Flood sensors, sirens and station controllers installed to alert against water-based threats

Milwaukee, WI -- (ReleaseWire) -- 12/14/2017 -- American Signal Corporation (ASC) is pleased to announce that it has recently completed a project in Zambia, which includes i-FORCE 3200 solar-powered sirens, flood sensor kits and CSC960 station controllers. The project spans two sites for maximum protection against potential hydrological situations.

ASC's newest project will serve the needs of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), which has worked to improve communication infrastructure in developing countries like Zambia. The chief goal of this new hydrological solution is to enhance preparedness for natural disasters and threats, while also fostering a seamless connection between threat detection systems and a vast range of public communications systems.

"In places like Zambia, there's very little infrastructure in place to alert people to a developing threat and help them protect themselves in that event. This new system of flood sensors, sirens and siren controllers lays the groundwork for a system that saves lives, and one that can continue to be built upon with future expansion and innovation," said Richard Roe, Executive Vice President at American Signal Corporation.

The layered hydrological system installed in Zambia provides comprehensive function that will increase life-saving time in the event of a threat. Flood sensors will measure water levels and surges, relaying this information directly to sirens, which can be configured to auto-activate when readings reach critical levels. Siren controllers also enable manual, on-site activation of sirens to alert affected populations in real-time.

The scope of this project sets the tone for future collaborations with ASC, as the country begins to build out a robust and effective mass communication network on a backbone of ASC products.

For more information about American Signal Corporation, its products or its life-saving solutions, please visit the company's website at https://www.americansignal.com/.

About American Signal Corporation (ASC)
American Signal Corporation (ASC) is a leading designer and manufacturer of mass notification solutions for a wide variety of applications worldwide. The company combines advanced engineering, innovative software and state-of-the-art equipment with an extraordinary record of longevity and expertise in the field, to develop and install compliant, versatile and effective notification systems. We aim to save lives every day.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Compressive system offers centralized detection, monitoring, activating and alerting capabilities

Milwaukee, WI -- (ReleaseWire) -- 05/22/2017 -- American Signal Corporation (ASC) is proud to announce the launch of its new Hydrological Threat Detection System. Operating in tandem with the company's industry-leading CompuLert™ NEXGen command and control platform, this early-warning solution will serve to better prepare communities at risk for flooding, heavy rainfall, landslides and other such threats.

ASC's hydrological solution spans all facets of mass notification, beginning with sensors that detect and monitor water level, depth, flow, precipitation and water quality. Data collected by sensors is fed into NEXGen, where comprehensive oversight enables dynamic mapping and individual device monitoring. Its hierarchical, logical structure allows geographically-separated locations to integrate into a configurable, unified, seamless data presentation.

When the time comes to send alerts for hydrological threats, NEXGen makes it possible to swiftly and thoroughly define and disseminate life-saving messaging. ASC's hydrological solution is compatible with sirens, radio, email, SMS texts, phone voice and message boards. Selecting distribution channels is made simple by NEXGen's user-friendly interface, and auto-alerting can even be programmed for specific channels.

"In areas subject to inclement weather or water-based catastrophes, hydrological threat detection and monitoring are critical. ASC's hydrological solution and NEXGen tie-ins take these life-saving features a step further, connecting them to a wide range of mass notification channels," said Richard Roe, Vice President at American Signal Corporation. "The goal—and often the end result of our technologies—is being able to afford more time for evacuation, emergency response teams and crisis action plans."

In addition to robust detection and monitoring, NOAA National Weather Service Alerts are automatically collected by the Hydrological Threat Detection System to further reduce the workload of emergency personnel. The system is also Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) compliant and IPAWS compatible.

For more information about American Signal Corporation's Hydrological Threat Detection System or to learn more about other NEXGen-enabled mass notification solutions, please visit the company's website at http://www.americansignal.com/.

About American Signal Corporation (ASC)
American Signal Corporation (ASC) is a leading designer and manufacturer of mass notification solutions for a wide variety of applications worldwide. The company combines advanced engineering, innovative software and state-of-the-art equipment with an extraordinary record of longevity and expertise in the field, to develop and install compliant, versatile and effective notification systems. We aim to save lives every day.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

American Signal Corporation products emphasize protection from hacking and malicious intent

Milwaukee, WI -- (ReleaseWire) -- 04/11/2017 -- In the wake of a municipal emergency siren system hacking incident in Dallas, Texas, American Signal Corporation (ASC) is reminding the mass notification industry of the critical importance of cyber security. The hacking took place on Friday, April 8, affecting emergency alerting capabilities and inconveniencing millions of residents within the city.

The 156 sirens targeted—located throughout the city—are responsible for alerting citizens in Dallas of impending inclement weather. False alarms were triggered at regular intervals beginning at 11:42pm Friday evening and ending at 1:17am Saturday morning, when city officials were forced to deactivate the entire system. 911 and other emergency dispatch services were not affected.

The attack showcases a growing concern for emergency alert system designers and operators. Security vulnerabilities in public broadcast and alerting systems create the potential for false alarms, unmonitored downtime and a general loss of reliability, affecting the entirety of the populations they reach.

"A push for more robust and reliable security measures within mass notification systems is made real by the malicious attack in Dallas," said Richard Roe, President of American Signal Corporation. "The potential for collateral damage resulting from emergency systems hacking is a grave concern at the forefront of this industry."

ASC's own control system, CompuLert™ NEXGen, is designed specifically with cyber security in mind, providing protection from external hacking at numerous layers of operation. Sensitive data for the application is also secured to protect against inappropriate user input. All access to administration features is password protected and requires admin authentication, and all passwords are encrypted to further protect from malicious access.

The NEXGen network uses secure SSL connections to prevent snooping or Man-In-The-Middle attacks. Messages exchanged between the server and clients are also encrypted at application level using the symmetric Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). NEXGen protocol messages are even capable of being encrypted with a customer-specific key.

"Where cloud computation is becoming a real concern for intrusion into closed systems, NEXGen is capable of working with entirely isolated network resources, with no dependence on cloud resources or internet access, aside from an optional NOAA feed," said Roe. "There's a distinct emphasis on top-down security that's imbued into the framework of our entire system. We recognize the security needs of emergency alert systems and are leading by example when it comes to addressing them."

For more information about American Signal Corporation or its CompuLert™ NEXGen system, please visit the company's website at http://www.americansignal.com/.

About American Signal Corporation
American Signal Corporation (ASC) is a leading designer and manufacturer of mass notification solutions for a wide variety of applications worldwide. The company combines advanced engineering, innovative software and state-of-the-art equipment with an extraordinary record of longevity and expertise in the field, to develop and install compliant, versatile and effective notification systems. We aim to save lives every day.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm