How Voice Plays a Key Role in Emergency Communications Success

Today’s campuses utilize a wide variety of methods to communicate with their students, staff and visitors. From digital methods such as social media and text messages to traditional methods like newsletters and email, it’s difficult to identify which method of communication is most effective in delivering your message during an emergency. Experts in the telecom industry agree that a layered security approach is best to ensure that everyone on campus receives the message. You may be wondering, “what is the key to having a reliable emergency communications system?” The answer is simple – voice.  

Communications can be defined as “the process of passing information and understanding from one person to another” and can take many different forms.  Communications can be in the form of all types of sights and sounds. Drums beating in the distance, smoke signals, and Morse code are as all forms of communication.  Beloved 1950’s comedy star, Harpo Marx, communicated by tooting a bicycle horn. The purpose of successful communications is to have your message both heard and understood by the receiver.  

Building a successful communication system of any type starts with proper planning, regardless of the environment. What do you want to say, how do you want to say it, and how would you like it to be heard? On a campus, having a multi-functional team is key to answering these questions. Team personnel may include security/safety, IT/communications, and maintenance. In-depth discussions of what is needed and/or desired will limit the possibility of missed areas of functionality. After the team has documented the desired functionality, invite one or more system providers/manufacturers to meet with the group to discuss what products, systems, and features are available to meet the desired criteria. 

Making Voice Heard on Campus

In today’s age of technology, communications have expanded in ways no one could have imagined even 25 years ago.  Social media, email, and texting lead the way in today’s general communications but must take a back seat to the spoken word when it comes to emergency communications. Audible voice is, without a doubt, the best method of passing information within a defined area. This method of communication doesn’t leave its intended audience questioning “what does that sound mean” or “what does the flashing yellow light mean?” This is particularly important when the audience may be comprised of individuals who may infrequently visit the system’s coverage area.  Whether programmed or live, audible voice is the core of any Emergency Communication System (ECS). 

The utilization of voice in an ECS can be implemented in various ways. One popular method of utilizing voice on campus is by broadcasting over loudspeakers for wide or local area coverage. This is considered a one-way broadcast and conveys a message, addressing both outdoor and indoor areas. Outdoor areas may use high-power overhead speakers, where there is little structural opposition to sound waves or ground coverage with low power speakers. This allows addressing those who are on campus and in surrounding areas, providing more clarity and detailed information or instructions on how to respond in an emergency. Indoor and outdoor areas should be addressed equally. The ability to address different areas simultaneously, with possibly needing to convey different messages, is crucial when building a successful Emergency Communication System, especially in a campus setting.   

Any ECS needs to have a well-rounded approach to conveying important messages.  Broadcasted alarm tones or strobes flashing should not be disregarded, regardless of the voice system design.  An alarm tone blast from an overhead speaker or flashing strobes activated before a voice message transmission occurs may serve as an “attention getter” or warning that an important message is about to be broadcast. Using these different devices in concert with each other will result in the best coverage for emergency situations.  Combining an ECS with other notification systems: signage, reverse 911, email, texting, etc., provides a desired layered approach for wide-area notification during emergency situations.    

How to Get the Emergency Message Out

When considering Emergency communications in a mass notification system for any type of environment, the use of broadcasted audio requires no pre-conceived expectations or planning. The ability to conduct regular, daily activities and still receive a notification is imperative. One should not be required to look in a specific direction for lights or signage, be sitting in front of a PC, or even carrying a mobile device, but simply conduct their daily activities in a normal fashion. With proper speaker layout and coverage, a broadcasted message will reach everyone, no matter where they are or what they are doing. The message should be head easily during a person’s daily routine. All system elements should be designed synchronistical but broadcasted voice initiates the holistic communication.

Broadcasting to loudspeakers can be accomplished via various forms of transmission mediums; either wirelessly or hardwired. The transmission method can be dependent upon the broadcast source or location and equipment used. Existing cable plants (home-run analog or ethernet), or lack of cabling (wireless), will assist in determining the system design and equipment to be used. 

A two-way voice is another method of communicating during emergency situations. Two-way voice communications occur between two people at different locations and can be processed in either a telephone or intercom format, analog or IP. These formats in both hands-free and handset designs are readily available. 

Although one-way voice broadcasting is undoubtedly effective, another method of communicating during emergencies is through two-way voice. This method of communication occurs between two people at different locations and can be processed in either a telephone or intercom format via IP or analog technology. 

Two-way is the Right Way

Compared to general, wide-area public address broadcasts, two-way voice communications are related to a specific, individual, or point-to-point scenario. A specific occurrence initiates a call between two parties, typically one requiring help or assistance from the other. This application is frequently found on college or business campuses, parking lots/garages, and other similar areas in the form of “emergency telephones”, “call boxes” or “communication devices”. Devices used for these applications are typically designed to call or otherwise connect with a designated location such as a security office or 911. Many of these devices also activate a flashing light when in use, giving first responders a visual identification of the location requiring assistance. The security market has determined the color of the lights/strobes used in emergency communication situations should be blue. The term “blue light phone” is commonly used, referring to these emergency two-way communication devices.  

Desirable features for two-way emergency communication devices include:

• Meeting the need - Any two-way emergency communication device needs to meet the operational requirements established by a safety team, committee, or code specification. 
• Monitoring - A system that can reliably provide system usage and failure monitoring will reduce manpower requirements for scheduled testing and make certain devices are up and operational when needed. This feature can greatly limit liability issues.
• Non-proprietary design - Implementing a system with a non-proprietary design may permit utilizing products from various manufacturers, allowing flexibility for future changes.  A proprietary design may force the system owner to be locked into a single design or manufacturer, possibly leading to higher costs.
• Low cost of ownership - Equipment should be rugged and reliable so the cost of the equipment can be amortized over the life of the product. The longer the life of the product, the better the value of the investment. 

In addition to loudspeaker broadcasting, many two-way product designs permit software telephone dial-up access for complete system one-way broadcasts. Many devices representing telephone functionality can receive a mass dial-up, analog message broadcast from a software program, or a VoIP multi-cast broadcast from a central IP device.  In these cases, the two-way devices will broadcast the one-way message utilizing their integral speaker, if designed for handsfree use. This function can provide deeper broadcast coverage into areas where loudspeaker broadcasts may be blocked or muted by trees and structures. 

A frequently asked question is “why do we need two-way emergency communication devices when most people carry a mobile device?” Some answers include:

• Emergency communication devices are constant. They are a stationary resource to those working and living in the coverage area, always at the same place. They are a place to go for help without worrying about a cell phone that could be lost, dropped, stolen, forgotten, or locking in a car. The more active the person is, the more important this becomes. Simply walk or run to a known location typically identified with a blue light. 
• Cell phones can be dropped or mishandled, particularly when running or exercising outdoors.
• Cell network services are not always available, particularly during storms or in certain coverage areas. 

Although emergency broadcasts and two-way emergency communications typically operate separately, they are often combined in shared mounting arrangements to address multiple facets of the ECS.  Education and business campuses often install communication towers that include both the two-way device and the emergency broadcast speakers. Add to this arrangement a blue flashing strobe and a complete emergency communication station is created. Justification for installing a tower just for two-way communications can be difficult to realize. This dual-purpose design provides cost justification for installing the tower, but why stop there? You can add CCTV and a WiFi hotspot for additional cost justification and enhanced communication.    

There are many cogs is the mass notification wheel and a well-orchestrated ECS is just one of them. Clear, intelligible voice is needed to start and often finish the notification process. 

About the author: Rick Rauenzahn is the Senior Product Manager for GAI-TRONICS – A Hubbell Company. Rick accumulated a great deal of his technical knowledge while serving in the Air Force as an Electronic Warfare Technician. After the Air Force, Rick started his civilian career at GAI-TRONICS in 1977 working in Industrial and Commercial Communications. In his current position, which he has held for 15 years, Rick manages GAI-TRONICS’ Commercial Communications products including telephones, blue light towers and radio dispatch products. With 42 years of technical experience, Rick is GAI-TRONICS' team lead for all security-based applications such as emergency one-way mass notification, two-way communications and area of refuge.