Mass Notification Systems (MSN), also known as Sirens, or Giant Voice Systems, are often viewed as part of the fixed infrastructure of an industrial facility, military base, or municipality.

Acoustic Technology Inc., (ATI Systems), a Finalist in their Seventh Consecutive ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program, has thousands of High Power Speaker Stations (HPSS) installed on fixed poles and buildings worldwide, with many options for building a large, reliable, permanent system.

However, recent increases in natural disasters affecting remote areas (such as historic flooding in Kentucky and wildfires across the Northwest region) have highlighted the growing need for mobile units that can be rapidly deployed and activated in random geographic areas.

In addition, there are various special events, such as celebratory parades, marathons, sporting events, performing arts and music concerts, and any number of large public gatherings, etc., where a powerful temporary MNS capability is highly desirable.

Flexibility

ATI Systems has three units specifically designed to meet the requirement for occasional deployment in areas that do not merit a permanent installation.

1. Mobile High Power Speaker Station (MHPSS)

• The Mobile High Powered Speaker Station is an ergonomic mobile siren trailer that allows Emergency Managers to deploy a reliable system in minutes.

• Its sturdy, minimalistic, and efficient design allows for emergency staff to make anywhere an idea location for either live Public Announcements, Pre-recorded alerts or siren tone. It is the go to solution for military field bases, interim facilities, event hosts, and endless other applications.

• When it comes to crowd control, events and general community communications the MHPSS allows for users to setup and make alerts in moments notice, and can also be modified to meet your specific site needs by our expert engineering staff.

• The MHPSS is mounted on a sturdy steel trailer for easy transport, and provides 1600 Watts of continuous audio output power (3200 watt configuration also available as well) for reliable alert tone notification and delivery of pre-recorded messages in emergency situations or for public address.

• Designed for temporary usage including military installations, sporting events, large public gatherings or construction sites where a permanent mass notification system is not cost-effective, ATI’s MHPSS solution offers easy to use yet effective design to allow emergency managers the ability to setup on the fly, without compromising on quality.

MHPSS Key Features Include:

• Exceptional acoustic performance and intelligibility

• Message encryption and security coding prevents unauthorized system activations

• 1600 Watts of continuous audio output power

• Up to 255 pre-recorded voice messages with up to 100 hours of recording time

• 60 minutes of continuous tone operation*

• 3 days of standby time without AC power*

• 10 standard alert tones plus live PA broadcast ability

• Automatic gain control for consistent output volume

• Remote control, monitoring, and activation

• Redundant communication paths available for larger MNS systems: IP (Ethernet), radio (UHF/VHF), fiber, twisted pair/phone-line, satellite, and cellular*

• Solar panel, Wind turbine and various on and off the grid powering solutions

2. Transportable High Power Speaker Station (THPSS)

• The Transportable High Power Speaker Station (THPSS) disassembles into components that can be assembled up by two people in an hour, and are particularly useful for air deployments at forward military bases or staging areas.

• The THPSS provides 1600 Watts of continuous audio output power (can also be configured for 3200 watts) for reliable alert tone notification and delivery of pre-recorded messages in emergency situations or for public address.

• The THPSS is designed for either temporary and permanent installations including military deployment, sporting events, large public gatherings, and construction sites, where a permanent mass notification system is not cost-effective.

• The THPSS allows users to rapidly deploy giant voice in new and unique areas maximizing coverage.

THPSS Key Features Include:

3. Deployable High Power Speaker Station (DHPSS)

• The Deployable High Power Speaker Station (DHPSS) allows users to rapidly deploy a reliable alert system anywhere. The unit is fully assembled, palletized for easy transportation, and ready for immediate operation.

• The DHPSS provides 1600 watts of continuous audio output in a transportable siren that is preassembled, which are also particularly useful for air deployments at forward military bases or staging areas.

• The design of the DHPSS unit allows it to be used as a permanent or temporary installation and does not require field installation, and is advantageous where the installation is difficult or extremely expensive.

• Major benefits are the elimination of installation costs and rapid readiness for use during severe weather conditions, and the unit can be folded to avoid high wind damage.

• The DHPSS meets all the applicable standards including the UFC.

• This fully-assembled unit can provide a Giant Voice System that is ready for quick deployment, as the need arises.

DHPSS Key Features Include:

• A 30-foot mast system

• 1600 Watts of continuous audio output power

• 30 minutes of continuous tone operation

• 10 standard alert tones, plus live PA broadcast ability

• Local and remote control, monitoring and activation

• Solar panel charging system

• Stainless steel cabinet

All three of ATI Systems Portable Giant Voice Systems provide the same highly reliable, intelligible voice and tone solutions as our fixed units in a portable form, producing clear and Intelligible alerts to affected communities with a time tested solution.

