Emergency Notification

Eastern DataComm provides schools, businesses, and municipalities with end-to-end solutions for a range of safety and communications needs including emergency notification systems, VoIP phone systems, video surveillance, access control, wireless networks, data networks, and wiring and cabling.

We have over 30 years of experience designing, installing, and supporting safety and communications solutions for hundreds of schools, businesses, and municipalities. Our solutions are designed and implemented with one purpose:

To keep our customers safe and able to communicate rapidly when every second counts.

The LENS + OPTICS Solution

When it comes to school safety, every second counts. In an emergency, how quickly and effectively you communicate danger can help save lives. Today, many schools have procedures in place to respond to threats such as an active shooter, lockdown, or other emergency situations. However, most do not have integrated technology to notify everyone on school property as well as the local authorities of that threat. 

Eastern DataComm brings you LENS (Lockdown & Emergency Notification System) + OPTICS (our Continuous Monitoring Service) as the solution to this challenge. LENS+OPTICS allows you to immediately alert everyone during an urgent situation. At the press of a button, school districts can automatically initiate a lockdown, evacuation, or shelter-in-place during an active threat or any other emergency situation.

How LENS + OPTICS Works

LENS is a comprehensive emergency notification platform that integrates with a school’s phone and paging/intercom systems. Because emergency situations can be unpredictable, we’ve designed 3 user-friendly options to trigger the system. LENS can be activated by using any of the three options below:

  • Pressing a lockdown button 
  • Dialing a code on a phone 
  • Using an app on a smart device

RAPID RESPONSE: In times of crisis, it is imperative to communicate emergency alerts swiftly. Once activated, communication is rapid and automated, including pre-recorded announcements over the PA system, activation of LED beacons and signboards, calls to cell phones and desk phones, PC pop-ups, emails, text messages, and prerecorded calls to police. 

COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE: To cover remote areas outside of the building, Eastern DataComm will install components like wireless-enabled speakers and LED beacons to ensure complete coverage over the entire school grounds. Additionally, video surveillance and access control can also be incorporated with LENS, which can quickly help law enforcement pinpoint the location of the identified threat and limit entry and exit to particular locations.

SELF-MONITORING: To ensure that your LENS solution is running optimally, OPTICS, our continuous monitoring services, keeps eyes on your lockdown and emergency notification system so you don’t lose focus on your school’s safety.

One-Button-Notification

One-Button
Notification

Immediately notify everyone on campus of an active threat or emergency at the touch of a single button. We designed our system to be user-friendly and accessible by anyone in the building. Our team will install Lockdown buttons in strategic locations throughout the building, ensuring ease of activation for emergency events.

Scalable, Integrated Technology

Scalable, Integrated
Technology

LENS can integrate with other existing school or office communication technology, like paging systems and phone systems. Once installed, LENS can scale with your facility as you continue to grow.

Hardware Focused

Hardware
Focused

The core of the LENS solution is controller-based, eliminating the need to maintain servers, install software patches, and rely on your data network. Additionally, it operates on a battery backup, ensuring that LENS can still be activated if your network is down or your facility loses power.

Automated Notification

Automated
Notification

Once activated, LENS automates the emergency notification process, eliminating the possibility of human error and simplifying the communications procedure. In addition to alerting the proper authorities, LENS will play a prerecorded announcement over the intercom system, activate LED sign boards, and trigger strobe lights.

Classroom/Office Phone Activation

Classroom/Office Phone
Activation

Once integrated with the existing phone system, LENS can be activated by dialing a code on the phone. This allows LENS to be activated from anywhere in the building, whether your phone system exists on-premise or is cloud-based.

OPTICS

OPTICS

OPTICS is our continuous monitoring service. It keeps a watchful eye on your lockdown and emergency alert system to keep you best prepared to handle the worst.

Why We Developed the LENS + OPTICS Solution

LENS is a comprehensive emergency notification platform that integrates with a school’s phone and paging/intercom systems. Because emergency situations can be unpredictable, we’ve designed 3 user-friendly options to trigger the system. LENS can be activated by using any of the three options below:

  • Pressing a lockdown button 
  • Dialing a code on a phone 
  • Using an app on a smart device

RAPID RESPONSE: In times of crisis, it is imperative to communicate emergency alerts swiftly. Once activated, communication is rapid and automated, including pre-recorded announcements over the PA system, activation of LED beacons and signboards, calls to cell phones and desk phones, PC pop-ups, emails, text messages, and prerecorded calls to police. 

COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE: To cover remote areas outside of the building, Eastern DataComm will install components like wireless-enabled speakers and LED beacons to ensure complete coverage over the entire school grounds. Additionally, video surveillance and access control can also be incorporated with LENS, which can quickly help law enforcement pinpoint the location of the identified threat and limit entry and exit to particular locations.

SELF-MONITORING: To ensure that your LENS solution is running optimally, OPTICS, our continuous monitoring services, keeps eyes on your lockdown and emergency notification system so you don’t lose focus on your school’s safety.

