BluePoint Alert Solutions (http://www.bluepointalert.com/), provider of the industry’s first Rapid Emergency Response System (RERS), today announced BluePoint Command & Control Incident Management System powered by Emergency 24. The new web-based communication portal is designed for better managing life-threatening events of all sorts – armed intruders, hazardous material releases, natural disasters, etc. The new capabilities are now included in all BluePoint systems. BluePoint is quickly being adopted by schools, hospitals, government facilities and business campuses to speed response times and improve safety in the face of increasing threats of violence within building and campus environments. 

“Fast, integrated and secure communications are vital whenever there is a life-threatening situation that requires both rapid response of emergency first responders and the coordination of safety procedures and protocols,” said John McNutt, co-founder for BluePoint. “Adding command and control capabilities to the BluePoint system shortens the time it takes key stakeholders to assess and manage an emergency.   It is a tool to quickly inform building occupants of what to do as well as notify parents, other key stakeholders and the general public as to the status of a situation as it unfolds.”  

Similar to a standard “fire alarm,” occupants can activate a BluePoint pull station and instantly notify police or first responders of an emergency situation to expedite a rapid response. It also communicates internally through blue strobe lights and building-wide announcements to initiate emergency management protocols that are proven to save lives in times of chaos and crisis. Adding Command & Control to the system provides for an improved response in addition to a faster response.  BluePoint complements physical security systems and addresses the growing need to speed response times when an organization’s most valuable asset – its people – are in harm’s way.

"Faster response times will help take care of the situation. Law enforcement can move directly to the threat, and other first responders can come prepared as well,” said Todd Stirn, superintendent of the Burlington School District, the first school to implement command and control capabilities. “The BluePoint system enhances and improves the safety and security of law enforcement and first responders, but it also drastically simplifies the ability of occupants in a building to notify first responders, escape an incident, or take cover. It is about protecting people which is our most valuable asset."

The new Command & Control capabilities add additional depth of automated communications that is vital for improved safety. When activated, text, email and voice notifications are sent to pre-determined stakeholders and a Command Group is established. The Command Group can securely and quickly access the communications portal via any internet enabled device – mobile phone, tablet or personal computer. Once connected, the Command Group has secure, two-way communication that is required to coordinate first responders, communicate with occupants and manage the overall situation quickly and efficiently. The system also instantly initiates emergency protocols, and links the Command Group with live security camera video, Visual Point Identification (VPI) diagrams of the facility and emergency preparedness documents to ensure all vital information is available quickly and easily. 

“The faster central Command & Control communications are established, the faster informed actions can take place that improves the safety and quick resolution of emergency situations,” said John Shales, co-Founder of BluePoint. “When emergencies arise lost time can cost lives – and we are committed to working with customers and partners to shave precious seconds and minutes in all aspects of the response team action.” 

BluePoint uses a highly secure 900 MHz wireless network that is completely dedicated to response alerts and is independent of other building systems. The system covers the entire building or campus, plus any surrounding areas (parking lots, athletic fields, etc.). Once a wearable mobile device, pull station or sound sensor is activated, alerts are sent to local law enforcement with the building address and exact incident location within the building, using Visual Point Identification (VPI) technology. At the same time, building occupants are instantly notified to take precautions through PA or phone systems, and blue strobe lights inside or outside the building, as well as via text, email, or voice calls to mobile phones. 

The BluePoint Rapid Emergency Response System is available now directly from BluePoint and its certified partner network. For more information please visit: (www.bluepointalert.com).