Ever since there have been buildings there’s been a need to alert people on how to get out of them safely in the event of a fire or other emergency.

In today’s society, fire is not the only peril facing occupants of buildings. There are also school shootings, like those at Virginia Tech and Sandy Hook, which reflect the need for a more sophisticated emergency communication system to allow those in harm’s way to be alerted as to the precise nature of the danger and how to safely escape from it.  Even as the PA system at Sandy Hook Elementary was crackling with gunfire and screaming, those in the school were still without necessary information; such as where is the shooter, how many shooters are there, and what is the safest exit route or next action?

The ability to communicate real-time information in the case of a dangerous situation, to as many people as possible, via different technological routes such as voice via speakers, signage, email, texts, large loudspeakers, computer monitor, and phone systems, is known as the Mass Notification System (MNS). And it’s amazing in this day and age, how many properties DON’T have a system in place.

I recently wrote an article titled, Without Mass Notification Systems, the Silence Can Be Deafening and Fatal, which looks at why there is a serious need for a Mass Notification System in today’s troubling world, and what can be done to make sure it becomes a reality in every building. Click here to read the article in this month’sToday’s Facility Manager magazine.