Is an earthquake about to happen? Flood, terrorist attack, or fire?

Universities in Colombia give importance to the prevention in case of unexpected and dangerous situations. Which characteristics are required for a university early warning system?

1. Manual and automatic operation:

• A sensor system that can automatically and immediately activate

sirens

, providing precious seconds for salvation or that enables the operators to activate sirens manually, notifying the entire university community whenever necessary.

2. Flexibility:

A multi-purpose system that can distribute a high number of pre-recorded messages and can be activated rapidly, allowing live-voice broadcasting so that the university communities can take adequate measures according to a specific situation.

3. Reliability:

A system capable of generating multiple notifications that should work in any climatic conditions and operate even in the event of a power failure, having auto-diagnostic functions and eliminating the possibility of its breakdown in an emergency situation.

4. Audibility and intelligibility:

A system containing a greater number of less powerful sirens rather than a small number of more powerful ones, enhancing its intelligibility so that the alarm messages and organisational instructions delivered in emergency situations are clearly audible in every corner on the university campus.

5. Backed up power supply:

A fully backed up system that is crucial in the case of a sudden and unexpected power cut on the university campus when a natural disaster occurs.

6. Backed up communications channels:

A campus warning system that supports multiple communications channels and allows its activation through a redundant channel if the primary channel fails. Most importantly, the system that remains continuously operable and available to the operators or persons responsible for emergency operations.

7. Integration into the existent communications network:

An adjustable system that can be fully integrated into the universities’ communications cabling network so that the building of a new communication network is unnecessary.

8. The attractiveness of horn design:

A system whose design matches the university environment and campus atmosphere, undisturbed by its large and dissonant components; hence, containing small and compact loudspeakers as the most suitable solution.

9. Various activation methods:

• A

warning system

that permits its concurrent local and remote activation from an interior reception desk, control room, security office, or an exterior emergency station, supporting various communications channels.

10. Ability to store multiple pre-recorded messages:

A system that can store various pre-recorded messages, considering each possible event and, additionally, able to allow the voice of the operator to be heard all around the campus in case of an atypical event.

Universities feel the responsibility for their students, professors, and other employees. Therefore they require reliable, robust and flexible warning systems capable of functioning when the power supply fails in exceptional circumstances.
Telegrafia offers warning and notification systems that can meet all their demands.

The article was written by

Petra Rychtarcikova

Petra is an international business manager in charge of Spanish, French and Portuguese-speaking countries. Petra, with her global, economic and logistic background and knowledge of four languages, does very productive and responsible work for Telegrafia. Latin-American affairs, travelling, tourism and electronic sirens are her hobby, and she is pleased to bring you exciting information from the Telegrafia world.