Deaf Message Service at the University of Sussex

31 Mar 2017

The University of Sussex needed to update its fire alarm alert system for deaf and hard of hearing students. Deaf Message Service was installed and is a convenient way for users to receive emergency alerts on their individual mobile phones.

Nestled into the rolling hills of the South Downs, surrounded by the boundaries of the National Park, the Falmer Campus of the University of Sussex cuts an impressive figure. With 15,000 students a year, it is one of the top 20 universities in the UK.Architect Sir Basil Spence drew inspiration from the surrounding countryside and many of the buildings have listed status. The campus has undergone much redevelopment over the last 20 years, including recent major refurbishment of the iconic Attenborough Centre for Creative Arts.

The University undertook a review of fire protection measures to support Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) for people with disabilities, including methods of notifying the deaf or hearing impaired when a fire alarm was activated. The existing pager system had been in use for a number of years but, as with most systems of this type, there were issues with handsets going missing and needing to be replaced.It became clear to the University that the time had come to look at a new alarm notification system for its hearing impaired students, staff and visitors. The University of Sussex had previously worked with Fireco and were keen to see what it could do.

Fireco completed an installation of the Deaf Message Service (DMS) in the academic and social buildings across the campus. When a fire alarm is activated, DMS notifies users via a text message on their mobile phone.