A Wireless Emergency Notification System can be used to satisfy OSHA requirements for an emergency evacuation system or employee alarm system. Normally installing an emergency mass notification system in a business requires running thousands of feet of wire, which in itself can cost more than the equipment needed for the system.

Using wireless equipment, you can have a working alert system in as little as one day at a fraction of the cost of a wired system.

The heart of the system is a wireless PA system device that you place around various locations of your business. This is what lets you broadcast your message without having to run wires all around your business.

As far as activating your emergency notification system, there are a couple of different announcement options available. One is a voice announcement made by a person with a handheld radio or base station intercom. The second option is to use a device that broadcasts a previously recorded message. Both options are described below.

Wireless PA System

When installing a Wireless PA system, the single biggest expense is usually the wiring. It’s not the cost of the wire, but rather the installation cost. As in the diagram below, there is often concrete or asphalt between locations where the public address part of the system is to be installed.

Trenching through that is both expensive and messy. The expense doesn’t stop once you get inside the building and you have to start running wires through walls too.

Going with a wireless PA system instead can save you money. The PA system consists of receiver unit with antenna that receives transmissions, amplifies them, and then sends them to an attached PA horn speaker. Up to two speakers can be attached to a single receiver and pointed in different directions for greater coverage. As shown in the diagram, each receiver location can be set to different volume levels depending on the environment.

One benefit of a wireless PA system over a wired system is that you can use handheld two-way radios to make announcements. So no matter where your emergency personnel are, they can make announcements. Even if they are up to two miles away! The transmitter can be in the form of a portable 2-way radio, mobile vehicle radio, or base station intercom. There are devices that send prerecorded messages as well (see below).

One more benefit is that VHF versions of these units can also be programmed to receive transmissions from NOAA Weather Radio so employees will know instantly when bad weather is approaching.

Someone who wants to make a page to the wireless PA system just has to set the transmitter to the same channel as the wireless PA and then press the push-to-talk button on the transmitter.

The system has a range of up to a couple of miles and the range can even be extended by adding an external antenna to the Wireless PA, the transmitter, or both. These units are available in both UHF and VHF frequencies and can be programmed to work with your existing radios, or you can buy new radios.

The wireless PA does need a 110 volt power source; however there is a rechargeable battery pack that will power the unit for up to 10 hours. There is also a solar power package to operate the unit on solar power.

MURS Voice Notification Wireless Monitor

If you want to just press a button to send a recorded message over your wireless employee notification system, the MURS Voice Notification Wireless Monitor enables that.

The MURS Voice Notification Wireless Monitor (VNWM) is a wireless radio transmitter that reports changes in the status of switches by transmitting user-recorded voice messages to handheld two-way radios or base station intercoms. It transmits a recorded voice message when the switch change occurs, and at intervals you select.

Because you provide and connect the switches, your MVWM can report on the status of intrusion, tampering, equipment malfunction, liquid levels, machinery, pressure, temperature, power, smoke, or leakage.

For the Wireless Emergency Notification System application, you could put one of these devices in your command center and it enables you to connect two push button switches to it. One switch could transmit a voice message that says something like “Emergency, evacuate the building.”  The other button could send a message like “Warning, take shelter now.”  You will record the messages yourself and they can be up to 8 seconds long each. The messages can be programmed to repeat several times.

Not only will this message be transmitted to the Wireless PA systems, but also to radio equipped personnel who will hear voice messages instantly.

VNWM is housed in a weather-resistant enclosure so it an be installed in a wide variety of indoor or outdoor locations. Because its six internal AA Alkaline batteries will power the unit for about a year, VNWM does not require AC line power. A single set of 6 AA Alkaline batteries powers the VNWM for nearly one year or approximately 12000 transmissions.

Frequencies Used

This Wireless Emergency Notification System can be obtained in UHF or VHF business band licensed frequencies.  There is also equipment that uses the unlicensed MURS frequencies. MURS stands for Multi-Use Radio Service and is a two-way radio service consisting of five frequencies in the VHF (Very High Frequency) spectrum. Unlike most frequencies in the VHF range, MURS does not require an FCC license to operate.

