Written By: Bryant Nellermoe

Thinking on missed opportunities:

One observation that I've made over the years in digital signage is the "lack of urgency" or awareness around utilizing digital signage as a secondary support function of an already existing security system. This strategic enhancement has the potential to increase situational awareness and response accuracy if a worst case scenario happens.

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This oversight represents a missed opportunity, particularly in safeguarding environments such as schools and corporate offices, where comprehensive safety and security solutions are already in place, often capable of supporting Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) standards. This adds a secondary layer of safety that can significantly enhance the overall security posture and emergency response capabilities of these establishments.

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Are you using software with native CAP capabilities?

Emergency Notification Systems:

• Everbridge
• Send Word Now
• Blackboard Connect
• AlertMedia
• Rave Mobile Safety

Incident Management Systems:

• Juvare (formerly WebEOC)
• CrisisTrack
• Veoci
• Resolver

Mass Notification Systems:

• InformaCast by Singlewire
• Rave Mobile Safety
• Raptor Technologies
• xMatters

Public Safety Software:

• ESRI ArcGIS (with the GeoEvent Extension)
• Motorola Solutions PremierOne
• Hexagon Safety & Infrastructure
• CentralSquare Technologies

Emergency Management Platforms:

• AlertFind
• Everbridge Mass Notification
• IBM Emergency Management
• SAIC EM Tools

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What is CAP (Common Alert Protocol)?

The Common Alerting Protocol (CAP), is a safety and security format standard allowing for consistent alert messages to be disseminated simultaneously over multiple communications pathways. A single emergency alert can trigger a variety of public warning systems, increasing the likelihood that people receive the alert by one or more communication pathways.

Carousel can receive CAP messages from external systems on the network via an HTTP post. If another system, like an emergency alert system, sends Carousel a message you can automatically trigger alerts and other content. The content is triggered by bulletin tag so you can build complex trigger actions with ease. Carousel is ready in an emergency to receive CAP triggers to quickly display targeted visual notifications and instructions throughout your signage network with no user action required.

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The Common Alerting Protocol can:

• Add rich alert media such as photographs, maps, streaming video and audio
• Geographically target emergency alerts to a defined warning area. This is limited only by the capacity of the delivery system used.
• Serve the needs of people who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind (with accessibility sites) or low vision
• Send alerts in multiple languages
• and so much more!

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