Reliable Communication and Control Options

One of the major differences between permanent and portable units is establishing communication between the remote unit and a control station which may be many miles away. Unlike fixed units, where distance and radio propagation are known quantities, mobile units need flexible communication which will work in a variety of terrains and distances.

An ATI Systems Mass Notification System (MNS) is typically controlled by MassAlert, an advanced Industrial and public safety software program for the overall control and monitoring of ATI emergency notification hardware.

MassAlert is a PC-based program that displays a map of the area and has menu selections to control and monitor the sirens, and a Central Control Unit (CCU), which provides communication to the sirens and also has a front panel allowing system operation regardless of the state of the PC.

MassAlert is a highly interoperable application that seamlessly integrates with distributed data collections, sensing devices, and existing emergency communication systems, to reach everyone in the shortest time utilizing a wide variety of notification channels including sirens, paging systems, social networks, emails, text, and phone calls.

(See how ATI Systems MassAlert® Software can be easily activated through simple steps. Courtesy of ATI Systems and YouTube.)

With regard to ATI’s Portable Giant Voice Systems, ATI supports multiple options for establishing communication between the CCU and Sirens:

UHF/VHF Mobile Radio

• 25 watts will cover a fair area in flat terrain allowing for direct radio-to-radio communications with no dependency on third-party infrastructures such as cell towers or Wi-Fi access points.

• However, in larger, hilly or mountainous areas, a radio repeater system may be required.

Cell Modem

• Cell modems are a relatively fast and easy option however, is only as good as the cell service in the area in question.

• The availability of Cell-On-Wheels (portable cell towers on trailers) for rapid deployment in areas suffering an emergency or disaster situation can make cellular connectivity a viable option but requires coordination with other agencies regarding who exactly is responsible for deploying this service.

Satellite Modems

• Satellite modems are typically more expensive, and not always as reliable as people think. In addition, some require a clear view of particular parts of the sky in order to work.

ATI Portable Giant Voice Systems can support multiple communication paths for maximum reliability.

ATI Portable Giant Voice Systems (also called mobile alerting units) are generally provided with a Local Operating Console which allows direct activation and control of the siren even if there is no communication with the control station.

ATI also offers a Mobile CCU in a Pelican case, which can be a valuable option for local control of sirens that are far afield from the main control centers.

Intelligibility

Intelligibility measures how easy it is to understand a voice message such as a live public address (PA) or a pre-recorded message delivered from a Mass Notification System.

Intelligibility is affected by the quality of the original message transmitted, the level of background noise, and reverberation, and, for messages transmitted over an MNS, the properties of the communication system.

The original message must be spoken clearly and more slowly than the typical person-to-person speech patterns, which can be challenging in a crisis situation. This is why prerecorded messages are recommended for potential emergencies likely to occur in a particular region.

ATI Systems started out as an acoustic consulting firm, advising industry and government groups about emergency alerting, and assisted in developing some of the early standards in this field. As part of this work, ATI Systems measured numerous siren signals and background noise levels at various sites.

With this large database of empirical data and in-house expertise in the field of acoustics, ATI Systems developed an in-depth acoustic model for optimal Mass Notification System design. All this contributes to ATI HPSS’s high intelligibility score.

Conclusion

ATI Systems can engineer a wide variety of Mass Notification System solutions to meet almost any customer’s requirement.

Until recently, portable sirens presented several challenges.

However, ATI’s trailer-mounted and transportable HPSS units provide the flexibility to respond to Mass Notification needs in remote areas, the reliability required to address emergency situations, and the intelligibility to provide clear instructions in a crisis.

To Learn More, please visit www.atisystems.com, or call (617) 567-4969 to speak with their Mass Notification Experts.

ATI Systems Named a Finalist in Seventh Consecutive ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program

American Security Today’s Annual ‘ASTORS’ Awards is the preeminent U.S. Homeland Security Awards Program, and now in its Seventh Year, continues to recognize industry leaders of Physical and Border Security, Cybersecurity, Emergency Preparedness – Management and Response, Law Enforcement, First Responders, as well as federal, state and municipal government agencies in the acknowledgment of their outstanding efforts to Keep our Nation Secure.

AST has officially Announced the 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Finalists in our 2022 ‘ASTORS’ FINALISTS EDITION *Fully Interactive* Mobile Magazine Here.