Even though there are only 5 channels, each channel can choose between one of 38 “quiet codes” or sub-channels to keep you from hearing conversations of other users on that channel. You will only hear conversations from radios set to the same channel and quiet code as your radio. In most areas the MURS frequencies are very lightly used so you won’t find a lot of competition for the airwaves.

The biggest benefit of MURS is the range it offers. Some manufacturers claim a range of four miles. Of course this range is a line of sight with no obstructions between intercoms. Range can even be increased with these intercoms by adding an external high-gain antenna on top of your business, or even car if you use a unit there.

What’s nice about MURS is that you can get handheld two-way radios, commercial-duty base station and outdoor intercoms/callboxes, and even motion detectors that transmit a verbal alert message to other MURS devices. For business, industrial, or commercial applications a MURS system excels since it can overcome a lot of interference and obstacles these applications present.

This Wireless Emergency Notification System equipment can be found at http://www.intercomsonline.com.

Advances in wireless technology, combined with the increasing demand for reliable communication and property security systems, have led to a significant rise in the variety of wireless access control devices that are now available on the market.  These devices dramatically enhance the convenience and safety of a home or business by giving the people who live or work there the capacity to remotely control the entrances to the property and to communicate easily with people over long distances.  Investing in one of these modern, exciting and innovative products makes your property a much more enjoyable and secure place to be.

There are many advantages of installing a wireless access control system as a method of communication within a property.

They are extremely cheap and easy to install and maintain as they do not rely upon complicated and expensive underground wiring.

They are very cheap to run as there are no ongoing operating costs as there would be access control systems that use regular telephone lines.  The only costs involved after purchasing the system are occasionally changing the batteries (unless you AC or solar power them).

They are very reliable and not susceptible to outages that seem to affect the public telephone grid or to wire cuts caused by digging, rodents, or other causes.

Wireless access control systems are extremely easy to operate as they generally only involve the push of a button to facilitate direct communication with other connected devices.

There are also numerous advantages of installing a wireless access control system as a property security measure.  The wireless system means that you don’t need to alter the property in any way by digging trenches for complicated wiring.  It also means that there is no need to maintain and repair wire connections, which have a tendency to become worn and damaged over time.  Fitting property entrances with a video or voice communication system means that any visitors to the property can be easily identified prior to being granted access.  And finally, the remote control gate opening function adds an additional level of convenience by eliminating the need to manually open the entrance for guests.

There is a wide variety of wireless access control systems that can be installed in homes or businesses and technological advances have made these systems much more affordable in recent years.  Some of the most popular wireless access control systems that are currently available include the following:

The Outdoor Intercom Callbox

This is a heavy duty, weather resistant wireless system that provides easy communication between a callbox that is situated at a specific fixed location, and other handheld intercom devices.  It allows for long range communication between the devices over a distance of up to one-mile.  This distance can be increased with the addition of an external antenna.  These systems have become very popular for businesses where reliable and easy to operate two-way communication must be available at all times.

The Intercom Callbox with Gate Relay

This system has a lot of the same features as the Outdoor Intercom Callbox outlined above, with the addition of the “gate relay” element.  This basically means that the callbox, or any of the handheld devices that are connected to it, can be used to remotely open a gate for a visitor.  A switch output is built into the callbox that enables it to perform a range of functions where an on/off switch is used.  These situations include opening or closing a gate or magnetic door, turning on a light or sounding an alarm.

Another useful feature of these systems is the “listen in” function.  When the “listen in” button is pressed a transmitter in the callbox is activated which enables the user to listen for any sounds that are coming from the area surrounding the callbox for a period of 30 seconds.  In this way they are able to discretely monitor activity in the vicinity of the callbox location.

