Metis Secure, a wholly owned independent subsidiary of Desktop Alert, is pleased to announce they have been nominated to compete in the 2018 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program.
Metis Secure Solutions delivers software and hardware products that help you protect your people, facilities, and assets when an emergency strikes.
Metis Secure Command Center software enables control, integration, and automation of emergency communications, life safety, and security systems at your facility or campus from on or off site, via internet browser or mobile device.
(See a brief introduction of Metis Secure System and Call Boxes to see how Metis Secure works in buildings, schools, hospitals, college and corporate campuses, universities and more. Courtesy of Metis Secure and YouTube.)
When integrated with your site’s existing communications devices – such as IP phones, digital signs, computer screens, and PA speakers – the Command Center acts as the hub for your Emergency Communications Information Management (E-CIM) system.
MS-5100 and MS-6100 indoor and outdoor Emergency Help Stations provide a fast and effective communication link to strategic site locations, to enable you to broadcast multi-modal emergency alerts—including voice directives, flashing lights, sirens, and text on the built-in LCD screen.
They also provide built-in, inbound help call functionality – via two-way, hands-free, live voice—between people in need and security personnel or police.
Each Help Station is battery-backed and acts as an independent wireless network node, forming a redundant communications and power network that helps ensure that the system still works even if phone, power, and internet fail in a crisis.
For those who need a discreet way to signal for help, Metis Secure offers a line of software and hardware-based panic buttons, plus a mobile panic app.
Metis Secure software and hardware easily integrate with both network and analog security and life safety systems—including access control, IP video, handheld radios and mobile phones, hazardous materials and other sensors.
The Metis Secure system is built to tie together security and life safety systems and leverage your previous investments.
The Metis Secure Command Center integrates with video, access control, handheld radios, gas detectors, IP phones, outdoor loudspeakers, email/text alert services, and other security and life safety systems.
Metis Secure delivers emergency notification, communications, and management systems that help you respond much more quickly and effectively in an emergency.
(The Metis precision emergency notification system strengthens existing mass notification systems, optimizes operational efficiency, reduces liability and ensures everyone gets notified in an emergency in seconds, not minutes. Courtesy of Metis Secure and YouTube)
Metis Secure at Mellon Institute High Priority Facility
Mellon Institute’s location in the heart of the Oakland neighborhood connects it to the expansive network of scientific activity in Pittsburgh’s biomedical, technological and industrial research community.
Mellon Institute houses the Mellon College of Science’s departments of biology and chemistry, supporting study and research in chemistry, biochemistry, biophysics and the biological sciences.
On a daily basis, research activity in the building includes:
- Scientists conduct experiments in over 150 laboratories
- Irreplaceable research being conducted that cannot be easily interrupted or terminated
Not only does the scope of research activity present a continual safety concern, but the unique construction of the building itself poses a second critical issue in terms of emergency warning.
Covering a city block, the building is densely constructed of stone and concrete. Sixty two monolithic limestone columns line the four sides of the building.
The sidewalk, platform and steps are made of granite. Concrete between floors ranges from 18 to 30 inches thick.
LIVE 2-Way Voice, Faster, Notification Beacon, Communications and Control
This kind of old world construction is a hostile environment that creates a serious challenge for today’s communications technologies.
There are extensive dead zones for cell phone reception on 4 underground floors creating problems for use of a cell phone based call/txt message system.
The Metis Secure solution successfully met the many challenges presented by Mellon Institute.
Key concerns such as message speed, targeting locations and penetrating reception dead zones were successfully addressed.
Additionally, the system offers a powerful array of optional features such as:
- Power over Ethernet
- Call for Help capability
- Central system maintenance
- Dual data paths
- Custom messaging
- Integration with other ENS systems
- ADA compliance and multi-stimulus response behavior, unrivaled in the market
Following a thorough review of Metis, Carnegie Mellon approved the purchase and installation of the Metis Secure Solution for Mellon Institute.
“With poor cell phone and radio reception throughout and numerous research laboratories containing hazardous materials, Mellon Institute is a challenging security environment,” explains Madelyn Miller Director of Environmental Health and Safety Carnegie Mellon University.
“If this technology can work here, it can work anywhere.”
“Metis Secures’ technology insures less than 10 second alerting to all emergency command centers,” said Howard Ryan, Founder Desktop Alert Inc.
“When lives are at stake, seconds count. Common area alerting for personal safety requires instant two way LIVE voice capability. It is a must.”
“Beacon alert technology with limited LED text message screens and text-to-speech speakers without bi-directional real-time voice is limited in an active emergency.”
“Reading an alert is one thing, communicating by voice during an active emergency is a must.”
“Our family of alerting systems now provides this fabulous common area alerting end-point solution.”
Slippery Rock University
Slippery Rock University is a leader in employing safety strategies, and was the first public university to install the Metis Secure Solutions emergency notification system in all 15 of its academic buildings, featuring two-way “Call for Help” boxes connecting callers to police headquarters.
In an emergency, a user pushes a button to automatically send a call for help to police.
