Security Sales & Integration September 2022 - 68

Systems Integration
Intelligent Weapons
Detection
and periods of transition where the gunman
moves towards his target area with guns visible.
Of course, any good security plan is multiIf
a site had AI
gun detection
installed, not
only would an
alert have been
received by key
personnel, but
with integrations
to video
management
solutions, these
sorts of events can
also be flagged for
easy retrieval at a
later date.
layered as there is no one way to keep people
safe. Some people may decide to adopt one
solution above or multiple to provide a layered
defense system.
Before, During & After Matters
As mentioned above, one point that most people
miss when evaluating weapons detection systems
is that they are intended to be helpful before,
during and after an event. AI gun detection systems
seem to successfully incorporate all three.
The " before " case is obvious: locking the
doors, sending alerts, providing up-to-date information
such as run, hide, exit safely through
a specific door, and more.
The " during " case is less obvious and many
evaluators forget to focus here. With real-time
alerts (images, location and video), first responders
and security staff can reduce their
response time and increase the effectiveness of
their reaction during the event by having the
system deliver key information in real-time:
▶ How many shooters there are.
▶ What type of weapons are in use.
▶ What the suspect looks like and whether
he/she is wearing body armor.
▶ And most importantly, where is the shooter
at any given moment through video
monitoring.
The " after " case is usually less urgent, but still
Studies show that the longer
a human stares at monitoring
screens, the less they pay
attention. AI solutions can
eliminate this problem.
quite helpful. For example, sometimes there
are situations where it was verified that a gun
was seen on campus, but it took investigators
weeks to locate the corresponding video of the
event. If a site had AI gun detection installed,
not only would an alert have been received by
key personnel, but with integrations to video
management solutions, these sorts of events can
also be flagged for easy retrieval at a later date.
Early Detection Is Life or Death
According to the FBI, most active shooter incidents
are over within five minutes, often before
police have time to arrive. In an increasing number
of buildings and public spaces, these areas
are monitored by cameras, yet the unmanned
nature of the surveillance means that these are
missed opportunities for early detection.
However, AI systems can detect weapons
within a second - and this is enough time to
activate a cascade of activities, such as:
▶ Alert a monitoring team or service to
validate the detection.
▶ Trigger an access control system to lock
doors, block entry or restrict access so that
the movement of the perpetrator can be
contained.
▶ Dispatch a security or first responder
team, armed with precise information to
help improve their response and protect
lives, including their own.
▶ Broadcast an alarm to people in the area,
including activating signage and sirens.
▶ Use the precision of the information to
deliver detailed instructions to people,
rather than a general lockdown notice.
▶ Notify, automatically, an entire organization
by text, email, voice, social media
channels, website update and push
notification.
This type of response dramatically shortens
the time to respond, while the information provided
(location and video) in turn improves the
effectiveness of the response.
Are Your Customers Prepared?
No organization wants to think about the day
when an emergency might occur at their facility,
especially an active shooter, but every organization
must be prepared. Twenty years ago there might
have been a safety binder of information provided
for the largest of companies (with likely no
training), but for smaller companies, emergency
preparedness was rarely discussed or considered.
Today, everyone knows an emergency response
plan is only as effective as the tools and
communication channels that support it. SSI
DAVE FRASER is CEO of Omnilert,
a provider of AI gun detection.
68
Security Sales & Integration SEPTEMBER 2022
securitysales.com
NIMITO/STOCK.ADOBE.COM
http://www.securitysales.com
Security Sales & Integration September 2022

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