The Door Access System

This is quite a simple door answering and opening system that is very popular for both commercial and residential properties.  These systems generally comprise of two main components.  The first is known as the “door station” and this is fitted outside the entrance.  The second component is called the “master station” and this is fitted inside the property.  Depending upon the size and general layout of the property it may be more convenient or practical to have more than one master station.

When a visitor arrives at the door they press a button on the door station and this triggers a short alarm at the master station(s).  Someone inside the property then answers this alarm and the two parties are able to communicate with one another through the wireless device.  An optional additional feature of these systems is a door release system which enables the door to be opened remotely by the person operating the master station.

The Digital Video Intercom System

These innovative systems use digital technology to provide the best possible monitoring of property entrances.  These systems also typically consist of two components.  The first is a wide angle lens (generally with a 170 degree view) that is fitted above the door or gate at the entrance to the property.  This unit is weather and vandal resistant.  The second component is fitted inside the property and is made up of a screen and a control panel.  This high resolution screen displays the image from the camera and the controls enable the operator to perform a wide range of functions.

The outdoor camera is triggered by a sensor alert which also activates a sound alarm within the property.  The video system uses sophisticated digital technology to allow the operator to alter the camera angle and zoom in on the subjects.  Based on the images, the operator can then chose whether to communicate with the visitor via the speaker system or to open the gate remotely and allow them to enter the property.  Both of these actions can be realized by the simple push of a button.  A significant new development in this line of products is its ability to operate in a variety of light conditions and to record and store the images for later use.

The wireless access control systems outlined above significantly improve modern homes and businesses by providing greater communication, security and remote control over the property.  Technological advances in the field of property security and wireless communication have led to an incredible new range of affordable, exciting and innovative products which will increase the value of the property, while also enhancing its security and convenience.

Three decades of designing and manufacturing reliable, professional wireless communications products has led to what we believe is the best mobile two-way radio on the market today. The MURS 110 and UHF 410 are small in size, lightweight, yet it can output as much as 5 watts of power. These radios are built to military specification standards to guard against rain, dust, shock, and vibration. Buying a two-way radio that meets mil-spec standards automatically means you’re buying a quality product that is built to withstand tougher use. Unlike most professional two-way radios, these radios are compact and fit nicely in your hand. No matter whether you need something in UHF or VHF frequencies, one of these radios will fit your needs. If you don’t want to get an FCC license to operate your radio, then the VHF MURS 110 two way radio can be programmed for the 5 MURS unlicensed frequencies. If you currently have two-way radios, then you can program these radios to work with them on up to 10 channels. There are three Programmable Function Buttons on the MURS 110 and UHF 410 two way radios. The MURS 110 comes with one of those buttons already programmed to open a gate attached to a wireless call box. You can also program one of the buttons of the MURS 110 to access NOAA weather radio for weather alerts, or you can simply change to the NOAA channel. These radios come with a fast-rate drop in charger with an extra battery slot. Also included is a long-lasting Lithium-Ion battery pack with a sturdy attached belt clip. An optional 6 unit charger is available that enables you to charge up to six radios simultaneously. Headsets and other accessories attach to these radios using two screws so they stay firmly attached and won’t pull out. There are a variety of headsets available for varying applications. These radios also include other useful features such as: Emergency Call which enables the radio user to immediately notify all other radios on the same channel in the case of an emergency. VOX voice activation lets you transmit without having to press the push-to-talk button. Channel Scan is used to listen to the channels on the radio that you want to monitor and then respond back on an active channel. 2-Tone code can be programmed on a channel and it enables you to send a code to trigger a device such as opening a gate or door on a wireless call box. The Voice Inversion Scrambler feature garbles voice transmissions so only another radio programmed with the Scramble feature can understand what is being said. Both the MURS 110 and UHF 410 radios can be found at http://www.IntercomsOnline.com

OSHA’s Environmental Health & Safety requirements can be extremely costly to implement, but there are ways to save thousands of dollars on at least parts of the requirements. If you are an employer who is required to implement an employee emergency evacuation system, also known as an employee alarm system, to satisfy one of OSHA’s standards, this article will help you do that.

