Using CommandScope electronic pre-plan software by RealView, Chicago’s Loyola University became the first U.S. university with a fully electronic plan to lessen property damage and prevent loss of lives from campus fires.
With CommandScope, the electronic information is available on computers in Loyola’s security offices and on touch screen monitors throughout the campus. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) estimates that each year there are approximately 3,300 fires on U.S. college campuses.
“Loyola University wanted to be more proactive for the safety of our more than 15,000 students and staff,” said Father Michael Garanzini, Loyola’s president. “With CommandScope, we pre-planned each of Loyola’s buildings so that firefighters and other emergency personnel will be able to immediately access vital information to reach an emergency anywhere on campus and respond effectively.”
Each Loyola building listed in CommandScope contains a campus location map, photographs, floor plans, utility shutoff locations, fire hydrant locations, structural information, number of occupants, lists of disabled persons, and cautionary notes about possible hazards, such as chemistry labs.
“This kind of program is crucial for all universities,” said Kimberly Nardi, account executive at RealView. “Campus buildings sometimes don’t have actual street addresses, and even after the fire department finds the correct building, they don’t immediately have information about the type of building, access points and possible hazards.”
RealView, based in Chicago, provides mobile software solutions for a variety of industries.
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