Safe Zone, a Melbourne, Florida technology start-up, announced it will introduce its Safe Zone Gunfire Detector (GFD) at CES 2019 (January 8-11, 2019) in the Stampede Booth #25708 in South Hall 2. 
“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. “Unlike the handful of older, slower, and more expensive solutions currently available, the Safe Zone system responds within 10 seconds to an active shooter situation, analyzing the on-the-ground situation and automatically communicating with all key personnel, from first responders to school administrators to parents and management.”
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, so we knew we could build something better and far more affordable that would save more lives. Now with the Safe Zone Gunfire Detector, every institution from schools to small businesses and hotels, can ensure the fastest possible law enforcement response to an active shooter situation.”
Designed and manufactured in the U.S., 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 ft3. It utilizes the latest Wi-Fi communication and cloud-based machine learning technologies to send and analyze data that returns usable information to local law enforcement and on-site administrators. Unlike many other gunfire detection solutions, Safe Zone can be connected to third-party alarm, surveillance, door lock, and mass notification systems.
Each Safe Zone 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 analyzes more than 3,000 data points in each record. False alarms like car backfires, firecrackers, or balloons popping are filtered out through their distinct acoustic signatures.
By utilizing the data from multiple detectors simultaneously, the system determines the location of shots fired, the number of shots, and the type and caliber of gun being used. Within 10 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.
“The system immediately notifies anyone with the Safe Zone app, plus anyone on pre-built e-mail and text message lists, helping people on-site to avoid encountering the shooters,” explained Anderson. “By knowing the location of a shooter and their capabilities, first responders can be properly prepared, and bystanders can get to a safe zone.”
“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 minimize 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.
