Add as a preferred source on Google


Mutualink Gateway Device Links Schools with Emergency Responders

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 04/08/14

A company that has come up with a black box solution for enabling emergency responders to share their digital communications wants to break into the K-12 market. Mutualink is introducing Mutualink K12, a gateway device that links radio, video, telephone and public address/intercom systems. The police or other agency can use the technology to see and hear what the people on site are seeing and hearing through voice, video, data and text modes.

The system allows a school to communicate with public safety agencies and share information in the face of an emergency. It includes a "panic button" feature, akin to what's used by banks, to open communications with first responders and automatically turn on radio and video channels. The same functionality is available in app form, allowing staff and teachers to access the panic button on their smartphones.

"The ability to instantly and securely share multimedia information in an emergency situation — including live video feeds, school building blueprints and police and fire radio to school radio and public address audio — is a potentially life-saving asset to first responders and the students and teachers they are protecting," said Patrick Fiel, Sr., a former executive director of security for District of Columbia Public Schools. "The fact that Mutualink K12 ensures that all parties maintain control over their resources cuts down on time-wasting red-tape while protecting the privacy of everyone involved."

The technology doesn't require any kind of pre-planned "memo of understanding" between the school and public safety agencies; each agency maintains control over its communication resources.

"Our goal with Mutualink K12 is to provide schools with an affordable, effective means to communicate and share critical information with first responders in the face of an emergency; but equally important, it is a solution to plan and practice response," said Mark Hatten, CEO of the company.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • open laptop with various educational materials like charts, quizzes, and documents emerging from the screen

    Pear Deck Learning Debuts New AI Features

    GoGuardian recently introduced new artificial intelligence features within its Pear Deck Learning curriculum and instruction platform, designed to aid educators throughout their teaching journey — from lesson planning to assessment.

  • Schoolchildren Work on Personal Computers

    Code.org Reinvents Hour of Code as Hour of AI

    Education nonprofit Code.org has partnered with CSforALL to launch the Hour of AI, a global initiative providing learning activities for AI education.

  • hand holding globe and environmental icons in front of a green background

    CoSN, SETDA, UDT Release Guidelines for Environmentally Responsible Technology Purchasing

    CoSN and SETDA, in partnership with IT and telecommunications solution provider UDT, recently released a set of Sustainability Procurement Guidelines designed to help K-12 school and district leaders, procurement officers, and technology directors make purchasing decisions that are both environmentally responsible and operationally effective.

  • magnifying glass highlighting a human profile silhouette, set over a collage of framed icons including landscapes, charts, and education symbols

    New AI Detector Identifies AI-Generated Multimedia Content

    Amazon Web Services and DeepBrain AI have launched AI Detector, an enterprise-grade solution designed to identify and manage AI-generated content across multiple media types. The collaboration targets organizations in government, finance, media, law, and education sectors that need to validate content authenticity at scale.