We’re delighted to share that Gary Dean, Audiebant’s Founder Director, has won the 2026 Mike Cahalane MASC Award. Gary received the award at the Association of Security Consultants’ Gala Awards Dinner at Hinxton Hall, Cambridge, on 29 October.
An award from the security profession
The Association of Security Consultants (ASC) brings together independent security professionals whose backgrounds span intelligence, policing, the armed forces, engineering, aviation and corporate security. Its members advise private, public and corporate clients on security risks and protective measures.
The Mike Cahalane MASC Award celebrates impactful work from executive, academic and affiliate security professionals. It is named after Mike Cahalane, a founder of the ASC and of the organisation that became the National Security Inspectorate, and a figure who helped shape professional standards in UK security.
To be recognised by this community, the consultants who advise organisations on how to keep people safe, is a significant honour.
From alarm to action
Gary founded Audiebant in Lancashire in 2018 with his son, Josh. It has since grown from a specialist team into a workforce of more than 50, drawing on more than 60 years of combined media and communications experience.
That experience identified a critical gap. Organisations had established systems and procedures for fire emergencies, but often lacked an equally effective way to communicate quickly, clearly and appropriately during any other incident. Audiebant was created to close that gap, with a zoned, multi-channel lockdown and mass communication system designed to make sure people are informed, directed and protected when it matters most.
Built on research
The system began with a college’s challenge: how could an estate be zoned so that different messages could be sent to different areas at the same time? Its design has since been shaped by research, national protective security and counter terrorism policing guidance, and specialist risk expertise.
Input from Professor Dr G. Keith Still, a global leader in crowd safety and risk analysis with more than 35 years’ experience advising governments, emergency services, police forces and event organisers.
Project ASCEND, the National Protective Security Authority’s two-year research and physical simulation programme, which identified three key threat locations (beyond the perimeter, within the grounds and inside the building) and found audio announcements to be the most effective form of communication in the scenarios assessed.
The communication requirements of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, known as Martyn’s Law.
Proven at scale
Audiebant is deployed across thousands of facilities and trusted by organisations including NHS trusts, councils, schools and colleges, and major companies. More than 100,000 emergency messages are sent through the platform each year, and on average more than 7,000 announcements a month are translated into additional languages.
- The Glasgow School of Art treats each building on its city-centre campus as a separate zone, so it can lock down one building while telling people in neighbouring buildings to stay where they are.
- At Katherine Warington School in Harpenden, fire and lockdown no longer share a signal, and staff use the system every day for bells, assemblies and announcements. Headteacher David Martin rates the ongoing support 10 out of 10.
- George Eliot Hospital recorded a 40% reduction in incident reports of verbal and physical abuse within 28 days of installing the system.
- Pulse Fitness in Congleton has continuous coverage, including during unstaffed hours, after the system was fitted in two weeks without the gym having to close.
Professor Keith Still has described Audiebant as the first technology he would recommend in more than 35 years of international projects, and has incorporated it into training programmes for police forces in the UK, Dubai and India.
In Gary’s words
“This is the most prestigious recognition I could have received. The ASC brings together the very best security consultants in the UK, and to be judged by the elite of my profession means a great deal.
“It’s a proud moment for me and for everyone at Audiebant. I share it with a team that has worked incredibly hard to help organisations communicate clearly when people need direction.”
Why clear communication matters
Gary’s experience shapes how Audiebant approaches incident response. In an incident, raising an alarm is only part of the response. People need to understand what has happened, what they should do and where they should go.
Audiebant provides an intelligent software control layer that connects existing public address systems, screens, computers and mobile devices. Authorised staff can send clear, coordinated instructions to specific groups and locations during lockdowns, evacuations and other incidents, to people on site and off site, in multiple languages.
Looking ahead to Martyn’s Law
With the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act bringing new duties for how organisations prepare for and respond to incidents, the ability to communicate quickly and clearly is more important than ever. Schools, colleges and public venues are now reviewing how they would tell people what to do in an emergency.
If you’d like to see how Audiebant works, we offer free, no-obligation demonstrations and site visits.
Thank you
Thank you to the Association of Security Consultants, to everyone we met at ConSeC 26, and to our customers for their continued trust.
