Mass Notification Redefined

Different thoughts come to mind when the term "mass notification systems" is used. Many in emergency management think of automated telephone dial-out systems, broadcast or sirens - systems to notify the public or first responders. To those in the building and fire industry, mass notification has a different meaning. To them, mass notification is a system used in a building to provide information and instructions like loudspeakers and flashing lights.

Changes are being made that could converge how emergency management and the National Fire Alarm Code define "mass notification".

For years, the official fire code established by Annex E of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 72, National Fire Alarm Code has been defining Mass Notification Systems (MNS) as "system used to provide information and instructions to people in a building, area site or other space using intelligible voice communications, visible signals, text, graphics, tactile or other communications methods."

NFPA is re-writing this section of the fire code. What's now Mass Notification Systems will be called "Emergency Communications Systems (ECS)". The definition is being expanded to include "wide-area" and "distributed recipient notification" in addition to building notifications. Wide area would be the area surrounding a building (i.e. a college campus). Distributed recipient notification would be "expanded beyond the facility and the area, to be accomplished through means such as telephone calls, text messaging, and emails". Sound familiar?

The change has just been approved, so it may not mean much to emergency management at this time. However, it could easily have an impact as news of the change spreads. One possibility relates to industry. How aggressive will large fire alarm vendors be about offering "wide area" and "distributed recipient" notifications? The answer could be important, particularly considering the fact that the fire alarm business is much larger than the notification and alerting business. Will this make more options available to emergency management?

One thing for sure, the change indicates momentum for a different way of looking at notifications. It's more of a "system of systems" approach where different communication modes are working together as one to accomplish a number of things. And, don't under-estimate the power of the fire code to impact change. It's omnipresent and this change will get attention.

All the best,

Rick