Emergency Alert System equipment manufacturer and integrator Global Security Systems LLC says Canadian nuclear facility Bruce Power will expand its use of the Alert FM system to origination of alerts from the National Alert Aggregation and Dissemination System. The project was completed in partnership with Trispec Communications.
NAAD is a Common Alert Protocol-based system and a component of the Canadian National Public Alerting System, similar to the United States’ Integrated Public Alert and Warning System, which also uses Alert FM. The cross-border compatibility ensures that alerts can be received in both the United States and Canada in the event of an emergency.
“Based on our success in the U.S., it only made sense to expand Alert Studio so that it was compatible with Canada’s NAAD system,” said GSS Executive Vice President Matthew Straeb in a release, which also noted that 25% of the company’s U.S. customers use Alert Studio for IPAWS origination.
Bruce Power provides over 30% of Ontario’s electricity. It also employs over 4000 workers and has its own fire department, emergency response team, security, medical staff and works department. In 2014, the facility initially deployed the Alert FM system, supplying the local municipality with over 3000 Alert FM receivers for households surrounding the nuclear plant.
“Alert FM provides a seamless method for the public and our employees to receive quick, reliable information in the event of a natural or man-made disaster,” said Bruce Power Vice President of Nuclear Oversight and Regulatory Affairs Frank Saunders in the release. “The use of Alert FM with connectivity to the NAAD is a great addition to our emergency notification capabilities.”
