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Indianapolis Airport

Security Products Magazine has featured Talkaphone deployment at the Indianapolis International Airport in its November issue. Below is an excerpt ... read more
April 11, 2016

Florida State University

Published in: Security Technology Executive Magazine, April 2011. read more
April 11, 2016

DePaul University

Published in: SDM Magazine, April 2011. DePaul University- Chicago, IL Executive Summary Depaul University is a private university located in ... read more
April 11, 2016

City of St. Charles

Published in: Security Magazine, November 2012 issue. In St. Charles, Mo., Assistant Fire Chief Richard Oney was inspired by the mass notification ... read more
April 11, 2016

City of Phoenix

Published in: Security Magazine and SDM Magazine, November 2011 City of Phoenix Executive Summary The city of Phoenix recently upgraded emergency ... read more
April 11, 2016

Chicago Transit Authority

If you have used any means of public transportation recently, you probably noticed that security measures have been stepped up. In the aftermath of ... read more
April 11, 2016

Carolinas Health Care System

This article originally appeared in the Security Products Magazine Sept. 2013 issue, by Samuel Shanes. Carolinas Health Care System Executive Summary ... read more
April 11, 2016

Chabot-Las Positas Community Colleges

This article originally appeared in the July 2012 issue of the Security Products magazine. read more
July 17, 2012

Emeryville Marina

Originally published in the July 2012 issue of the Security Products magazine. read more
May 12, 2012

Portfolio

Indianapolis Airport

Apr 11, 2016 2:48:27 AM / by Talkaphone

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Security Products Magazine has featured Talkaphone deployment at the Indianapolis International Airport in its November issue. Below is an excerpt from the "Keeping in Touch" story by Ralph C. Jensen. The full version can be found at www.security-today.com.

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Florida State University

Apr 11, 2016 2:47:25 AM / by Talkaphone

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Published in: Security Technology Executive Magazine, April 2011.

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DePaul University

Apr 11, 2016 2:46:10 AM / by Talkaphone

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Published in: SDM Magazine, April 2011.

DePaul University- Chicago, IL

Executive Summary

Depaul University is a private university located in Chicago, IL. With more than 22,000 students attending the university, Depaul prioritizes their safety and wellbeing while on campus.

Challenges

As facilities are going IP for building-wide use, it becomes economical to install VoIP Emergency Phones in hallways, stairwells, and elevators along with IP-based video surveillance and access control systems. VoIP emergency phones are designed for emergency situations, thus their primary function is to establish reliable communications in the time of crisis. Emergency phones are also ADA compliant and their ruggedness gives passers-by a sense of security.

For DePaul University, upgrading to VoIP emergency phones was not a hard decision to make. Founded in 1898, DePaul University is the largest private institution in Chicago, with more man 23,000 Students.

“Fortunately, I’m set in an institution that is big on safety,” explained Bob Wachowski, director of public safety for DePaul University. “There is a capital funding program in place, and DePaul has come a long way. The university administration is very supportive of my needs, and that is unique.”

You can see the Blue Lights from about everywhere you are on campus. They help our

students feel safe and they are a great deterrent to crime.

Bob Wachowski
 Director of Public Safety
 DePaul University

Wachowski recently upgraded the college’s analog emergency phones to new VOIP-500 series of voice-over-IP emergency phones, all manufactured by Talkaphone. The new phones are SIP compatible and work on the college’s IP PBX system.

Talkaphone Solutions

As an added benefit, VOIP-500 series emergency phones can be paged at high volume with Talkaphone’s WEBS Contact® mass notification software, allowing the public safety personnel to issue targeted alerts to any segment of a campus in groups or individually. The software automatically tests and verifies connectivity of VOIP-500 series phones and sends email alerts on failure detection.

Wachowski also recently installed Talkaphone’s new generation of all-LED Blue Lights on 90 existing emergency phone towers. "You can see them from about everywhere you are on campus. They help our students feel safe and they are a great deterrent to crime," he says.

The new units are ultra-bright all-LED Blue Lights, featuring exceptional 209 lumens peak rating and prismatic pattern to enhance visibility at greater distances. All-LED construction of the unit significantly increases its life span, providing reliable service for years to come.

