News
Releases
October 23, 2008 - Bloomfield Hills
Department of Public Safety prevents tragedy
Federal Signal
alerting and notification technology plays key role
University Park, Ill., October 23, 2008 — On the evening
of October 22, 2008, the Bloomfield Hills (Mich.) Department
of Public Safety responded to a missing person complaint.
After exhausting options to locate the missing person, the
Department of Public Safety activated its Federal Signal
SmartMSG critical communication system to reach out to the
community for assistance.
After an argument, a 67-year old woman trekked out into
the cold autumn evening sparsely clothed and shoeless. The
cold weather created hypothermia concerns for first
responders, so the officers quickly searched the area - with
no results. A tracking dog and sheriff’s helicopter
equipped with a thermal imaging camera also failed to find
the missing woman.
Technology averts tragedy
At this point, the City of Bloomfield Hills activated its
Codespear-enabled Federal Signal SmartMSG critical
communication system to reach out to residents for help. The
Federal Signal SmartMSG system can speed web-based alerts to
people and groups over mobile phones, e-mail, computers,
pagers and other communications devices. Within five minutes
after a local citizen received the SmartMSG alert, the
missing woman was found hiding under a bench near her home.Acting Chief Paul Myszenski at the Bloomfield Hills
Department of Public Safety said, “Public safety and
security is our top priority, and instant alerting and
notification technology from Federal Signal enabled our
first responders to quite possibly save a life.”
Alerting and notification systems from Federal Signal
enable secure, reliable and redundant mission-critical
communications for progressive communities, including
Abbeville County, S.C., the City of Bloomfield Hills, Mich.,
and Wayne County, Mich.
The Federal Signal SmartMSG system is part of the Federal
Signal Public Safety Systems industry platform. For details,
visit:
http://federalsignal.com/publicsafety .
About Federal Signal
Federal Signal Corporation (NYSE: FSS) enhances the safety,
security and well-being of communities and workplaces around
the world. Founded in 1901, Federal Signal is a leading
global designer and manufacturer of products and total
solutions that serve municipal, governmental, industrial and
institutional customers. Headquartered in Oak Brook, Ill.,
with manufacturing facilities worldwide, the Company
operates three groups: Safety and Security Systems,
Environmental Solutions and Fire Rescue. For more
information on Federal Signal, visit:
http://www.federalsignal.com.
Media Contact: John Segvich, (708) 587-3486,
jsegvich@federalsignal.com
April 28, 2008 - Building Safety
Where you Live, Work and Play
When you enter a house or building, most likely you’re
not thinking about whether it is properly constructed and
safe. Fortunately, your local safety experts think about
building safety and fire prevention every day. To help raise
awareness of building safety the City of Bloomfield Hills is
celebrating Building Safety Week from May 5 through 11.
Across the nation, communities will promote the use and
understanding of building safety and fire prevention codes
to protect lives and property. The theme is "Building
Safety: Where You Live, Work and Play."
Proclamations observing Building Safety Week were signed
by Governor Jennifer Granholm and Bloomfield Hills Mayor
Patricia Hardy. First observed in 1980, it is sponsored
nationally by the International Code Council, a membership
organization dedicated to building safety and fire
prevention, of which the City of Bloomfield Hills is an
active member. The International Code Council develops the
codes used to construct residential and commercial
buildings, including homes and schools. Most U.S. cities,
counties, and states choose the International Codes—building
safety codes developed by the International Code Council.
"The important work we do is often overlooked until a
catastrophic tragedy occurs," said Larry Rospierski, City
Building Official. "When building safety and fire prevention
experts inspect buildings during and after construction, we
help to ensure that the places where you live, learn, work,
and play are safe."
Building safety and fire prevention codes address all
aspects of construction, such as structural soundness of
buildings, reliability of fire prevention and suppression
systems, plumbing and mechanical systems, and energy
efficiency and sustainability. To ensure buildings are safe
requires the active participation of building safety and
fire prevention officials, architects, builders, engineers,
and others in the construction industry, as well as property
owners.
In conjunction with Building Safety Week, the City of
Bloomfield Hills has developed SPARE (Structural Plans to
Assist in Residential Emergencies). SPARE is an
internet-based system that is designed to improve safety
response time during fire, medical and security emergencies.
It places simplified versions of residential and commercial
buildings on the computer screens in full view of the
dispatcher and first responders on the scene. By seeing the
"critical" areas of a building’s layout highlighted in red,
public safety officers will know its "hot spots" before
entering and reduce their personal injuries as well. While
some communities make available their building plans to
first responders, it is believed that the City is one of the
first to offer this special SPARE version of the floor-plan
layout on line.
"Public safety is our number one concern, and SPARE adds
just another layer of protection for our residents," said
Rospierski, author of the program. "During Building Safety
Week and all year long, building safety and fire prevention
officials are here to help protect you and your community."
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