Today’s tumultuous world seems full of emergencies – fires, floods, tornadoes, chemical spills, active shooters, bomb threats, and more. Businesses and institutions like schools, hospitals, municipal buildings, corporate campuses, manufacturing plants, hotels, resorts, and casinos must be prepared to evacuate their facilities quickly and safely at a moment’s notice.
Unfortunately, most places have not modernized their evacuation procedures and are still conducting them the same way they were done in the 1950s. As an elementary school fire drill, everyone must report to a station outside, where a designated person checks names off a list. This old-fashioned, manual process is prone to human error and can have devastating consequences.
Fortunately, DeCurtis has developed an innovative solution, Mobile Assembly Suite (MAS), which utilizes cutting-edge technology to improve the emergency evacuation process and ensure everyone is accounted for during an emergency.
Our History: Setting the Standard for the Cruise Industry
Anyone who has vacationed by taking a cruise has participated in a muster drill (also known as a lifeboat drill). Upon leaving port, all guests are directed by the ship’s loudspeakers and alarms to assemble at their designated muster stations to receive safety information and to prepare them in case of an emergency. Traditionally, crew members tracked guests participating in this drill using an outdated clipboard, paper and pencil models.
In an innovative breakthrough, DeCurtis created MAS for a new cruise line to automate and improve the muster drill process. Recognizing MAS as a revolution in safety for the entire industry, they have allowed demonstrations to competitor cruise lines to be performed onboard their ships. Today, MAS is the industry standard, used on ships across many top brands such as Carnival Cruise Line, Virgin Voyages, Crystal Cruises, and Norwegian Cruise Line.
Now, DeCurtis is applying their innovative MAS solution to indoor environments on land, to improve the emergency evacuation process by increasing the visibility, efficiency, and accountability of the evacuation process in any facility.
How Mobile Assembly Suite Works
MAS is an interactive, tablet-based system that can operate both on and offline during an emergency. Designated employees take their tablets with them to their assigned stations when evacuation is ordered. There, employees and guests can check-in and are recorded as safe using NFC technology or barcode scan – essentially, they just tap their employee ID card or hotel room key on the tablet – or Bluetooth proximity services will pick them up if they have a wearable device. The tablet operator can also search the system by name to check in someone if they have forgotten their ID.
The manifest of all people in a facility is loaded into the device, and because it works with real-time data, the system can identify which employees are in the building at the time of the evacuation, as well as those who are off-premises. This simple capability can prevent emergency responders from wasting time searching for people who had the day off or were out to lunch when the evacuation occurred.
Additionally, a command station monitors and controls the entire facility during the process, providing detailed views of each evacuation station, displaying floorplans of the buildings or facility, and most importantly, keeping track of any missing persons. Further, when a system is integrated with DeCurtis’ Location tracking services, missing persons can be identified and located with pinpoint accuracy, so responders can immediately find and help anyone unaccounted for.
If you are concerned about the safety and security of your employees and guests and are looking to mitigate risks for your company or institution, strongly consider implementing MAS. Evacuation procedures can save lives and ensure aid to those in need. To learn more, visit our website or contact us today!