AST June 2018 Magazine Volume 24 | Page 4

Volume 24 AmpliVox S312 Sound Cruiser June 2018 Edition Must-Have Sound Equipment for Outdoor Emergencies When public safety is on the line, it is vital that authorities, security staff, and other first responders have the ability to clearly communicate with large groups of people in a moment’s notice. By Don Roth In emergency situations, large out- door spaces are both vitally import- ant and especially challenging. Evacuations bring large, panicked crowds into open areas where lack of direction can quickly turn into chaos. Conventional wired PA systems may not serve the immediate needs of response teams: power can be cut off, or the cen- tral broadcast station can be inaccessible. Fortunately, portable sound systems over- come these obstacles to provide compre- hensive coverage for even large spaces. Advance planning allows businesses, schools, government facilities, and public venues to have versatile equipment on hand and ready to go for crisis response. Emergency plans should take into account the following response strategies: • • • • Mobile Sound Wide-Coverage Sound Remote-Access Sound Handheld Sound 2