Foundation of Shalom Park Deploys AtHoc Networked Crisis Communication

Shalom Park Uses AtHoc Connect to Build its Secure Crisis Communication Network that Protects People and Enables Communication and Coordination with Federal, State, and Local Agencies

AtHoc has announced that Foundation of Shalom Park, one of the largest Community Campuses in the United States, has selected AtHoc’s Networked Crisis Communication system to protect more than 10 distinct organizations.

The 54-acre campus includes two Synagogues, a Community Center, Library, the headquarters of the Jewish Federation of Charlotte, and five separate schools, ranging from Pre-School to High School.

Located in Charlotte, North Carolina, the Foundation of Shalom Park is a non-profit agency that owns and manages the properties and facilities for most of the organizations that are located on the central campus of Shalom Park, which includes: Temple Israel, Temple Beth El, the Levine Jewish Community Center, Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte, Jewish Family Services, Temple Israel Religious School, Temple Beth El Religious School, Consolidated High School of Jewish Studies, Charlotte Jewish Preschool, Charlotte Jewish Day School, Levine-Sklut Judaic Library & Resource Center, and the Charlotte Jewish News.

Shalom Park is a unique resource for the region, serving both the local Jewish community as well as the entire Charlotte metro area with an array of educational, religious, recreational, entertainment, cultural, and community service offerings.

With no equivalent concept found anywhere in the nation, the Foundation stands as a unique example of community-based service and cooperation. Likewise, protecting 10 distinctive, co-located agencies functioning in an open-campus environment required the development of a highly innovative security model. Rapid communication through a variety of channels and coordination between both campus organizations and first responders is at the core of their approach.

With AtHoc in place, Shalom Park will immediately offer expanded protection to their members and guests. AtHoc supports their legacy investments (a public address system and digital signage), as well as enabling newer and more personal alerting channels including email, SMS messaging, phone and smartphone apps.

In addition to this enhanced alerting capability, Shalom Park will use AtHoc Connect as a platform for creating their own crisis communication network that will enable real-time interoperable communication among and between staff, guests, and outside first-responder agencies.

“The most important requirement for us in developing our Emergency Response plan was ensuring that we effectively communicate with our partner agencies in real time if a violent act or active shooter situation occurs on our campus,” said Corey Riddley, Safety and Security Director, Foundation of Shalom Park.

“Our response plans depend heavily on coordination and communication with DHS, FBI, Charlotte Police, Fire and other first responders. Only AtHoc gave us a way to enable these agencies to participate in these important alerting scenarios.”

Jim Hoppe, Vice President of Commercial and SLED Sales for AtHoc said:

“Foundation of Shalom Park sets the highest standards in the nation for safety and security of their community,” “They are deeply familiar with the threats they face and the systems available to address them. We are honored they chose AtHoc.”