Security Sales & Integration July 2022 - 22

SMARTS & PARTS
Tech Talk by Bob Dolph
Active Shooter
Upgrades
TOOL OF THE MONTH
Probably one of the most
versatile sensors available is
the HALO from IPVideo Corp.
This device can detect gunshot,
voice help, aggression,
health conditions and vaping,
just to name a few. It has
two-way communications, so
it can be used in case of voice
communications for an active
shooter scenario.
▶ AS I WAS composing this month's Tech Talk
on access control, a sad incident happened that
included an active shooter with the death of 19
children and two teachers. At that moment, I
stopped the presses and felt an obligation to discuss
where we might have helped with the application
of security technologies.
But fi rst, let me tell you a story about another
real active shooter situation. Some time ago a
friend of mine was involved in an active shooter
situation in a big box store. My friend, knowing
that I knew something about security technology,
came to me frustrated. He explained that as
bullets were fl ying, he and others tried to exit a
rear door in the store. Th e door had a loud siren
and only allowed them to exit after a time delay.
I explained to him that this was an approved
delay of 15 or 30 seconds for fi re code. Th e delay
was to help protect from theft. You can imagine
that seconds can seem like an eternity in an active
shooter situation. Th at did not sit well for someone
who was trying to fl ee fl ying bullets. Door delays
can be switched to instant egress for fi re. If door
delays can be switched to instant egress for fi re,
why can't the same, including being silenced, take
place for an active shooter?
You could have store management and/or seBob
Dolph has served
in various technical
management and advisory
positions in the security
industry for 30+ years. To
share tips and installation
questions, email Bob at
bdolph.ssi@gmail.com. Access
content from his 20+ years as
Tech Talk columnist by going
online at securitysales.com/
author/bdolph.
22
curity identify the active shooter situation and
then press a remote button to change the exit
door statuses to instant and silent. However, the
whole concept of applying security automation is
to remove the human element as much as possible.
You have heard the saying in fi re-safety that " every
second counts. " Well in an active shooter situation
every second is critical, and as we have seen, can
mean the rapid loss of human lives.
One security device that can help speed things
up is the application of gunshot detection. One
such device is the Guardian from Shooter Detection
Systems. Th ese devices can either be wireless
or wired PoE installed. Th ey sense both the acoustic
bang and infrared fl ash of a gun. Location detection
is immediately sent via text, email or other notifi -
cation pathways. Another device you may want to
consider is the Halo from IPVideo Corp. It is very
Security Sales & Integration JULY 2022
bdolph.ssi@gmail.com
versatile, has been around for some time, and was
an annual product pick of mine a couple of years
back. See more in this month's tool of the month.
Camera systems can now be provided with analytics
to help analyze and instantly respond to an
active shooter. Th is can include gunshot detection
and/or visual weapons identifi cation with the assistance
of artifi cial intelligence (AI). Th e camera
station displayed can then be prioritized with an
instant alert going out via email, text, etc.
One company with such a system is ZEROEYES.
Another is the Aegis weapon detection system.
Th is AI application can turn any camera into
a smart gun-detecting camera. Th e system looks
for weapons in existing camera feeds, and according
to the manufacturer, with 99% accuracy.
Another important factor of active shooter situations
is intelligent and rapid egress. Knowing
which exit path to take could mean the diff erence
between running away or into an active shooter.
Companies like EvacLite provide dynamic signage.
Th ese signs can be centrally controlled to quickly
show the suggested evacuation route for both
fi re or active shooter situations. Another system,
Wren Solutions, provides personal video monitors
(PVM). Th ese are small video monitors that can be
located at strategic locations, including exits, and
will display video from cameras in the location of
the active shooter or crime scene. I see much more
being done in this area. I ask, why cannot exit signage
actually be small, high contrast LCD displays
like we now see on most highway systems?
Let's take a moment and get back to the motivation
behind this column. Th at is the recent mass
shooting at Robb Elementary Grade School in
Uvalde, Texas. While the investigation is still ongoing,
I would still like to make a few comments
and security tech suggestions that could have
made this school be a harder target.
First, the information on the propped open door.
Th is door should have had access control for only
credentialed staff . Th e door should have been monitored
and a prop-open alarm should have sounded.
Th is is also a deterrent for propping the door
open in the fi rst place. Gunshot detectors should
be placed throughout the building and may have
even caught the gunshots before the shooter even
entered the building. Also, instantaneous electronic
communications from detection devices of the situation
to all staff , security, and maintenance.
Some suggested reference material: NFPA 101,
NFPA 730, NFPA731, and NFPA 3000 (active
shooter info).
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Security Sales & Integration July 2022

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