"Our biggest crime is theft of unattended items," Wachowski adds. "But some of our issues occur late at night, so the phone towers assist the students. I recently met with the student government association to help us promote the use of them. Our campus tour guides already promote them. We like to make every student is aware of the emergency call towers."

IP does empower communications. And now that emergency phones are available with VoIP, security professionals can take full advantage of their IP infrastructure.

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City of St. Charles

Apr 11, 2016 2:44:44 AM / by Talkaphone

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Published in: Security Magazine, November 2012 issue.

In St. Charles, Mo., Assistant Fire Chief Richard Oney was inspired by the mass notification and emergency call boxes on campus at the local Lindenwood University.

More than once, area residents or travelers would pull up to a fire station during an emergency, needing help, when no one was there.

“We could be out on a call; we could be anywhere, “ says Oney. “And there’s nothing we can do for them if we don’t know they’re there.”

Now, even if no one’s home at the firehouse, people in crisis can now still call for help over one of the two call boxes installed at the city’s fire stations.

Connected straight to police dispatch, there would be no concern about having no one answer the phone, plus, with such clearly marked towers as the ECO TOWER™ they’re impossible to miss.

These [ECO Towers] give us a lot of options. With the footing, connections and getting all the internal settings right, it only took three hours to install. It was a one-person job.

Richard Oney
 Assistant Fire Chief
St. Charles, MO

 

And why did he go green? “Weight, price and quick install time,” says Oney, who had just finished personally carrying the second Eco-Tower into his conference room, with only the assistance of one other officer to balance the 10-foot-high post.

“With the footing, connections and getting all the internal settings right, it only took three hours to install,” he says. “It was a one-person job.”

Oney has many options for more of the 45-pound aluminum towers around town in St. Charles, especially at all other first responder stations, other public facilities and maybe even senior centers.

There have even been discussions about placing similar call boxes along some of the popular running and bicycling trails that cross through the area.

“If they were the normal steel towers, the ones where a whole team has to install them, I’d have a very hard time selling it,” Oney says. “But these give us a lot of options.”

 

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City of Phoenix

Apr 11, 2016 2:43:31 AM / by Talkaphone

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Published in: Security Magazine and SDM Magazine, November 2011

City of Phoenix

Executive Summary

The city of Phoenix recently upgraded emergency communications infrastructure at two parking garages in downtown Phoenix. One of the garages is open to public parking and is located on the intersection of West Washington Street and 3rd Avenue. The second garage is reserved for City of Phoenix employees.

BCD Voltage Systems was commissioned to replace the existing telecommunications wiring along with emergency phones. The city of Phoenix selected Talkaphone’s line of phone line powered emergency phones for this installation.

Emergency phones were replaced throughout seven floors of the public parking garage. BCD Voltage Systems did a walk-through of the client facility and identified the improved placement of the emergency phones for higher visibility and accessibility of the product. Additional phones were strategically placed close to stairwells.

The existing system had to be kept operational, which presented its unique challenges during the installation. BCD Voltage Systems crew pulled the new wiring in the same conduit as the old system with great care. The installation of new emergency phones and wiring took place while the old system was still up and running.

In many cases, new conduit had to be run to the desired location of the phone. “Our biggest challenge was maintaining the integrity of the existing system, maintaining a level of security and operation for the City of Phoenix within that system while we were systematically replacing that system,” commented Dan Melsek, President and COO of BCD Voltage Systems.

I don’t think we’ve had any callbacks at all for those two garage installs. This has been a highly dependable product.

Dan Melsek
 President and COO
 BCD Voltage Systems

The emergency phone calls are routed to the city’s central monitoring station, which is operated by the City of Phoenix Police. The monitoring station is staffed 24/7, 365 days of the year. An emergency phone call will always get a human voice.

The City of Phoenix central monitoring station is also equipped with Talkaphone, a software product which allows an operator to immediately identify the location of the caller, including the floor and the corner of the specific garage they are in. Talkaphone also verifies the accessibility of all emergency phones on schedule and reports any discrepancies in real-time.

