No More “What If’s”

When emergencies occur, all of us have run through in our minds the endless possibilities in an “only if” situation. If only the authorities had been contacted earlier. If only we had trained more people in what to do in this type of situation, etc., etc. Of course, the common factor in all of the what ifs, is time. Response time, situational awareness, specialized training, time spent in ascertaining the best solutions, all play a role in the outcome.

Fortunately, systems exist today that electronically enhance the ability to respond to most if not all emergency situations. These systems enable the user to communicate quickly and directly to the appropriate responders. They accomplish this mission through a variety of methods, all of which are controlled or selected by the client. Following are some of the components available to organizations to enhance their rapid response profile:

• Panic button/alarm – aka Duress buttons
• Intrusion Detection Systems
• Door and Entry Way Monitoring
• Temperature/Gas change, Noise, Humidity Monitoring (Gun Shot Detection)
• Communications Bridging – Two Way Radio communications with public responders
• Mass Notification System – internal & external
• Facial recognition, weapons scanning & identification (multiple technologies)



Such systems can even be set up to detect the sounds of gun shots within an incredibly accurate perimeter. The system architecture transmits voice and text notifications to phone, two-way radio, email, text message, and computer monitoring stations. There are also specific enhancements which can be implemented for the visual scanning or recognition for undesirable scenarios.

Because these systems are network based and provide flexible solutions to fit facilities of all sizes, they can be programmed to include various sensors and detection equipment. In addition, depending on the needs of the client, one can “point” the response hardware to any desired source of rapid response. This is the perfect kind of system for ensuring the proper authorities are contacted. Training, standard operating procedures and policy are huge components to the success of any emergency duress solution; however, these baseline technology providers and amenities should be a cornerstone of a failsafe for the heinous acts of unstable individuals, e.g. active shooter, youthful accidental weapon handling, poor judgement, rioting or looting alarms.

In today’s current environment, school and college campuses especially need to consider these high-tech systems that can use a variety of wireless and network driven sensors to provide immediate location-based notifications when a button is pressed. An audible notification can be sent over the police’s two-way radios providing details of where the incident is occurring and provide first responders immediate and possible life-saving awareness of issues within seconds.

OSA is a valued partner with several companies that provide these emergency notification services. OSA can evaluate, recommend, and install enhancements to your security profile or assess your needs and just provide oversight. Contact us and let us show you all the available solutions. With sound planning and the right detection systems…there are no more ”what ifs.”