Security Sales & Integration June 2022 - 56

Life Safety
Gunshot Detection
Dealers will win
more business
by encouraging
existing
customers to
engage in case
studies and
provide peer-topeer
references.
use handheld unit that tests each sensor without
disrupting normal business operations. In this
way, dealers have another opportunity to check
in with the customer, build confidence in existing
systems, and generate a natural opening
for discussing new products or services. One
of SDS' large high school customers recently
commented that these annual tests are not only
welcome by the technology staff but provide a
valuable reminder to review active shooter procedures
for new team members who may not be
familiar with the systems.
Carrying a gunshot detection system also
allows the dealer to start a security assessment
discussion from a different angle. For example,
did the client have a security audit performed
recently? If so, what were the audit recommendations
for an active shooter? Simple questions
like these open the door for a holistic discussion
to addressing multiple security threats - and
showcase the dealer's advanced service offerings.
How to Get Started
Just as dealers should vet any security product,
service providers will want to take a little time
to dig into the technical approach taken by the
manufacturer to address the problem. As mentioned,
quality gunshot detectors should have
third-party testing results available to demonstrate
that the sensors detect gunfire under a
wide range of conditions and return the lowest
possible false alert rate.
Certifications from federal agencies like DHS'
SAFETY Act program are also a strong signal of
WHAT ABOUT GUN DETECTION?
▶ Security professionals
have long employed the
strategy of layered technologies
as a means of
protecting assets and mitigating
threats. Focusing on
the first two of the common
" 5 Ds " framework of Deter,
Detect, Deny, Delay and
Defend, facility security can
potentially deter a person
from entering a facility
with a weapon or other
banned object by having a
strict policy against these
items, then having staff
detect by doing bag checks,
using metal detecting
wands and having physical
pocket emptying practices.
However, these practices,
when applied in a public
venue setting for example,
can also deter visitors that
don't want to wait in lines
or subject themselves and
their property to searches.
Applying this same
concept specifically to the
problem of active shooter
preparedness and response,
it makes sense to leverage
other approaches to detect
threats at the door.
Weapons Screening
Unlike older metal detectors
or X-ray machines, a few
companies now provide
millimeter-band, multisensor
scanners (passive or active
and most with some type
of AI) to detect concealed
weapons as people enter an
enclosed space. The technology
builds an " image " of the
weapon based on the collection
of (passive) or scanning
of (active) individuals passing
through sensor columns.
Advantages include higher
pass-through rates and an
improved ability to ignore
smaller, everyday objects.
While an excellent approach
for stadiums and airports,
attacks from employees or
insiders are still possible as
they may know where the
systems are not deployed or
when they may be inactive.
It can be cost-prohibitive
to deploy these systems at
every entry, so the key to
success is having a robust
screening policy that
includes a zero tolerance for
nonscreening of employees
and trusted vendors who
have access to additional
entry points.
Video Analytics
There are companies
offering software incorporated
into an existing VMS
to recognize objects or
behaviors (usually applying
AI or machine learning to
improve the object recognition
algorithm) as a means
of weapons detection. A
newcomer to the security
scene, this technology
boasts a lower cost as a
selling factor; however, it
is important to understand
that very high-quality IP
cameras are needed -
which the customer may not
have - and they must be
carefully placed with a high
amount of coverage in order
to be effective.
These are still prone to a
high false alert rate and
typically a human being is
required to validate the image
captured by the system.
Some systems offer a companion
monitoring service to
help verify detections, which
also means that data must
leave the customer facility to
be analyzed.
Putting It All Together
If we can't deter, we can
deploy multiple layers to
detect, which then help
security teams physically
deny, delay and defend.
By deploying a layered
approach that includes an
electronic means of screening
for weapons, combined
with a gunshot detection
system to mitigate the insider
threat and capture the
bad actors that find a way
through, dealers can help
give customers a fighting
chance at mitigating the risk
of an active shooter attack.
56
Security Sales & Integration JUNE 2022
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Security Sales & Integration June 2022

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