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Product Release: Metis Secure MS-6100 Emergency Help Station
Non-Metallic Enclosure Modifications
Contribute To A New Outdoor Emergency Device
With Added Functionality and Increased Reliability
Dave Hochendoner
Chief Technical Officer
Metis Secure Solutions
For more than a decade, Metis Secure engineers have studied then mastered a variety of technologies and methods of providing emergency warnings. Our track record includes building and supporting more than 200,000First Alert-branded National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather radios in the field. We have also built private warning systems for nuclear power plants and cutting edge systems for higher education.
Our company recently introduced a new product line: the MS-6100 Emergency Help Station.
This new, innovative alerting device is housed in a weatherproof, vandal-resistant exterior box that expands the application of our emergency notification system to locations such as outdoor parks, bus, train and subway stations, parking garages, parks and courtyards.
Compared to many other help stations on the market, the MS-6100 has a number of unique features including hands-free live voice communication with police in seconds. In addition, the system instantly provides the exact location of the incident, records the conversation and logs it for future reference. The MS-6100 is equipped with a heater to maintain operation in cold weather. The MS-6100 can also push out messages to people in outside situations warning about weather and other emergencies.
The Emergency Help Station features include:
Endpoint of a comprehensive IP-based emergency notification system
Integrates with, IP video cameras, cell phone/text messaging, outdoor speakers, etc.
Triple-redundant communication technologies (Wireless Mesh, FM-RBDS, and Ethernet)
Delivers targeted messages with voice and text display, siren and flashing lights in seconds
Records and stores Request for Help date, time and content electronically
Complete ADA compliance for the vision, hearing and physically impaired
Can optionally deliver Request for Help messages to. first responders via SMS
Displays accurate time and date in normal mode
Molded UV-rated bright safety yellow enclosure
Extreme weather resilience -20° F to 110°F NEMA, UL/cUL 50/508, CSA Std. C22.2 type ratings of 1, 3, 3s, 12, 13, 4X
The Product’s Enclosure: A Critical Component For System Functionality
In addition to enabling the transmission of wireless signals, the enclosure housing the MS-6100 Emergency Help Station must be able to handle the demands of an outdoor environment and must be highly visible. Those criteria are critical.
Before we began to explore our enclosure options, we felt that fiberglass would be a prime choice of materials Why? First, fiberglass allows the transmission of wireless signals. Typically an exposed a metal enclosure would require an external antenna to ensure signals could be sent and received. The company’s systems are placed in extreme urban environments. We anticipated that damage to antennas would compromise the functionality of the device, could pose a safety risk and create an ongoing maintenance and service issue.
Our investigation of non-metallic enclosure sources was initially conducted online with support from Maria Lamorey, market development manager and consisted of challenging questions such as:
Can you mold the enclosure with a bold yellow color?
Can you modify the enclosure to ensure easy of installation of components, including an emergency light and heating element?
Will the enclosure remain watertight over time?
Is the enclosure tough enough to resist vandalism and survive exposure to UV-radiation?
Ultimately we selected a DiamondShield® non-metallic fiberglass enclosure manufactured by Stahlin Non-Metallic Enclosures.
Why Stahlin's Non-Metallic DS (DiamondShield®) Series Meets Our Needs:
The Stahlin Diamondshield® Series was developed for design, flexibility, and pleasing aesthetics. Applications include high-end electronics, harsh corrosive environments, and industrial applications both indoors and out. Unique internal panel management capabilities provides the end user with only the features they need for their application, yet able to use every cubic inch of valuable internal enclosure space. The series offers an additional feature of panel mounting in the cover for use as an operator interface in industrial equipment control stations when required.
During our testing phase we discovered one reason for the success of DiamondShield® enclosures in outdoor environments: the product line is molded from the most unique compounding formula available: SolarGuard® --- a patented, non-halogenated fiberglass system that outperforms all other available SMC formulations by as much as 60% in its ability in fighting UV damage to retain gloss and color. SolarGuard® meets a NFPA No. 101 Class A flame spread index. Fire retardancy meets UL 94 5V standards.
Stahlin's DiamondShield® continues to meet all of our criteria. Stahlin was able to mold the MS-6100 with a bright safety yellow color. The enclosures proved to be rugged enough to resist vandalism. They accommodate and protect all of our controls. We recently installed the MS-6100 Emergency Help Station at a university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania outdoor park area and accomplished everything we set out to do with the new product line: making the individuals in the area safer by providing them with a connection to police in seconds not minutes.
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