Police can instantly isolate the location of the call on a computer and send an officer to an exact location.
The boxes can also be used to push out messages to the building occupants.
“In an emergency we can communicate with a floor or the entire building to provide specific instructions as to what we want occupants to do, such as evacuate or stay in place,” explained Michael Simmons, Slippery Rock University’s police chief.” The Metis Secure system is a huge enhancement to our emergency notification plan.”
“We didn’t have the ability to send messages to people in specific locations on campus,” shared Rita Abent, Executive Director, University Public Relations at Slippery Rock University.
“This targeted approach allows us to communicate to those individuals in need without alarming everyone else on campus, not affected by a situation.”
The Metis Secure combined software and hardware system relies on multiple, independent communication technologies to help ensure that it works when all else fails.
Their unique, patented emergency communications backbone includes:
Wi-Fi or Wired Ethernet
- The Metis Secure platform operates on your local area network via Wi-Fi or wired ethernet connection.
- This provides live, two-way voice communication, real-time system status information as well as integration with other security and life safety systems and connection to legacy systems.
Wireless Mesh Network
- As a critical back-up if IP networks fail in an emergency, the Metis Secure system relies an independent wireless network that communicates within and between buildings.
- In the event that a station is damaged during an emergency, the other stations will automatically create new connections, healing the network and helping to ensure that emergency alerts and instructions are delivered.
- This technology also enables you to break through communication dead zones and penetrate walls and floors, even those made with 30-inch-thick concrete.
FM-RBDS
- Radio Broadcast Data System (RBDS) is a communications protocol for embedding digital information in FM radio broadcasts.
- The RBDS system standardizes several types of information transmitted, including time, station identification and program information. In the Metis Secure system this is used as an additional redundant system to broadcast alerts over large areas.
Metis Secure Solutions… what’s in a name?
Like Metis, the Greek goddess of caution, wisdom and wise counsel. Metis Secure Solutions strive to provide their customers with warning system solutions to keep people safe and secure during difficult circumstances.
Metis Secure at a Glance
Metis Secure is a Desktop Alert brand that develops advanced emergency communications and notification systems that help organizations respond to emergencies much more rapidly and effectively.
Metis Secure users include manufacturing and research facilities, universities and schools, commercial office buildings, large parking garages, and others.
In a crisis, fast, effective emergency communications can make the difference between a relatively contained event and a major catastrophe that includes multiple injuries or loss of life, destruction of assets, and a public relations disaster.
Metis Secure products include control and integration software, notification and communication hardware, and redundant networks including independent wireless mesh.
Organizations use their Metis Secure systems to broadcast targeted, actionable emergency alerts and instructions to everyone at the site of an emergency, in seconds—even if power, cell networks, and internet are down.
Furthermore, people in need use the system to immediately reach help, and transmit their locations to responders automatically.
The Metis Secure platform easily integrates other life safety and security systems and automates key emergency communications and management functions, substantially improving an organization’s emergency response.
Metis Secure delivers emergency notification, communications, and management systems that help you respond much more quickly and effectively in an emergency.
Metis Secure Competes in 2018 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program
AST focuses on Homeland Security and Public Safety Breaking News, the Newest Initiatives and Hottest Technologies in Physical & IT Security, essential to meeting today’s growing security challenges.
The 2018 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program, is organized to recognize the most distinguished vendors of Physical, IT, Port Security, Law Enforcement, Border Security, First Responders, (Fire, EMT, Military, Support Services Vets, SBA, Medical Tech) as well as the Federal, State, County and Municipal Government Agencies – to acknowledge their outstanding efforts to ‘Keep our Nation Secure, One City at a Time.’
As an ‘ASTORS’ competitor, Metis Secure will be competing against the industry’s leading providers of Innovative Indoor Emergency Help Station/Technology.
To Learn More about the ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program, see 2017 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Award Winners Honored at ISC East.
Over 100 distinguished guests from National, State and Local Governments, and Industry Leading Corporate Executives from companies allied to Government, gathered from across North America and the Middle East to be honored from disciplines across the Security Industry in their respective fields which included:
- The Department of Homeland Security
- The Department of Justice
- The Security Exchange Commission
- State and Municipal Law Enforcement Agencies
- Leaders in Private Security
Nominations are now being accepted for the 2018 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards at https://americansecuritytoday.com/ast-awards/.
American Security Today will be holding the 2018 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Presentation Luncheon to honor Nominees, Finalists and Winners in November 2018, in New York City.
Good luck to Metis Secure Solutions on becoming a Winner of the 2018 American Security Today’s Homeland Security Awards Program!
To Learn More about Metis Secure, go to http://www.metissecure.com, or to view the Desktop Alert Notification Platform (DTA), please visit https://www.desktopalert.net/.
For ‘ASTORS’ Sponsorship Opportunities and More Information on the AST 2018 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program, please contact Michael Madsen, AST Publisher at: mmadsen@americansecuritytoday.com or call 732.233.8119 (mobile) or 646-450-6027 (office).
Learn More…
Desktop Alert Competes in 2018 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program (Video)