LENS + OPTICS Delivers:

  • A State-of-the-Art Safeguard for Your School Community: Supporting school administrators as they ensure the safety of their schools in a time where active-shooter headlines dominate headlines.
  • An Ever-Vigilant School Safety Solution: OPTICS keeps eyes on your lockdown and emergency notification system (LENS), so you don’t lose focus on your school’s safety. Up until now, schools found it difficult to monitor the health of components that directly impact their school safety technology. OPTICS removes the guesswork by continuously monitoring and testing LENS elements, offering your school community added reassurance by providing cutting-edge, essential, and continuous monitoring of your emergency alert system.
  •  Peace of Mind for All: LENS + OPTICS offers your school community peace of mind by providing a cutting-edge, rapidly responsive, and continuously monitored technological solution that keeps your school system empowered to handle lockdown and other emergency events.

The Three Components Of School Safety Technology

  • Fast-Acting: To have the greatest impact on mitigating damage and loss of life, it is imperative for a technological solution to issue rapid communications during lockdown or active shooter events. Once triggered, the LENS+OPTICS system deploys emergency notifications within seconds of activation. 
  • Automated: Human error can and should be avoided at all costs. Automation significantly decreases the opportunity for error and provides the ability for rapid communication when every second counts. LENS+OPTICS is a fully-automated emergency alert solution. Once it is triggered, the potential for human error is removed from the equation.
  • Communication-Facilitating: Auditory and visual emergency announcements need to cover the entire school grounds, both inside and outside of buildings – wherever students, faculty, or staff may be – so that all are aware and able to react to the emergency alert.

The team at Eastern DataComm carefully examines your school campus for potential areas of vulnerability to ensure that there is proper coverage in all places. Our holistic approach also leverages the latest video surveillance and access control technologies to further safeguard your community. This means that no matter where someone might be on school grounds, they will be made aware of the emergency notification while also communicating the threat to law enforcement and first responders.

Stay Safe With Eastern DataComm

When it comes to school safety, we’re all in this together. Rest assured that with LENS + OPTICS by Eastern DataComm, your technology and communications solutions are equipped to keep your campus safe.

For a holistic approach to keep your community safe, contact Eastern DataComm to find the technology solutions that fit your needs.

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FAQs

What is emergency notification, and why is it important for businesses and organizations?

An emergency notification system is an integrated technology system that allows you to immediately alert everyone during an urgent situation. At the press of a button, you can automatically initiate a lockdown, evacuation, or shelter-in-place during an active threat or any other emergency situation.

While schools naturally benefit from this technology, organizations like businesses and municipalities can also reap the same safety and notification benefits of fluid, clear, and immediate communication. An emergency notification system allows for rapid response and gives opportunity to effectively neutralize possible threats. In addition to reducing an organization’s liability in the event of an urgent situation, it also provides all who traffic your buildings and grounds with greater peace of mind.

How does Eastern DataComm's emergency notification solution work?

Eastern DataComm’s emergency notification system, LENS + OPTICS, is the Lockdown and Emergency Notification Solution that helps schools, municipalities, and businesses notify those on their campuses and beyond of an urgent situation. At the push of a button, the emergency notification system can be activated. It can also be initiated via a VoIP phone by dialing a code or on a cellular device through use of a specific application. Once activated, the system notifies everyone, including emergency responders, police, and those in the building and on the grounds, about the lockdown so that swift and effective action can take place.

A variety of other lockdown notification system features are also activated simultaneously including pre-recorded announcements, sign boards, audio notifications, strobes, and text messages. The system can also be utilized to set up a conference bridge where key stakeholders including police can connect regarding the situation. This comprehensive approach to emergency notification gives those who use our systems the opportunity to mitigate damage and save lives when every second counts.

What types of emergencies can be addressed using Eastern DataComm's notification system?

From crisis notifications to emergency action notifications (in the event of severe weather like hurricanes or tornadoes), lockdown emergency notifications, and even active shooter alerts, your emergency notification system can help you communicate about and respond to a variety of emergencies. Our team will also help you explore other potential man-made or catastrophic events for which you may need to prepare, and will assist you in identifying emergency notification system features that provide you with the best possible efficiency and effectiveness when it comes to emergency notification and response.

Can Eastern DataComm's emergency notification system be customized to fit specific business needs?

Absolutely.

Our emergency notification system can function through an emergency call button, provide an emergency communication system for your businesses, and offer active shooter alerts as well. And at Eastern DataComm, we focus on a diagnostic and consultative approach to emergency notification systems to give you exactly the type of functionality that makes the most sense for your organization. We’ll take the time to get to know your needs, potential areas of vulnerabilities, and areas of strength you can capitalize on before suggesting any lockdown or emergency notification system.

What communication channels does Eastern DataComm's emergency notification system support?

Our emergency notification system, LENS + OPTICS, is designed to offer a comprehensive mass notification system for schools, municipalities, and businesses. The emergency notification system is customized to your needs and can include visual, auditory, and application-based notifications. From signboards and strobes to paging systems to prerecorded audio notifications, you’ll have a variety of communication channels at your disposal. Plus, our emergency communication system provides VoIP phone integrations that immediately place calls to key stakeholders, police, and other emergency resources so that you remove the chance for human error when every second counts.