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Safehub sensors have been measuring earthquakes since 2016. Customers have been using the technology since 2019.

Safehub has installed sensors in buildings in the United States (including California, Alaska, Oregon, Utah, New York, and Tennessee), Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico, Japan, The Philippines, and Italy.

Yes, the Platform allows users to simulate historic and hypothetical earthquakes that can be used for scenario planning and staff training purposes.

The sensor records 1) ground and building response to earthquakes, and 2) the natural vibration frequencies of the structure on a continual basis. When an earthquake occurs, the ground and building response is compared to vulnerability information for that structure to predict damage. Further, the natural frequencies can be compared before and after the event; changes in frequency provide more information about potential damage.

In general, for one- and two-story buildings, one device should be installed at the lowest point of the building that has sufficient cellular service. For buildings with three stories and above, Safehub recommends installing two or more devices. In buildings over three stories, at a minimum, one device should be installed at the lowest point of the building that has sufficient cellular service and one should be placed on the highest floor possible.

Safehub recommends using the following guidelines when placing the device.

• The preferred location for each device is on an exterior wall or structural element (e.g. weight bearing column).
• Place each device next to a power outlet, preferably an outlet that is NOT controlled by a switch. Once the location is selected, determine the cellular signal strength of the selected location.
• It is recommended that, if possible, the device be plugged into an outlet connected to emergency power (red colored outlet).
• Multiple devices should be lined up to the extent possible, meaning that they are installed at similar locations on each floor.
• It is required that the device is installed in the vertical position.

• Inform the decision on whether or not to
  • escalate the event within a given organizational structure.
  • evacuate a building or shelter in place.
  • continue operations.
• Prioritize building damage assessments.
• Provide information to and coordinate with structural engineers and local authorities.
• Provide timely information to senior management.
• Inform risk management about potential financial losses.
• Coordinate with insurance brokers and markets regarding potential losses and first notice of loss (FNOL).
• Record in a single location observational data (photographs, notes, etc. ) gathered by onsite inspectors.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING INTENSITY AND DAMAGE ESTIMATES: Our sensor-based technology estimates the structural damage within a building caused by an earthquake or other significant ground shaking event. If the building is not sensored, our technology estimates the ground shaking intensity in the vicinity of a building based on data provided by the United States Geological Survey. Our technology does not provide any information regarding the safety of a building. It does not assess structural integrity of the building at any particular point in time; it only estimates changes in structural integrity. It does not indicate whether the ground shaking event created any non-structural safety hazards in or around your building (e.g., falling facades, broken windows, etc.). General assessments of structural damage (and the associated color codes) and ground shaking intensity estimates provided by our technology are inherently imprecise. Our color codes are informational only and should not be construed as professional advice. Please consult a qualified structural engineer in making any determinations regarding the impact of an earthquake on the structural integrity or safety of your building. We are not responsible for any decisions you make regarding your building or any advice provided to you by a structural engineer or any other third party.

The Safehub Platform produces several types of information that can be used by structural engineers:

• Estimates of ground shaking from installed sensors.
• Estimates of building damage based on each building’s vulnerability function.
• Estimates of floor acceleration and transient drift in the upper stories of buildings if sensors are placed above the base.
• An estimate of the changes in natural frequencies of the building (if available) that may indicate structural damage.
• A response spectra generated for the site.
• Acceleration, velocity and displacement time histories in three orthogonal directions over the duration of shaking.
• For prioritization of damage assessments.

The Platform allow also allows engineers performing inspections to upload photographs, notes and other information they gather.

No. The sensor is simply attached using the provided screws or epoxy to a sturdy wall. More information is available in the installation manual.

Sensor installation is very simple, and usually takes 1 – 2 minutes. Customers can self-install sensors, attaching them to sturdy walls with provided screws or epoxy, and plugging them in. Cellular connectivity is automatic. That’s it!

