DHS Awards MadahCom’s WAVES SAFETY Act Certification
SARASOTA, Fla. – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently issued MadahCom Inc., a division of Cooper Industries, a certification for its WAVES Mass Notification System (MNS) as an “approved product for homeland security” under the Support Anti-terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies Act of 2002 (SAFETY Act).
This Act provides legal liability protection for MadahCom and its customers of WAVES, a “qualified anti-terrorism” technology. Under the SAFETY Act, MadahCom’s WAVES is the only certified and approved product for mass notification.
“The SAFETY Act certification is an important and significant risk mitigation tool for our customers,” said David Scharf, General Manager of MadahCom. “If an act of terrorism occurs, for example on a college campus involving one of our customers who has deployed WAVES, an ‘approved anti-terror product,’ that customer may seek immediate dismissal from all resulting lawsuits.”
The purpose of the SAFETY Act is to ensure that the threat of liability does not deter potential manufacturers and sellers of anti-terrorism technologies from developing and commercializing technologies that could save lives. The Act creates certain liability limitations for “claims arising out of, relating to, or resulting from an act of terrorism” where qualified anti-terrorism technologies have been deployed. The SAFETY Act is effective if the product or service has been approved by the DHS prior to the act of terrorism.
MadahCom, part of Cooper Wheelock’s notification systems business, received the designation for its WAVES (Wireless Audio Visual Emergency System) and its portable TACWAVES (Tactical WAVES) technology. The technology provides mass notification to alert, warn and inform people of actions to take in the event of a terrorist attack.
MadahCom’s approved WAVES technology includes command and control emergency notification systems, which broadcast live and recorded voice messages, safety sirens and visual alerts (strobes and digital display signs) via secure wireless networks. It uses zones and sub zones, both indoor and outdoor, to send the right message to the right person without causing panic or disturbing individuals who are unaffected by the threat. The technology uses Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS), which allows operation in a jamming environment and prevents eavesdropping and spoofing. As a premier supplier of MNS to the Department of Defense, MadahCom’s WAVES technology also includes the capability to connect with and sense alarm indicators from Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) and other detection systems.
Eight different DHS grants can be utilized to acquire MadahCom’s WAVES. WAVES falls under the DHS Office of Domestic Preparedness’ (ODP) Authorized Equipment List (AEL) Category 13 Terrorism Incident Prevention Equipment, Subcategory Information Technology, 13IT-00-ALRT – System, Alert/Notification. For additional information, visit www.rkb.mipt.org.
In addition to DHS’ SAFETY Act designation, MadahCom’s WAVES is compliant with the Department of Defense’s Unified Facilities Criteria (UFC), Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and Americans with Disabilities (ADA) standards and codes. It can also communicate with Common Alerting Protocol (CAP).
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MadahCom, Cooper Industries press release
About Cooper Industries: Cooper Industries Ltd., a global manufacturer with 2006 revenues of $5.2 billion, approximately 85 percent of which are from electrical products. Cooper employs approximately 31,000 people and operates eight divisions: Cooper B-Line, Cooper Bussmann, Cooper Crouse-Hinds, Cooper Lighting, Cooper Menvier, Cooper Power Systems, Cooper Wiring Devices and Cooper Tools Group. Cooper Connection provides a common marketing and selling platform for Cooper’s sales to electrical distributors. For more information, visit www.cooperindustries.com, www.cooperwheelock.com, and www.madah.com.
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