecurityAwards at https://americansecuritytoday.com/ast-awards/.
Comprehensive List of Categories Include:
| Access Control/ Identification | Personal/Protective Equipment | Law Enforcement Counter Terrorism |
| Perimeter Barrier/ Deterrent System | Interagency Interdiction Operation | Cloud Computing/Storage Solution |
| Facial/IRIS Recognition | Body Worn Video Product | Cyber Security |
| Video Surveillance/VMS | Mobile Technology | Anti-Malware |
| Audio Analytics | Disaster Preparedness | ID Management |
| Thermal/Infrared Camera | Mass Notification System | Fire & Safety |
| Metal/Weapon Detection | Rescue Operations | Critical Infrastructure |
| License Plate Recognition | Detection Products | And Many Others! |
Don’t see a Direct Hit for your Product, Agency or Organization?
Submit your category recommendation for consideration to Michael Madsen, AST Publisher at: mmadsen@americansecuritytoday.com.
2018 Champions Edition
See the 2018 ‘ASTORS’ Champions Edition – ‘Best Products of 2018 ‘ Year in Review’ for in-depth coverage of the outstanding products and services of firms receiving American Security Today’s 2018‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards.’
Enter Early to Maximize Media Coverage of your Products and Services at Kickoff, and Get the Recognition Your Organization Deserves!
And be sure to Register Early for the 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Presentation Luncheon at ISC East 2019 to ensure your place at this limited- space event!
Why the 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program?
American Security Today’s comprehensive Annual Homeland Security Awards Program is organized to recognize the most distinguished vendors of physical, IT, port security, law enforcement, and first responders, in acknowledgment of their outstanding efforts to ‘Keep our Nation Secure, One City at a Time.’
Why American Security Today?
American Security Today is uniquely focused on the broader Homeland Security & Public Safety marketplace with over 70,000 readers at the Federal, State and local levels of government as well as firms allied to government.
The old traditional security marketplace has been covered by a host of security publications that have changed little over many years.
American Security Today brings forward a fresh compelling look and read with our customized digital publications that provides our readers with solutions to their challenges.
Our Editorial staff provides a full plate of topics for our AST monthly digital editions, AST Website and AST Daily News Alerts.
The editorial calendar and AST’s high drawing website features 23 different Technology and Marketing Sectors such as Access Control, Perimeter Protection, Video Surveillance/Analytics, Airport Security, Border Security, CBRNE Detection, Border Security, Ports, Cybersecurity, Networking Security, Encryption, Law Enforcement, First Responders, Campus Security, Security Services, Corporate Facilities and Emergency Response among others.
These sectors are part of the new integration, where these major applications communicate with one another in a variety of solutions to protect our cities and critical infrastructure.
AST has Expanded readership into vital Critical Infrastructure audiences such as Protection of Nuclear Facilities, Water Plants & Dams, Bridges & Tunnels, and other Potential targets of terrorism.
Other areas of concern include Transportation Hubs, Public Assemblies, Government Facilities, Sporting & Concert Stadiums, our Nation’s Schools & Universities, and Commercial Business Destinations – enticing targets for extremist or lone wolf attacks due to the large number of persons and resources clustered together.
American Signal Corporation (ASC) is a leading designer and manufacturer of mass notification solutions, combining advanced engineering, innovative software and state-of-the-art equipment with an extraordinary record of longevity and expertise in the field.
The company’s mission is to save lives every day.
For more information about American Signal Corporation and its siren products, visit www.americansignal.com.
