Honeywell announced a strategic investment in RapidSOS, as well as technology integrations between the two companies that will further modernise and digitise the public safety communications process. RapidSOS is the emergency response data platform used by more than 5,200 emergency communications centers (ECCs) worldwide.
The existing communications infrastructure between buildings, alarm monitoring stations, emergency centers and fire stations often uses legacy, manual technology, which slows response times and affects the accuracy of transmitted information.
Through the strategic investment and technology integrations, the Honeywell Connected Life Safety System (CLSS) will link to the RapidSOS emergency response data platform to provide faster, more accurate communications with emergency centers (i.e., 911 agencies). When combined with Honeywell’s solutions, RapidSOS technology will securely transmit detailed data about the emergency, such as the type of hazard, severity, and location within the impacted building to emergency response centers.
“Time matters in an emergency. If you add up the time that regulations allow for each step in the current emergency communications process, it takes 590 seconds – or nearly 10 minutes – from the time a fire is first detected to when first responders arrive at a building. We’re trying to improve communications processes to cut that time in half,” said Jurgen van Goethem, President of Commercial Fire and Security for Honeywell Building Technologies. “This investment in RapidSOS helps to further our efforts to improve both the quality of information shared and the time it takes for first responders to arrive at an emergency, potentially saving more lives. RapidSOS helps to deliver better information to emergency centers while our recent acquisition of US Digital Designs improves communication from the emergency center to the fire station.”
Honeywell recently acquired US Digital Designs, which delivers alerting and dispatch communications solutions to enhance first responders’ efficacy and enable faster emergency response times. Honeywell’s public safety communications portfolio also includes Fiplex bi-directional amplifiers (BDAs) that provide continuous and critical in-building radio coverage.
“Honeywell provides critical life safety systems that enable facility managers to harness the power of data to deliver enhanced fire safety service,” said Michael Martin, CEO, RapidSOS, “We are excited to work with Honeywell and equip first responders with intelligent, incident-specific connected building data before arriving on-scene to better protect our communities.”
RapidSOS works with public safety agencies to provide an emergency response data platform that integrates across first responder software and operational systems. RapidSOS connects more than 400 million devices to thousands of 911 agencies supporting more than 165 million emergencies annually.
The offerings complement Honeywell’s suite of solutions that help its customers meet their environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals, including improving the safety of building occupants and first responders.
Terms of the investment were not disclosed.
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