25 Mar 2019

As one of the most important new technologies debuted at CES 2019 by the Wall Street Journal and NBC News, Safe Zone announced it will exhibit and showcase its Safe Zone Gunfire Detector (GFD) at ISC West 2019 (April 10-12, 2019) at Booth #4117 in the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Analysing and communicating

CES 2019 confirmed that the Safe Zone Gunfire Detection System is the active shooter security breakthrough a very troubled world has been waiting for,” Safe Zone President Mike Anderson said today. “Unlike older, slower and more expensive solutions, the Safe Zone system responds within ten seconds to an active shooter situation, analysing the on-the-ground situation and automatically communicating with all key personnel, from first responders to school administrators to parents and management.

The Safe Zone system responds within ten seconds to an active shooter situation"

According to Anderson, statistics show it takes an average of five minutes for police to be notified of an active shooter situation by someone on scene, due to the chaos and immediate danger presented.

In an active shooter situation, saving minutes saves lives,” Anderson said. “Existing gunfire detection systems are limited in functionality and are prohibitively expensive for many locations. Now every institution from schools to small businesses and hotels, can ensure the fastest possible law enforcement response to an active shooter situation.

Cloud-based data analysis

Priced at $149.00 per unit, the Safe Zone Gunfire Detector combines the latest infrared and sound detection technologies with immediate cloud-based data analysis that can analyse more than 3,000 data points of each loud noise that exceeds ambient levels by a certain threshold.

Safe Zone Gunfire Detector combines the latest infrared and sound detection technologies

Utilising the data from multiple detectors simultaneously, the system determines the location of shots fired, the number of shots, and the type and calibre of gun being used. Within ten seconds of the trigger pull, an alert is sent to Public Safety Access Points in the appropriate dispatch center, giving local 911 dispatchers all the critical information right on their computer.

This can greatly reduce the time needed to locate and engage shooters, as experts say officers arriving on scene would normally take up to 12 minutes to obtain usable information from shocked, and often conflicting, witnesses.

WiFi communication

The Safe Zone Gunfire Detector is a small (less than 3” x 3”) triangular unit that mounts in a ceiling corner and provides gunfire detection for an area of up to 9,000 ft. Safe Zone utilizes the latest WiFi communication and cloud-based machine learning technologies to send and analyse data that returns usable information to local law enforcement and on-site administrators in less than 10 seconds.

Unlike many other gunfire detection solutions, Safe Zone can be connected to third-party alarm, surveillance, door lock and mass notification systems.

Distinct acoustic signatures

False alarms like car backfires, firecrackers or balloons popping are filtered out

Each detector monitors ambient noise and infrared level, with a full second of data recorded around any instance of a sudden increase in noise or light level. If an Infrared flash or sound more than 10 dB louder than ambient noise is detected, all detectors in range send the captured acoustic and IR signals to Safe Zone’s cloud-based machine learning system where they are compared against a database of thousands of signatures of known firearms and other non-firearm disturbances.

The system analyses more than 3000 data points in each record. False alarms like car backfires, firecrackers or balloons popping are filtered out through their distinct acoustic signatures.

Affordable and fast

We are living in a time where active shooters are a real concern for everyday citizens conducting normal business,” Anderson added. “Shooters tend to continue assaults until confronted, so helping law enforcement to locate shooters up to 17 minutes faster could save countless lives and improve other first responders’ ability to minimise damage and administer emergency care. That’s why we designed the Safe Zone Gunfire Detector to be as affordable and fast as possible – Saving Minutes Saves Lives.

Property Managers can increase the capability of their Safe Zone Gunfire Detection system with additional Safe Zone security products including door and window sensors, silent alert units, and wall-mounted emergency duress buttons.