AlertMaster - The Emergency Personnel Alert System

AlertMaster Overview

There are many situations where an unforeseen incident means that information has to be sent to a large group of people, or various different groups, quickly and automatically. These could include emergencies such as transport accidents, industrial plant explosions or adverse weather.

Or there could be a need to contact work colleagues about urgent business development and decisions, or changes in work circumstances. The common factor in each case is urgency.

It may be programmed to play recorded information either immediately or after a secure password has been entered by the person who takes the call. It may call out or receive all on up to 120 lines simultaneously, and the system starts with 4 line capacity supporting ISDN, BRI or analogue trunks.

Once called, personnel can confirm that they have heard the message and, if required, give a response indicating the action, which they will take. If they need to, they can dial in to the system to hear it again or hear further details. In addition alerts can be delivered by email, SMS and fax.

Up to 99,999 Contacts & 999 Groups

Up to 99,999 individuals may be entered into the AlertMaster database and these can be members of up to 999 different groups. Each group can be assigned a priority ranging from 1 - 99. Higher priority will be contacted first when an alert is initiated.

Each individual has a list of numbers (for example: home, work, mobile, pager fax). Numbers can be of specific Paging Types so the AlertMaster will behave differently as each number is contacted - for example, if a number is a pager service, it may be required to play a series of tones rather than a recorded announcement. Some numbers, such as mobiles, will require a different form of detection of a successful connection from a normal exchange line number. Numbers can be extensions on an internal telephone network, or any dialled number.

Remote Local Activation

A paging alert can be initiated from the console of the AlertMaster or over the telephone. The initiator enters an optional secure password, to prevent false activation. The system may be programmed to ask them for the group number to be contacted and if needed re-record or update the message to be sent.

Security

The AlertMaster can ask each person called to enter a password on the keypad of their telephone before playing them the alert message.

The contacted individual may also be requested to confirm receipt of their message by pressing a key. Successful contacts will be recorded by the AlertMaster with the exact time and date when they were reached. Success may be judged differently for a particular Paging Type, so that reaching a recorded announcement, for example, is not misinterpreted as a successful contact.

Call-In Announcer

Some or all lines of the AlertMaster can be assigned for users to call in and hear the alert announcement, either immediately on answer or after entering a password. Different groups of lines can play different announcements during the course of a paging alert, so, for example, an update bulletin on a particular incident can be heard.

Management Information As an alert progresses, real time management information is available via screen or printer showing the numbers and individuals dialled and the outcome. Historical information on an alert is archived for auditing purposes, showing whether particular individuals received messages, and at what time. The number of successful contacts is updated on the screen. Fax Module With the optional fax module, certain paging types may be allocated to receive a faxed copy of the Alert message or other text. Fax numbers may be mixed with voice and paging system numbers so one person can receive Alert Messages via a variety of media. TTS Module Optionally Text to Speech can be added to the system, so files with a typed message can be converted to speech for the user.

Admin Screenshots Main Page Recipient Groups Recipient Information

Applications

To illustrate the real-life usefulness and effectiveness of AlertMaster, here are four examples currently in use.

A major financial institution - Staff information service.

This plc wishes to inform its staff in the event that a building is to be closed, for example due to a bomb threat or fire. The AlertMaster stores personal details on many thousand members of staff, allocated into groups related to the buildings where they work. It is a simple exercise to send a message to all the staff in a particular building informing them whether, where or when to report back to work.

A large chemical plant - Emergency incident alert

This plant runs its own response service to provide rapid on location expertise in the event of a release of toxic gas or liquid. If an incident occurs, it is required to inform a list of contacts, both on-site and in the locality. The list will vary with the severity of the release and the location. On-site personnel also need to call in to receive instructions. Using the AlertMaster, an officer generates an 'alert' by contacting a selected group with a pre-recorded message. He can also record and broadcast updated announcements to the press. The AlertMaster then dials out on a pre-set number of lines. Full Management reports on the time of incoming and outgoing calls are available.

The Internal Computer Helpdesk - Pro-active help

A computer helpdesk receives high volumes of calls from users if a particular network fails. They wish to provide a better service to their callers and inform them when the network fails. The AlertMaster stores data on each user and department, sorted by particular network. When a network fails, users can be informed of the problem, the expected time to resolve it, and when the system is back on line.

Shopping Centre - Security alerts

When a shoplifting incident or security threat occurs, it is of great benefit if other retailers within the centre can be informed. Descriptions and details can be circulated and others can be on their guard. By giving each manager access to an AlertMaster, messages can be broadcast quickly, giving full and secure details. Information can also be supplied automatically to security organisations and the police. By sharing the AlertMaster among a number of shops, the cost is very low.

Applications:
Emergency Personnel contact for:
	Police
	Fire
	Ambulance & Doctors
	Lifeguards
	Voluntary Services
	Armed Forces
	Specialist Emergency Teams
	Disaster Recovery Services
	Environmental Advisory Teams
	Technical Specialists
Automated Maintenance Engineer call out for:
	Computer Industry
	Utilities & Councils
	Domestic Service
	Transport
Information & Advice System for:
	Pro-Active Helpdesks
	Shopping Centres
	Construction & Project Teams
	Union Members
	Clubs & Societies
	Political Organisations
	Medical Teams Wake-Up Calls

AlertMaster Features:
	4 - 120 lines
	Security codes
	Supports voice, fax, email, SMS and pagers
	99,999 contacts per system
	999 contact groups
	Lines may be dedicated to incoming/outgoing calls
	Connect to direct lines or PABX extensions
	Information announcements up to 1 hour in length
	Fast forward, rewind & pause during announcements
	Announce only mode
	Response display
	Menu driven, user friendly colour screens
	Time and date stamping of response messages
	Remote activation
	On-line update
	Supplemantary information announcements
	Optional user changeable contact numbers
	Flexible calling persistence
	Optional Text to Speech conversion
	Statistical reporting
	Universal data import

For further information, please contact Sales:
Tel: 01932 710710  |  Fax: 01932 710711  |  Email:
or use the Enquiry Form