Additionally, the 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Government Excellence and Public Safety Award Honorees have also been announced (Click Here), although there are several late-entry nominations still to be announced!

Register for the 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Luncheon Today

Homeland Security remains at the forefront of our national conversation as we experience an immigration crisis along our southern border, and crime rates that are dramatically higher than before the Pandemic across the United States.

These challenges have become a national priority with an influx of investments in innovative new technologies and systems.

The pinnacle of the Annual ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program is the Annual ‘ASTORS’ Awards Ceremony Luncheon Banquet, an exclusive, affordable, gourmet, full-course plated meal event, in the heart of New York City, held at the International Security Conference & Exposition (ISC East) since it’s inception in 2017.

And who better to address the aforementioned challenges, and initiatives to meet today’s threat landscape than Deputy Executive Assistant Commissioner (DEAC) Diane J. Sabatino of the Office of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the opening keynote speaker at the much-anticipated 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Presentation Luncheon, on Wednesday, November 16th, 2022.

As the DEAC of the Office of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Mrs. Sabatino leads over 31,000 employees and oversees an annual operating budget of $6.5 billion.

American Security Today’s Annual ‘ASTORS’ Awards is the preeminent U.S. Homeland Security Awards Program, and now in its Seventh Year, continues to recognize industry leaders of Physical and Border Security, Cybersecurity, Emergency Preparedness – Management and Response, Law Enforcement, First Responders, as well as federal, state and municipal government agencies in the acknowledgment of their outstanding efforts to Keep our Nation Secure.

(See highlights from the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Ceremony and Luncheon in NYC. Courtesy of AST and Vimeo.)

The continually evolving ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program will emphasize the trail of Accomplished Women in Leadership in 2022, as well as the Significance and Positive Impact of Advancing Diversity and Inclusion in our Next Generation of Government and Industry Leaders – because #MentorshipMatters.

In addition, the First 100 Registered Attendees to the 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Presentation Ceremony and Banquet will receive a complimentary autographed copy of ‘STOP THE KILLING: How to End the Mass Shooting Crisis‘ by the former head of the FBI’s active shooter program, Katherine Schweit.

Ms. Schweit offers insight into what we can do to end the active shooter crisis plaguing America.

Within the pages of STOP THE KILLING she provides us with an insider’s look at what we’ve learned and failed to learn, about protecting our businesses, houses of worship, and schools.

So Register Today for the 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Presentation Luncheon on November 16th, 2022, to reserve your copy!

The United States forever changed on September 11th, 2001, and we were fortunate to have many of those who responded to those horrific tragedies join us at our 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Presentation Luncheon.

In the days that followed 9/11, the critical need to protect our country catapulted us into new and innovative ways to secure our homeland – which is how many of the agencies and enterprise organizations that are today ‘ASTORS’ Awards Champions, came into being.

Our 2021 keynote speaker featured a moving and informative address from TSA Administrator and Vice-Admiral of the United States Coast Guard (Ret), David Pekoske; to our attendees who traveled from across the United States and abroad, on the strategic priorities of the 64,000-member TSA workforce in securing the transportation system, enabling safe, and in many cases, contactless travel.

Enter, American Security Today, the #1 publication and media platform in the Government Security and Homeland Security fields with a circulation of over 75,000 readers and many tens of thousands more visiting our AST Website at www.americansecuritytoday.com each month.

The 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program is Proudly Sponsored by New PLATINUM SPONSOR:   NEC National Security Systems (NSS),

New Premier Sponsors Rajant Corporation, guardDog AI, plus IPVideo Corporation, and

Returning Premier Sponsors ATI Systems, Automatic Systems, Fortior Solutions, RX Global, and SIMS Software!

In 2021 over 200 distinguished guests representing Federal, 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 Transportation Security Administration (TSA)

• ICE Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI)

• Customs & Border Protection (CBP)

• The Federal Protective Service (FPS)

• Argonne National Laboratory (ANL)

• DHS Science & Technology (S&T)

• The National Center for Disaster Medicine & Public Health (NCDMPH)

• The American Red Cross

• The InfraGard National Alliance

• The Metropolitan Police (MPD)

• The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA)

• Naval Postgraduate School Center for Homeland Defense and Security (CHDS)

• The Federal Air Marshals Service

• The San Diego Harbor Police Foundation, and Many More!

Register Today for the 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Luncheon

ISC East is the Northeast’s leading security & public safety event, hosted in collaboration with premier sponsor Security Industry Association (SIA) and in partnership with ASIS NYC.

