Alarm systems that monitor for dangerous conditions such as smoke, fire, water, or other property or life threatening conditions are commonplace in finished buildings and other venues. These systems help promote safety by alerting occupants of dangerous conditions so that they can evacuate. Venues that are under construction, however, do not have such systems in place. Accordingly, it can be difficult to quickly notify those working on the venue of dangerous conditions.
Although alarm systems may notify occupants of dangerous conditions, they do not attempt to direct the occupants away from the dangerous conditions. Instead, occupants may rely on fixed evacuation routes described in emergency plans or on exit signs. These routes are typically designed to be the shortest routes out of the building. Depending on the conditions, a shortest route, however, might not be the safest way to exit a building. In some cases, following a fixed route or exit sign may actually lead one into the dangerous conditions.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds