PITTSBURGH--The latest software release from Metis Secure makes it easier than ever to instantly communicate actionable emergency instructions to everyone at the site of a crisis, and rapidly respond to people who need help.
In an emergency, safety and security personnel use Metis Secure's Command Center software, combined with a variety of facility communications devices, to immediately alert everyone at or near the location of the crisis, and provide urgent emergency instructions.
The software also transmits help calls from Metis Secure Emergency Help Stations, which are wall- or pole-mounted communications hardware located at strategic indoor and/or outdoor locations throughout a site.
Authorized users can launch alerts and answer help calls through any internet browser, from any location on- or off-site. Mobile security patrols can also answer help calls on their handheld radios or mobile phones.
Universities and schools, industrial facilities, hospitals, office buildings, large parking garages, and third-party security operations centers rely on the Metis Secure system to optimize their response speed and effectiveness if an emergency strikes.
New Features
The new Command Center 2.3 features instant alerts configured based on the customer's risk profile. As with previous versions of Metis Secure's all-hazards system, emergency personnel can also rapidly build and launch incident-specific alerts and instructions.
In addition, Command Center 2.3 includes enhanced text-to-speech functionality, enabling emergency instructions to be typed in and quickly broadcast throughout a facility or campus as highly intelligible voice instructions.
Maximizing Emergency Protection and Response
In seconds, security and emergency personnel can now launch actionable emergency directives from any location—to an entire facility or campus, or to single buildings or floors. This solves a long-standing emergency communications problem faced by educational institutions, commercial and industrial facilities, and other organizations responsible for hundreds or even thousands of people spread throughout large buildings or multi-building campuses:
Email/text alert services aren't fast enough to use as the primary emergency communications channel, especially in urgent incidents when people may have only seconds or minutes to move to safety (e.g., tornados, shooters, gas leaks, hazmat spills). Alerts sent through email or text may take up to an hour to arrive in emergency conditions when networks are overloaded.Many communications tools such as public address and voice evacuation systems can only be activated from individual locations, such as administrative offices or building lobbies. This can delay emergency communications and response, especially at multi-building sites where people may have to go building to building to launch alerts.Emergency siren and tone systems often lead to confusion, as people under pressure have to stop and try to remember what the tone means and what action they're supposed to take.
"Organizations rely on Metis Secure for fast, effective communications systems that enable them to rapidly communicate with hundreds or thousands of people throughout their sites or campuses," said Mark Kurtzrock, Metis Secure president and CEO. "Command Center 2.3 makes it easier than ever to instantly alert everyone who may be affected by an emergency and help direct them to safety."
How the Metis Secure System Works
The Metis Secure Command Center software initiates emergency alerts and voice instructions through Metis Secure Emergency Help Stations. When an emergency alert is launched, within seconds specific emergency voice directives are broadcast to everyone at the location(s) affected by a crisis, with sirens and flashing lights. Text instructions appear on each Help Station's built-in LCD screen for noisy environments and people with hearing impairments. In addition, the system simultaneously delivers the same emergency instructions through other systems, including IP phones, PA speakers, desktop alerts, third-party email/text services, and many others.
Each Station also features a Help button that provides a direct voice connection with on-site security or campus police. On sites with central dispatch stations or security desks, personnel may answer help calls through the Command Center software. For facilities with police or security patrols, officers can answer calls directly from their handheld radios or mobile phones. The system automatically identifies the caller's location, maximizing response speed in an emergency.
The Metis Secure system relies on redundant communications networks and power supplies so that emergency personnel can still communicate with everyone at their facilities or campuses even if power, phone and internet fail. The Command Center software and Emergency Help Stations are connected via wired Ethernet or Wi-Fi to customers' Local Area Networks. The Metis Secure system features a redundant, independent wireless mesh network as back-up in case primary network connectivity is lost. If power goes out, Help Stations automatically revert to built-in, long-life batteries until power is restored.
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