Cooper Notification conducts Mass Notification tour at U.S. campuses

Published 21 February 2008

The latest case of a student shooting fellow students — this time at Northern Illinois University — has only increased interest on campuses across the U.S. in emergency notification systems; on 7 February Congress passed a bill requiring the installation of warning systems on campuses; Florida company conducts campus tour to show its wares

The latest tragedy of a student shooting fellow students, this time at Northern Illinois University, is but one reminder of the need campuses have for effective and reliable emergency notification systems. Sarasota, Florida-based Cooper Notification, an operating unit of Cooper Industries (NYSE: CBE), the other day it announced additional dates and locations for its mass notification system (MNS) demonstration and educational tour. The MNS tour began in January and will continue throughout the year. The company uses it to display its indoor, outdoor, and text/voice mass notification solutions. The tour will also instruct emergency officials and university administrators how to communicate to students, staff, and the public before, during, and after an event.

The tour began in the state of Washington in January. New locations and dates for the launch include: Florida, Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Southern California, Nevada, eastern Texas, Mississippi, and North Carolina in March; Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, New York, and Washington, D.C. in April and May; and North Carolina, South Carolina, northern California, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Louisiana in June and July. More dates will follow, and will be displayed on the company’s Web site.

On campus, the company’s technical staff demonstrates the company’s Mobile Command and Response Vehicle (MCRV) to highlight the WAVES (Wireless Audio Visual Emergency System) High Power Speaker Array, which broadcasts emergency messages over wide areas, SAFEPATH indoor voice evacuation system, and the Roam Secure Alert Network (RSAN) for emergency text alerting.

Many schools already deploy the company’s systems, among them George Mason University, James Madison University, University of California-Santa Barbara, several University of Maryland campuses, University of New Hampshire, and University of Southern California.

We note that Cooper Notification’s MNS tour coincides with the U.S. House of Representatives passing the College Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2007 bill on 7 February. The act would require colleges and universities to issue public warnings within thirty minutes of an emergency or threat, as well as notify the public with more campus safety information.