For BCD Voltage Systems, simplicity and reliability of the product played an important role. As a part owner of a veteran security integration business, Dan Melsek shared his post-installation perspective, “I don’t think we’ve had any callbacks at all for those two garage installs. This has been a highly dependable product.”

TAP-In to Talkaphone and stay up-to-date with our latest news, case studies, white papers, and blogs. Click here to subscribe.

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Chicago Transit Authority

Apr 11, 2016 2:42:12 AM / by Talkaphone

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If you have used any means of public transportation recently, you probably noticed that security measures have been stepped up. In the aftermath of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden’s killing by U.S. forces, many Americans share the anxiety of a retaliatory terrorist attack.

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Carolinas Health Care System

Apr 11, 2016 2:40:28 AM / by Talkaphone

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This article originally appeared in the Security Products Magazine Sept. 2013 issue, by Samuel Shanes.

Carolinas Health Care System

Executive Summary

Hospitals are centers of healing and wellness. At a destination for those who have suffered injury or violence elsewhere, we would like to take for granted our safety and security. However, recent surveys show a steady increase in assaults and violent acts over the past several years.

According to the 2011 government Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFO), there was a 23% increase in reported attacks and assaults over the past year of the census. Additionally, the census reports that patient and visiting family violence has increased by nearly 34% over the same time. Each year there are nearly 3000 assaults on hospital staff alone, with many more going unreported. The sad truth is that many hospitals and healthcare facilities are seeing a fast-growing need for increased security.

We wanted to install a solution which we knew would operate without error, each and every time.

Adam Adcock
Systems Engineer and Project Manager
Carolinas HealthCare System

Despite this established demand, hospital security departments around the country have seen little to no change in their budgets and have been forced to find creative solutions to enhance security. Many hospitals have identified security communications as a key underdeveloped component of their overall security plan. During emergencies, patients, staff, and general visitors sometimes find it difficult to get in touch with emergency services in a timely manner. Faster response time can lead to a safer environment and decrease the chances of a situation getting out of control.

Therefore, acting within the limitations of budgetary constraints, many hospitals have installed blue light emergency phones throughout their campuses. While security personnel is limited to patrolling only one or two areas at a time, emergency phones act as a force multiplier, allowing dispatchers to quickly send patrols and staff to targeted areas in need of immediate assistance.

Security Solutions

In order to prevent crime and violence in medical centers, it's also critical to combat the misconception that emergency assistance is instantly available anywhere and everywhere. The widespread use of cell phones and the availability of internet access points have convinced some that they can always get an emergency response when needed.

However, this notion is contradicted by recent statistics. The reality is that we run into situations every day that separate us from immediate contact with others. Some examples can be the loss of cell phone reception, a dead battery, not knowing a specific phone number, or not knowing your exact location. An unexpected situation can occur at any moment and the ability to contact others, especially during an emergency, can be harder than expected.

 

It’s situations like this that concerned Adam Adcock of Carolinas HealthCare System. Mr. Adcock, a Systems Engineer and Project Manager for the healthcare system’s Physical Security department, wanted to address these communication concerns with an easy and reliable response. With the help of Stan Black and Alan Weeks of SAF Technologies, Adam and his team installed sixteen of Talkaphone’s blue light emergency phones across several parking decks at the Carolinas HealthCare System - NorthEast Hospital. Mr. Adcock said, “We wanted to install a solution which we knew would operate without error, each and every time.” He added, “We also appreciated the easy maintenance and high availability of replacement parts when required.” The Carolinas HealthCare System - NorthEast Hospital is a 457-bed acute-care hospital located in Concord, North Carolina. With over 4,200 employees and thousands of patients at risk, an improvement to the facility’s communication capabilities was needed.

How Talkaphone Helped

The sixteen Talkaphone blue light emergency phones are coupled with an LED blue light assembly. When activated, the LED blue light grabs the attention of nearby individuals, notifying them of an urgent situation. The LED blue light also acts as a beacon for officers and security personnel responding to the call. Additionally, the placement of the emergency phones and their active blue lights act as a deterrence to crime. The lights create a visible border and “safe zones” that patrons and criminals both know will quickly muster a response from security.