Yes. Each device has a rechargeable back-up battery that typically lasts up to 5 days following loss of AC power.

Installing the sensor low is a preference because it helps reduce the chance of it registering false readings from other types of non-earthquake vibrations in the building, such as a train or truck passing by or impact by a piece of equipment. However, Safehub’s technology can filter out and extract pertinent data, even where sensors are installed at greater heights.

Safehub devices do not require regular physical inspection. Safehub monitors the devices remotely or potential issues and will notify you if there is an issue that requires troubleshooting.

The Safehub sensors send a health status report daily and are monitored by our team for any connectivity issues with the Safehub Platform. If the sensor is malfunctioning or it is having issues connecting to the Safehub Platform then our team will reach out to you for the next steps to resolve the issue.

Safehub deploys regular firmware updates and performs checks on individual devices to ensure they update properly.

Safehub uses an MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator), which enables our system to automatically switch networks to provide the most reliable coverage to a specific location. Our MVNO does not support Verizon.

No, it is a completely independent system.

The Safehub system is cellular based; the device does not connect to any customer networks. Safehub utilizes cloud technology and uses bidirectional encryption.

Our cellular service does not have priority over general cellular traffic.

The sensors have local data storage with 30 days worth of capacity. If cellular connection is lost, data is stored on the device until a connection is established. The sensors have a back-up rechargeable battery that provides power for approximately 5 days. Sensor data will be transmitted once cellular is established.

Safehub uses national and global consensus-based structural engineering methodologies to generate structural damage estimates for buildings.

Each customer has the ability to select its own Admin and Guest users. Admin and Guest users have the ability to log in to a web-based Dashboard to view earthquake, sensor, and building data, and will also receive email and/or text notifications for earthquakes according to their preferences.

Safehub representatives will securely access customer data as part of the service.

Otherwise, no one has access to the data unless it has been approved and authorized by the Customer in conjunction with Safehub.

As part of onboarding, customers are provided with a designated Safehub point-of-contact who will provide authorized users with the training required to navigate the Safehub Platform, including how to understand the Dashboard and notifications. Video call-based training can be arranged as needed. In addition, self-service resources will become available on the Safehub website.

In some cases, it may be necessary to remove the sensor from the mounting bracket to troubleshoot and/or move it to a new location.

To disconnect the sensor from the mounting bracket:

1. Disconnect the power adapter from the device

Hold the device from the bottom and push upward until it dislodges from the mounting bracket.

If the installation procedure is followed and the location of the device had good cellular reception and the LED was initially green, then a red cellular connection LED could mean that the cellular network is down.

To test if this is the case, wait for the battery LED to turn green signaling a fully charged battery, then disconnect the power adapter from the device and remove the device from the mounting bracket using the disconnect procedure above. The device should remain powered-on and will run off the battery. Then go to another location in the building to see if the LED changes to green after approximately 10 minutes.

Alternatively, test the cell connection at the location using your cell phone. Note that Verizon Wireless is not among the networks supported by Safehub’s MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator).

If the battery LED (center LED on the front of the device) is yellow or red, this means that the rechargeable battery is either low on battery (yellow), or out of battery (red). Verify that the right-most power LED is white to ensure there is power to the device.

It is possible that the power outlet is controlled by a switch and that the switch has been turned OFF, causing the Safehub device to operate on battery power. If this is the case, restore power to the outlet by turning on the switch. The battery should charge, and the light will eventually become green.

If you think the battery has malfunctioned, contact Safehub for assistance.

The power LED is the right-most LED on the front of the device. This LED will either be white in color, or off depending on whether the device is plugged into a wall outlet.

If the power LED was originally white but is now off, make sure that the outlet is not controlled by a switch that has been turned off. If this occurs, the device will run off the battery and the battery LED will change colors as it gets low on charge. Restore power to the outlet. The right-most LED should turn white.

Note that the device will beep for about 3 seconds for warning if it is disconnected from the power supply.