How Christopher Columbus High School Prioritizes Safety Through Technology Implementation
Christopher Columbus High School, founded in 1958, spans 24 acres and includes four major buildings, necessitating an efficient and effective communication system for routine and emergency situations. The school is particularly proud of its STEM initiatives, which includes an on-campus broadcast studio. Given its technological requirements, the school relies on AtlasIED and its IPX Series of IP Endpoints with InformaCast® Mass Notification Software from Singlewire® for campus-wide alerts.
The solution was installed by United Data Technologies (UDT), a long-time partner of the school, and is utilized throughout the day for various communication needs. Apart from the daily bell schedules, meditations, announcements, intercom, and prayers, AtlasIED’s IPX Series also incorporates campus safety measures using Singlewire Informacast integration.
InformaCast by Singlewire is a mass notification software that allows institutions of all sizes to reach people on their mobile and on-campus devices. In emergencies, InformaCast, coupled with the IPX Series, rapidly disseminates attention-grabbing audio and written messages to faculty, students, parents, and alerts law enforcement.
InformaCast software has been seamlessly integrated into the 120 different AtlasIED IPX speakers and visual displays installed throughout the school’s classrooms. Moreover, the school employs 20 IP horns to ensure broad and intelligible audio coverage across campus common areas, parking garages, and lots. Consequently, the IPX Series delivers clear and comprehensive notifications throughout the entire campus.
The IPX Series endpoints feature power over ethernet (PoE+) capabilities, making them easy to install and scalable for future expansions. They all include an onboard Class D amplifier and a PFMS port to power additional system speakers. The endpoints can receive local audio sources, output audio to external devices, and send pre-recorded, critical alert messages. The IPX Series also enables two-way paging and intercom communication among the administration and faculty.
In addition to delivering high-quality audio, the IPX Series ensures ADA compliance with features like scrolling text, flashing and color-changing LED screens that accompany auditory announcements. Apart from emergency notifications, the system is also used for routine functions such as displaying the time and sharing daily messages about school activities.
AtlasIED’s IPX Series, integrated with Singlewire’s Informacast, offers parents peace of mind by ensuring they receive timely and clear notifications about any school emergencies. It also ensures students and faculty receive clear instructions on the required emergency actions, such as lock-down warnings and evacuation routes on classroom displays, among other situational updates.
As the school continues its mission of educating the next generation, it looks forward to leveraging AtlasIED’s cutting-edge technology to enhance communication and safety on campus, benefiting not only the students and faculty but parents as well.
