Fike Precise Touch Interface
July 3, 2009 — Imagine you're Jason Bourne. You've just run into a burning building, fighting your way in against the tide of humanity rushing to escape. You've got to reach a certain floor in order to retrieve, oh, let's say a flash drive that can prove your true identity. But you've never been in this building before, and the elevators have automatically shut down. How can you reach where you need to go while avoiding the flames?
Why, you simply make use of this handy-dandy touchscreen device from the fire/pressure/explosion alarm/detection/protection company Fike, that's how. The Precise Touch interface is a graphical display for use in lobbies, front desk areas and elsewhere, and shows building staff, emergency responders and others the location and status of every alarm, among other things, thus helping to determine a fire's origin and determine what they call "event progression." In true tech-thriller fashion, it also lets you zoom in and out of color-coded floor plans and pull up details of current conditions and emergency instructions. (Girl not included — unless you're actually Jason Bourne or Matt Damon.)
The interface additionally lets you view water supplies, evacuation and access routes, and utility shut-offs. Precise Touch is designed for use with Fike's Precise Vision "event-management system" but is likely workable with other software — the company's page on the product isn't too clear on that. One way or another, though, the device is part of a system meant to generate activity reports and to automatically alert personnel via e-mail when alarms are triggered.
Not only that, but when you're not having a fire — which is, we hope, like, always — the Precise Touch can be programed for non-emergency use, such as building/board announcements, rotating advertising, or a digital resident directory. (See at left.) With something as spiffy as this in your command center, you'll be to the manor Bourne.
Fike Corporation • 704 SW 10th Street, Blue Springs, Mo. 64015 • (816) 229-3405 • toll-free (800) YES-FIKE (1-800-937-3453) • fpssales@fike.com