The purpose of OSHA’s Emergency Evacuation Systems standard 29 CFR 1910.165 is to provide an early warning system for implementing emergency action and to give employees time to safely escape a building or area in the event of an emergency situation.

Below are some examples of instances that require an emergency evacuation system, including links to OSHA’s website for more information.

• 29 CFR 1910.37, Maintenance, safeguards, and operational features for exit routes
• 29 CFR 1910.38, Emergency action plans
• 29 CFR 1910.66, Powered platforms for building maintenance
• 29 CFR 1910.106, Flammable and combustible liquids
• 29 CFR 1910.120, Hazardous waste operations and emergency response
• 29 CFR 1910.157, Portable fire extinguishers
• 29 CFR 1910.160, Fixed extinguishing systems, general
• 29 CFR 1910.161, Fixed extinguishing systems, dry chemical
• 29 CFR 1910.162, Fixed extinguishing systems, gaseous agent
• 29 CFR 1910.164, Fire detection systems

What is an emergency evacuation system? According to OSHA, “An employee alarm system can be any piece of equipment and/or device designed to inform employees that an emergency exists or to signal the presence of a hazard requiring urgent attention. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 72, National Fire Alarm Code, requires a fire alarm signal to be distinctive in sound from other signals and can not be used for any other purpose.”

The OSHA Standard goes on to say that you can use audible alarms that “include bells, horns, sirens, voice announcement systems, and other devices that can be distinguished above and apart from the normal sound level within the workplace.” They say the most effective means are voice signals or an interrupted steady sound (off and on sound).

One of OSHA’s recommendations is a “Workplace Announcement System.”  Here’s how they define that: “Speakers can be used to play a live or recorded voice message. They are often ideally suited for large workplaces where phased or guided evacuations are needed.”

See OSHA’s Employee Alarm Systems web page for more information on these requirements.

In businesses that have large buildings or cover a lot of ground, installing a wired emergency evacuation system can cost tens of thousands of dollars. What you will learn here is how to do it for a fraction of the normal cost.

The heart of this system is a Wireless PA System. A wireless PA system consists of a wireless receiver box connected to a horn PA speaker via a cable, and then some sort of wireless transmitting device, which could be a two-way radio or base-station intercom.

Someone who wants to make a page to the Wireless PA system just has to set the transmitter to the same channel as the wireless PA and then press the push-to-talk button on the transmitter.

The system has a range of up to a mile or more and the range can even be extended by adding an external antenna to either the Wireless PA, the transmitter, or both. If you have a wired PA system already, you can also get a Wireless PA System Interface device that will receive transmissions from radios and then broadcast those transmissions over your wired PA system.

There are several devices that can communicate with the Wireless PA system. The indoor or outdoor Customer Service Call Box is one of them. It  can be used as a panic button that when pressed sends a recorded message to two-way radios, base-station intercoms, or to a wireless or wired public address system.

You can record whatever message you want, or you could simply record a siren sound that plays when the button is pressed. If you have multiple areas where you need a panic button, then you’ll want to make sure you can distinguish between the recordings so you know where to send help.

There are other devices you can add to your system such as Wireless Call Boxes if you have locations outside that need to broadcast emergency messages from a fixed location.

A wireless call box is essentially a two-way radio in a heavy duty water-resistant housing. When its button is pressed, the person pressing the button can talk to other hand-held radios, base station intercoms, and even the Wireless PA system.

There are some situations where placing a phone call to notify an emergency response team is just not fast or reliable enough. With a wireless call box, a simple press of a button notifies everyone that needs to know.  Probably the best way of using it would be to have it contact emergency personnel who then make pages over the employee alarm system.

Keeping your employees safe in any way you can should be a top priority of yours. Using all of these devices as an employee alarm system is one way to do that, while saving thousands of dollars over the cost of a wired system.

All of these devices can be found at www.IntercomsOnline.com . Call 615-852-6161 to speak with a product expert.