Each year, in order to keep our communities safe and secure, security dealers, installers, integrators, and consultants, along with corporate, government and law enforcement/first responder practitioners, convene in New York City to network, learn and evaluate the latest technologies and solutions from premier exhibiting brands.

This combination of one-on-one conversations with top innovators, high-quality special events, and cutting-edge education and training, makes ISC East the most comprehensive East Coast event to guide the industry in getting back to business.

Taking place November 15-17 at the Javits Center in NYC (SIA Education@ISC: November 15-17 | Exhibit Hall: November 16-17), ISC East will be co-located with the Natural Disaster & Emergency Management Expo (NDEM EXPO), a comprehensive trade event and online resource dedicated to the preparation, response, and recovery of physical and human assets of public and private organizations, and the 33rd ASIS NYC Expo. 

Qualified professionals who register for the 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Banquet Luncheon, will receive complimentary access to all three events.

Corporate firms, the majority of which return year to year to build upon their Legacy of Wins, include:

AlertMedia, Allied Universal, AMAROK, ATI Systems, Attivo Networks, Axis Communications, Automatic Systems of America, BriefCam, Canon U.S.A., Fortior Solutions, guardDog.ai, Hanwha Techwin of America, HID Global, Mark43, IPVideo Corporation, Konica Minolta Business Solutions, Lumina Analytics, NEC National Security Systems, NICE Public Safety, OnSolve, PureTech Systems, Quantum Corporation, Rave Mobile Safety, Regroup Mass Notification, Robotic Assistance Devices, Rajant Corporation, SafeLogic, Senstar Corporation, ShotSpotter, Singlewire Software, SolarWinds Worldwide, Teledyne FLIR, Valor Systems, and Wiresecure, just to name a few!

Why American Security Today?

The traditional security marketplace has long been covered by a host of publications putting forward the old-school basics to what is Today – a fast-changing security landscape.

American Security Today is uniquely focused on the broader Homeland Security & Public Safety marketplace with over 75,000 readers at the Federal, State, and local levels of government as well as firms allied to the government.

American Security Today brings forward a fresh compelling look and read with our customized digital publications that hold readers’ eyes throughout the story with cutting-edge editorial that provides solutions to their challenges.

Harness the Power of the Web – with our 100% Mobile Friendly Publications

AST Digital Publications are distributed to over 75,000 qualified government and homeland security professionals, in federal, state, local, and private security sectors.

‘PROTECTING OUR NATION, ONE CITY AT A TIME’

AST Reaches both Private & Public Experts, essential to meeting these new challenges.

Today’s new generation of public safety and security experts need real-time knowledge to deal with domestic and international terrorism, lone wolf attacks, unprecedented urban violence, shifts in society, culture, and media bias – making it increasingly difficult for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, First Responders, Military and Private Security Professionals to implement coordinated security measures to ensure national security and improve public safety.

These experts are from Government at the federal, state, and local levels as well as from private firms allied to the government.

AST provides a full plate of topics in our AST Monthly Magazine Editions, AST Website, and AST Daily News Alerts, covering 23 Vital 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.

AST has Expanded readership into integral 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 – all enticing targets due to the large number of persons and resources clustered together.

To learn more about ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Award Winners solutions, please see the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ CHAMPIONS Edition Fully Interactive Magazine – the Best Products of 2021 ‘A Year in Review’.

The Annual CHAMPIONS edition includes a review of Annual ‘ASTORS’ Award Winning products and programs, highlighting key details on many of the winning firm’s products and services, including video interviews and more.

It serves as your Go-To Source throughout the year for ‘The Best of 2021 Products and Services‘ endorsed by American Security Today, and can satisfy your agency’s and/or organization’s most pressing Homeland Security and Public Safety needs.

From Physical Security (Access Control, Critical Infrastructure, Perimeter Protection, and Video Surveillance Cameras and Video Management Systems), to IT Security (Cybersecurity, Encryption, Data Storage, Anti-Malware, and Networking Security – Just to name a few), the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ CHAMPIONS EDITION has what you need to Detect, Delay, Respond to, and Mitigate today’s real-time threats in our constantly evolving security landscape.

It also includes featured guest editorial pieces from some of the security industry’s most respected leaders, and recognized firms in the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program.

• For a complete list of 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Award Winners, begin HERE.

For more information on All Things American Security Today, as well as the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program, please contact Michael Madsen, AST Publisher at mmadsen@americansecuritytoday.com.

AST strives to meet a 3 STAR trustworthiness rating, based on the following criteria:

• Provides named sources
• Reported by more than one notable outlet
• Includes supporting video, direct statements, or photos

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