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By Ernie Williams, CEO of Go To Green Commercial buildings have changed dramatically over the past several decades. They’re taller, denser, more connected and increasingly filled with technologies that can control everything from temperature and lighting to access, energy consumption and security. Yet when an emergency occurs, many of those same buildings still rely on surprisingly old models for getting people to safety. A traditional evacuation plan works best when an emergency is predictable. A fire alarm sounds; occupants move toward the nearest available exit, and first responders arrive to address the source of the danger. The problem, of course, is that many modern emergencies aren’t static. Fire and smoke can spread; severe weather can make one side of a property more dangerous than another, and active threats can move through a building. Floodwater can block an exit that was accessible minutes earlier. In a large multifamily, commercial or mixed-use development, thousands of people may need to make decisions at the same time without having the same information. Property owners and operators may need to plan for severe thunderstorms, flash flooding, hurricanes, extreme heat, wildfires, power disruptions and human-generated emergencies. The response required for one event can be entirely different …