Many retail stores and businesses cannot afford to have a full-time person manning the front door to greet customers. Business owners and employees could be roaming the building or buildings,  or even the grounds around the building where customers arrive. Such is the case with landscape nursery operators, funeral home operators, used car lots, or hundreds of other types of businesses.

What they need is a way to monitor the front door from a remote location. They need the ability to be mobile and still know someone has arrived.  That’s where a wireless alert system comes into play.

A wireless alert system consists of a battery-powered, wireless motion detector installed by the front door, and fixed base station intercoms. mobile handheld intercoms, or both to receive notice that someone has arrived at the front door. When a customer arrives, the motion detector will send a verbal “Alert zone 1″ message to let monitoring personnel know someone has arrived at the front door.

If you have multiple entry doors, you can set up four motion detectors and each door will have it’s own alert message so you’ll know which door the customer came in.

Not only can you use this system to monitor the front door, but it can be used for communication between employees. The handheld radios and base station intercoms can be used to talk between units.

This system has a range of up to four miles so you should be able to cover your entire business with communications and alert messages.

The system also works as a security system at night so if you or someone is within range of the motion detectors, they will get the message.

The system is not only cost effective, but can be easily installed in a matter of minutes. You will find this system by clicking here: wireless alert system

When you purchase a two way radio in the United States that operates in the business band VHF or UHF frequencies, the FCC requires that you get a license to operate them. Like all government requirements, paperwork will be involved and it can be confusing and time consuming.

Instead of going it alone through this process, we recommend that you use a licensing coordinator that handles all of the paperwork and processing.  During this process, they’ll ask some questions about your location, the radios you’re using, and how they’ll be used. Then they fill out all the forms and get them submitted to the FCC for approval.

The cost for this is usually in the $400-$700 range per frequency for a 10 year period generally.  Below is contact info for three licensing agencies that we use most often.

CARA Enterprises, Inc.
Doug Thompson
1383 Farm Meadow
Salt Lake City, UT 84117
(801) 278-9728

Atlas License Company & Data Services
Linda Simons
7202 North Shadeland Avenue, Suite 215
Indianapolis, IN 46250
(800) 252-0529

http://www.alcds.com

National License Corporation
9050 Briarclift Road
Indianapolis, Indiana 46256
317-849-5866

http://www.nationalicense.com/

If you want to obtain a license yourself, below is some helpful information:

How to Obtain an FCC License Yourself

Radios that operate on Private Land Mobile frequencies, are subject to the Rules and Regulations of the FCC, which requires all operators of these frequencies to obtain a station license before operating their equipment. Make application for your FCC license on FCC Forms 600 and 159.

To have forms and instructions faxed to you by the FCC, call the FCC Fax-On-Demand system at 202-418-0177 from your fax machine and request Document 000600 & Form 159.

To have Document 000600 & Form 159 mailed to you, call the FCC Forms Hotline at 800-418-FORM (800-418-3676).

For help with questions concerning the license application, contact the FCC at
888-CALL-FCC (888-225-5322).

You must decide which radio frequency(ies) you can operate on before filling out your application. See the table below for available frequencies in the UHF and VHF business bands.

A wireless gate intercom provides long range, 2-way voice communication to any two-way radio or wireless intercom. You can use them to open gates or doors and even do it while you are mobile. You won’t be confined to a desk unless you only want to use a desktop intercom to access your wireless gate opener. These wireless gate intercoms are essentially long-range two way radios in a water resistant case. Models for public access areas even have a vandal resistant case.

A wireless gate intercom makes it possible to quickly implement a communication system without expensive and messy trenching. These gate opening intercoms have a range of up to a mile, or even further with use of external antennas.

Click on the link below for a video with more details about wireless gate intercoms.

Wireless Gate Intercoms

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We quite frequently get requests for our MURS intercoms from people in Canada. Unfortunately we cannot ship these to Canada since they use a frequency that is used by government agencies for emergency purposes.

