New app powered by SARA automated alerting engine makes any device on any network a mobile command-and-control center for emergency communications and response
Status Solutions today announced that it has expanded its situational awareness framework to include a universal alerting app with preprogrammed dashboards for one-touch alerting, response and escalation.
The SARA universal alerting app enables users to respond to unfolding situations more quickly, initiate alerts and associated response plans more effectively, and escalate/notify others as necessary – all from one interface. Users also have the ability to receive live video feeds from nearby security cameras and view recorded videos, floor plans and photos through a capability called video paging.
“There’s been a proliferation of screens, and we want to use all of them to deliver critical information during an emergency and that especially pertains to the personal screens most of us carry or keep near at all times,” explains Mike MacLeod, president of Status Solutions. “Smartphones become even smarter when they include a universal alerting app backed by an end-to-end enterprise situational awareness solution.”
SARA, the Situational Awareness and Response Assistant, is a universal alerting engine that integrates stand-alone alarm and communication systems for centralized monitoring, alerting and reporting. SARA converts random alarms into detailed alerts for delivery to key individuals, select groups or entire populations via the designated devices. Alerts include data about the unfolding situation, approximate location and instructions based on an organization’s predefined emergency protocols (i.e., modes and actions).
Any smartphone can receive alerts from SARA, but they can be converted into mobile command-and-control centers for seamless situational awareness through the addition of preprogrammed dashboards. A basic dashboard could include such alert types as medical emergency, inclement weather, intruder and fire. Alerting and response can be enhanced further through additional dashboards based on the customer environment. For example, modes and actions for a fire in an education institution could involve roll-call/attendance dashboards that activate those specific alerting protocols.
SARA already powers a complete mobile dashboard solution, including an iOS device and network connectivity, for workflow management and collaborative care in health-care settings (aka SARA’s eMessenger Mobile). “The SARA universal alerting app is an evolution of our existing dashboard solution that any organization can use to improve emergency communications and response management,” says MacLeod. “Because the [SARA universal alerting] app is so flexible and economical, schools could easily make it available to students for download from the appropriate app store. The idea and our hope is to make situational awareness accessible to anyone associated with a particular organization to heighten safety and security.”
