American Security Today September Digital Magazine September 2016 | Page 7

Volume 7
These capabilities are especially important when
disasters in these locations carry the potential to
impact populated areas.
Data from IoT sensors can deliver accurate advance notice of what is likely to be a fire, earthquake, volcano, or flash flood. An IoT-aware crisis
communication software solution can automatically
issue the appropriate alerts when these criteria are
met.
Another interesting application is within an industrial facility. Consider an oil refinery. This extremely complex infrastructure is impossible to inspect
manually with 100% coverage on a daily basis.
Likewise, it is extremely difficult to ensure that access to the plant or to specific areas within it has
been limited solely to authorized personnel at all
times.
IoT sensors and crisis communication software can
provide the coverage and alerting that is impossible
to achieve solel y with human staff, monitoring conditions that indicate an imminent threat, such as:
• Perimeter intrusion
• Unauthorized presence in dangerous or prohibited sections of the plant
• Unexpected variations in temperature
• Radical spikes or drops in energy usage

September 2016 Edition
• Noises that indicate explosions or structural collapse

IoT sensors feed information to the networked crisis communication solution, triggering an automated response when required. Faster recognition of
the threat helps send staff to investigate intrusions
as they occur, or evacuate staff to safety significantly sooner.
Another powerful application of IoT and crisis communication technologies comes from mobile monitoring and tracking within the transportation industry. On-board sensors can monitor the precise

7