Some of our wireless products (Callboxes and base stations) do have IC approval (Canada’s equivalent of the FCC).  As part of that, radios we ship directly to Canada must have only the specific agreed upon frequencies available for field programming.

In other words, we have models that have a default freq. of 151.0550 MHz and 151.1150 MHz available for the customer to select between.

Note that there will be a few day delay on shipping these units out since we have to program them.

Below is a sample of the products you can order, but we will replace them with the Canadian version. The lower-cost MURS Multi-Mile products cannot be reprogrammed so we cannot ship them to Canada.

MURS Commercial Intercom (1 unit)

MURS 110 Commercial Handheld Two-Way Radio (1 unit)

MURS Callbox XT Outdoor Intercom

MURS Callbox XT Outdoor Intercom with Gate Relay

MURS Basic Commercial Callbox

The 900MHz and MURS wireless intercoms we offer at IntercomsOnline are not for use in the United Kingdom (U.K.), but we do offer versions of the MURS intercoms that can be used in the U.K. if you are willing to get a license. There are a couple of good articles about the license free requirements of Europe below.

License-free usage in U.K. requires that radios have a fixed antenna and our radios have a removable antenna.  So to use our wireless intercoms, you will be required to get a license. See the Business Band link below for more information.

License Free
http://radiotechnology.suite101.com/article.cfm/pmr446_cb_2way_radio_in_the_uk

Business Band
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/licensing/applications08/changes/

There are two styles of MURS two-way radio handhelds you can choose from. The MURS Multi-Mile Handheld Intercom is a light-duty, less featured two way radio. The MURS 110 Commercial Handheld Two-Way Radio is a heavy-duty fully featured two way radio. There is a big difference in price so you’ll want to make sure you choose the right one for you.

Both units will achieve a similar range and they both have all 5 of the MURS channels. For basic communication you could choose either radio.

The only advantage the MURS Multi-Mile Handheld Intercom has other than price is the fact that it integrates with a long-range motion sensor (MURS MAT which comes in the MURS Base and MURS Alert Kits). The MURS MAT will send its “Alert Zone 1” voice message to the MURS 110 Commercial Handheld but for some reason it sounds a little garbled.

The MURS 110 Commercial Handheld is built to what’s called “MIL-SPEC” standards. In an effort to achieve standardization objectives for purchases of products used by the military and other government organizations, the U.S. Department of Defense created standards that these products must meet. You will see these standards called military standard, “MIL-STD”, or “MIL-SPEC.” These standards ensure products meet certain requirements, commonality, reliability, compatibility, and similar defense-related objectives.

The Department of Defense also has standards for two-way radios and radios that meet this standard must meet levels for such criteria as vibration, rain, salt air, sand/dust, shock (dropping), humidity, temperature as well as other factors.

Buying a product that meets mil-spec standards means you are buying a quality product that is built to withstand tougher use.

The MURS 110 Commercial Handheld also has features you won’t find on the MURS Multi-Mile Handheld. They are summed up below:

The MURS Multi-Mile Handheld…

• is smaller so it fits in your hand better
• has Channel Scanning so you can listen to multiple channels at once
• has an audio output and microphone input jack so you can use headsets. These devices screw on to the radio so they can’t be pulled out. There are several types of headsets available.
• has NOAA weather radio capability for weather reports or for automatic alerts of storms
• has a programmable softkey that can be used for weather radio, gate opening, or for activating other devices that use 2-tone decode. Programmable on a per channel basis.
• has a charging doc that allows you to charge a spare battery for uninterrupted operation
• has an optional multi-charger unit available for charging multiple radios at once.
• has a voice scrambler when used with other compatible radios. With this feature turned on, other people won’t be able to understand your conversations.

So if all you need is plain voice communications and the environment you are using the two-way radio in isn’t too harsh, then the MURS Multi-Mile Handheld would be sufficient. If you need a really tough two-way radio with some features, then the MURS 110 Commercial Handheld is for you.