The Lighting Controls Academy’s Craig DiLouie recently had the opportunity to interview Eric Fournier, Sr. Vice President of Business Development, Avi-on Labs about the company’s new Emergency Lockdown Mode, an advanced lighting control and safety solution.
DiLouie: Please describe your new product.
Fournier: Our new Emergency Lockdown Mode is an advanced safety and lighting control solution designed to help facilities respond quickly and effectively in critical situations. With a single command—triggered by a button, BACnet integration, or API—an entire building’s lighting system can enter lockdown: lights can be turned off or dimmed to a specific level, motion sensors and wall stations are disabled, and the system immediately transitions into a secure state.
What makes it truly powerful is its ability to use our existing lighting motion sensors to visualize real-time activity throughout the facility. Authorized personnel and first responders can view this data on a secure, web-based floor plan from any location, giving them immediate situational awareness to make faster and safer decisions.
DiLouie: What problems does this new product solve for lighting controls practitioners?
Fournier: Emergency Lockdown Mode addresses a growing demand for integrated safety and security within lighting systems. Traditional lighting controls weren’t designed to respond to emergencies like active shooter situations, and adding separate safety systems often requires costly new infrastructure.
Our solution turns the existing smart lighting network into a multi-functional safety platform—no extra wiring, gateways, or devices required. It helps schools, hospitals, and businesses comply with Alyssa’s Law and the ALICE Protocol, providing instant lockdown capabilities, motion-based occupancy visualization, and seamless integration with emergency notification systems. In short, it brings lighting directly into the emergency response process which is different than the emergency lighting UL924 standard.
DiLouie: What otherwise makes this a standout product among this year’s offerings by the lighting control industry?
Fournier: This product stands out because it’s the first of its kind to combine smart lighting control with real-time emergency management. It’s built on Avi-on’s secure Bluetooth® Lighting Control platform, which holds UL’s highest security certification (UL 1376 Diamond Level)—a distinction no other lighting system has achieved.
Emergency Lockdown Mode redefines what lighting controls can do: it transforms an everyday building system into a life-saving tool. The fact that it’s built on the existing Avi-on architecture means customers can activate this functionality without major new investments or complex retrofits.
DiLouie: What applications does this product serve?
Fournier: Emergency Lockdown Mode is ideal for environments where occupant safety is critical. That includes:
• Schools and universities, to meet Alyssa’s Law requirements and enhance student protection.
• Healthcare facilities, where secure yet accessible control is vital during emergencies.
• Office buildings and industrial sites, where rapid response and coordination improve safety.
• Public venues and recreational facilities, to support mass-notification and evacuation procedures.
Essentially, it’s applicable to any space that values rapid emergency coordination and secure control integration.
DiLouie: How does this product fit in your company’s overall control offering?
Fournier: Emergency Lockdown Mode is a natural extension of Avi-on’s mission to make lighting controls simple, scalable, and powerful integrating energy and non-energy benefits. Our platform has always emphasized flexibility and security, and this feature demonstrates just how versatile the Avi-on ecosystem can be.
It uses the same hardware and software foundation as our standard controls, meaning customers can add lockdown functionality without altering their infrastructure. It’s part of our broader effort to integrate lighting with building-wide safety, comfort, and intelligence.
DiLouie: What is your company’s philosophy regarding new product development?
Fournier: At Avi-on, we believe in innovation through practicality. Our approach starts with listening closely to our customers—contractors, facility managers, and endusers—and then solving their real-world challenges through elegant, software-driven solutions.
We focus on products that deliver tangible value without unnecessary complexity. Every new feature must make systems easier to install, manage, and maintain, while keeping security and reliability at the forefront. Emergency Lockdown Mode reflects that philosophy perfectly—it’s powerful, yet intuitive and immediately useful.
DiLouie: How is the product installed?
Fournier: Installation is straightforward because it leverages the existing Avi-on lighting control infrastructure. No new wiring, hubs, or special devices are required. Once the system is updated to include Emergency Lockdown Mode, authorized personnel can configure trigger points—such as wall buttons, BACnet inputs, or API calls—to initiate lockdown.
DiLouie: How is it configured and used?
Fournier: Configuration is done through Avi-on’s secure web-based interface. Administrators define the behavior for lockdown and cancel modes, determine lighting levels by area, and link the system to external emergency networks or notification services.
During an event, the system can be triggered locally or remotely. Lights adjust instantly, sensors switch to visualization mode, and real-time movement data appears on the secure dashboard for authorized personnel. Afterward, all events are logged automatically for training or review purposes.
DiLouie: What support services does your company offer for this new product?
Fournier: We provide full support from design through implementation. That includes:
• Technical documentation and training for specifiers and installers.
• Integration support for connecting Lockdown Mode with panic buttons or third-party alert systems.
• Ongoing software updates and cloud-based system monitoring.
In addition and after project closeout, we Avi-on can offer comprehensive Service Plans for customer’s peace of mind, system personalization and long term support to ensure performance optimization in real-world conditions.
DiLouie: Is there anything else you’d like to add about what makes this new product an ideal choice for lighting controls practitioners?
Fournier: Emergency Lockdown Mode represents the future of connected building systems—it’s not just about light control, but life safety and situational awareness. By uniting lighting with emergency response, Avi-on empowers facilities to act faster, smarter, and more confidently during critical moments.
It’s also a testament to what’s possible when innovation and purpose align. We’re proud to offer a solution that helps make schools, workplaces, and communities safer, all while using the same reliable, easy-to-use technology our customers already trust.
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