Valcom Inc., has announced their Earthquake Early Warning System (VEEWS). Valcom is now a licensee with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to deliver alerts to K12, higher education, commercial, and industrial facilities. VEEWS is powered by data from the USGSmanaged ShakeAlert® system.
“We are honored to have been selected by the USGS to provide earthquake early warning notifications,” said John Mason, president of Valcom. “As a long-time provider of emergency notifications for events such as lockdowns, evacuations, and tsunamis, it is exciting to add early earthquake warning notifications.”
VEEWS rapidly sends encrypted ShakeAlert®-powered alerts to public address systems, signs, and computer screens throughout a facility that could provide individuals seconds of warning before shaking arrives. These alerts could help save lives and reduce injuries by giving people time to take a protective action like Drop, Cover, and Hold On. Valcom is currently implementing VEEWS to help protect and save lives across California, Oregon, and Washington.
In the coming months, VEEWS will integrate automated actions to accompany earthquake early warnings. Mason states, “We will be seeking client partners to control emergency generators, door openers, production machinery, and other sensitive equipment in concert with alert messages. The benefits of these types of interactions are nearly endless in earthquake situations.” Valcom will also pursue partnerships with transportation and public utility systems.
About Valcom, Inc.
Established in 1977, Valcom, Inc. is a leader in design and manufacture of loudspeaker paging, IP-centric mass notification systems and visual messaging. We provide leading-edge technology, hardware and software solutions to meet the specific needs of various industries including K12, higher education, hospitals, and airports, commercial and industrial facilities.
About USGS ShakeAlert®
ShakeAlert® is an earthquake early warning system that detects significant earthquakes so quickly that alerts can reach many people before shaking arrives. ShakeAlert® is not earthquake prediction, rather a tool that indicates an earthquake has begun and shaking is imminent.