The emergency phones provide a direct line of communication to the hospital’s security department. As stated previously, in an emergency it isn’t always a given that an individual will have a phone or even the phone number to security. An emergency situation may be too hectic and an individual may not know their exact location. For some, the use of their hands may be needed in helping another, or in more dire situations, be needed to defend themselves.

One benefit of the blue light emergency phones is that once the phone is activated it automatically dials to the hospital’s security dispatch center. Mr. Adcock said, “Our telecom team programs ring down lines specific for each station, including a location-specific caller ID. Once a button is pushed, our Security Communications center receives the call, gathers information and dispatches an appropriate officer response.” He added, “We encourage our patients and staff to use the stations for anything from a need for assistance to true emergency situations. In some parking decks, mobile phone coverage can be spotty, so Talkaphone has become a consistent source for reaching help.” To activate a phone, a user simply has to press the bright red “Emergency” button on the front of the unit. A dispatcher or member of security will answer the phone and start assisting the individual/individuals in need.

While most of the emergency phone stations are deployed in parking decks and lots, others are deployed in stairwells inside the hospital as a means of providing an alternative Area of Refuge. An Area of Refuge is a location designed to hold and gather occupants during an emergency.

At many other hospitals and similar facilities, upgrading emergency phones means entirely replacing existing devices--and updating infrastructure--often at great expense. Fortunately for Mr. Adcock and his colleagues, the blue light emergency phones offer a solution. Each blue light emergency phone is capable of integrating with a variety of other security devices, allowing the units to be upgraded and downgraded over a long period of time. Recently, each blue light emergency phone has been integrated with cameras supplied by Talkaphone. These cameras provide surveillance before, during, and after an activation.

During activation, the security dispatch controller can assess a situation via the camera and relay detailed information to responders. Such information can be extremely valuable for responders and patrons. For example, a dispatcher may identify, through a unit’s camera, that an individual is hostile. The dispatcher could then tell responders to use caution when arriving on the scene.

Another example could be a dispatcher instructing responders to bring extra equipment to a scene. Responders can then bring the necessary equipment with them immediately, so there is no lag time between a responder’s arrival and they're getting the equipment they need. Ultimately, the cameras allow for greater flexibility and an improved response. Dispatchers and responders can react to activations more efficiently and patrons can get an improved response to their emergency. Mr. Adcock added, “Talkaphone stations are easy to use and program. Operation is flawless and we’re happy with its ease of use and proven reliability.”

The emergency phones have been at the hospital for nearly ten years. As the hospital’s facilities grow, so does the presence of the phones. In order to maintain and operate these phones the hospital’s security personnel test each station at the beginning of the month.

The reliability and strength of the units have been extremely comforting and Mr. Adcock was compelled to say the following, “I have been very satisfied with Talkaphone and would recommend this solution to any organization interested in increasing their Security presence. They were responsive to our demands and provided us with the perfect solution. They’re reliable and straightforward units. Talkaphone has knowledgeable sales representatives, exceptional customer service, and we know exactly what we’re receiving and have our expectations met with each deployment.”

Talkaphone’s reliability, flexibility, and adaptable solutions have made a difference to all those involved at Carolinas HealthCare System - NorthEast Hospital. With the hospital’s security department connected more than ever to the patrons and staff that frequent the hospital, Mr. Adcock hopes that interaction between them can become more commonplace. As the number of emergency phones expands, the need to use them will decrease. Individuals will become more aware and responsible knowing that an extra line of communication is there for them. Mr. Adcock will make sure that patients, staff, and visitors alike will have quick and easy communication from the time they enter the hospital’s premises to the time they leave.

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Chabot-Las Positas Community Colleges

Jul 17, 2012 10:04:43 AM / by Meghan Minnella

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This article originally appeared in the July 2012 issue of the Security Products magazine.

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Emeryville Marina

May 12, 2012 3:36:32 PM / by Meghan Minnella

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Originally published in the July 2012 issue of the Security Products magazine.

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University of North Carolina

Aug 11, 2009 7:59:16 AM / by Talkaphone

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