For Immediate Release
Thursday, Dec. 18, 2014

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Shooter Detection Systems Demonstrates Guardian Technology at Event Tuesday at Black Falcon Cruise Terminal in Boston

Event for Police, Industry Professionals, Featured Active Shooter Demonstration with Actual Police Response

BOSTON — Shooter Detection Systems LLC (SDS) on Tuesday conducted a live active shooter police drill to showcase the benefits of its Guardian Indoor Active Shooter Detection System, which was temporarily installed and brought online in the Black Falcon Cruise Terminal in Boston to support the demonstration.

The event simulated the efficacy of a gunshot detection system in a large, populated place.

“During a two-ship disembarkment, the Black Falcon Terminal may have as many as 12,000 people flowing through it,” said Christian Connors, Chief Executive Officer of SDS. “Events like these demonstrate, in real time, the Guardian System’s ability to immediately detect a shot fired inside a building and alert the proper authorities. No matter how large the structure, with Guardian, police know where a shooter is and where he or she is going. This saves time and many lives during an active shooter situation.”

The event began with a speaking program that included law enforcement officials and experts. Featured among the guests was Professor James Alan Fox, a noted USA Today columnist and Professor of Criminology, Law and Public Policy at Northeastern University.

“Security should reduce fear, not create it. That’s why I am excited about shot detection technology. If the unthinkable does occur, police response will be speedier, more efficient, and more effective,” Professor Fox said. “I am extremely excited and impressed with the Guardian Indoor Active Shooter Detection System. It will save lives and reduce casualties and it will do it without instilling fear and scaring people unnecessarily.”

The audience of more than 200 people included police chiefs, school officials, business leaders, and federal authorities. The audience included leaders from the MBTA Transit Police, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, AMTRAK Police, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, the United States Secret Service, the Federal Protective Service of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Federal Reserve Police, and the Transportation Security Administration.

Municipal police officials from 27 communities and college police officials from Stonehill College and Harvard University also attended.

“The Guardian Indoor Active Shooter Detection System gives law enforcement and building occupants invaluable intelligence, which can be the difference maker during an active shooter situation,” said Edward F. Davis, former Boston Police Commissioner, who also attended the event.

The demonstration featured two scenarios. In the first scenario, a shooter, played by a police officer, fired blank rounds throughout the Black Falcon Cruise Terminal, and police officers responded, in real time, as if someone inside the building had called 911. The officers did not know where the shooter was, and he continued firing for several minutes.

In the second scenario, the Guardian Indoor Active Shooter Detection System was activated, relaying information about the shooter’s location in less than one second, to the police dispatcher. Responding police were able to subdue the shooter in less than two minutes.

“This event demonstrated the value in real seconds, minutes, and lives, of having a shot detection system in a public setting,” said Georgetown Police Chief Donald C. Cudmore, who was in the audience. “This could potentially be an extremely powerful tool to keep law enforcement informed during a major crisis.”

Drawing upon the same concepts and necessities that brought automated fire alarms to public schools in the 1940s, Guardian’s well-researched system uses a state-of-the art audio and visual sensor network to instantly detect the location of a gunshot inside of a building and immediately alert police and school officials.

“The technology behind the Guardian System is extremely impressive. As criminals continue to employ sophisticated methods against law enforcement, it is refreshing to see this level of advanced equipment being used to save lives,” said Essex County Sheriff Frank G. Cousins Jr., who attended the event. “I applaud the efforts of the Shooter Detection Systems team.”

The Guardian System is scalable from a single room, to a large school, to a massive commercial or industrial complex

“We are finishing installations of as few as two systems in a corporate lobbies with a cost of under $10,000 to larger structures with a cost of under $30,000. This highlights how scalable and low cost the system is,” Christian Connors said.

About Shooter Detection Systems
Shooter Detection Systems (SDS) is the world leader in indoor gunshot detection technology. It was formed by industry experts to help mitigate the growing threat from indoor shooting incidents. SDS is focused on saving lives through the use of proven, military-grade technology designed by the world’s foremost scientists that is currently being deployed in schools, malls, airports, government, commercial and private buildings. Developed in conjunction with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and Raytheon, SDS’ gunshot detection systems utilize the most advanced and proven shooter detection technologies available in the commercial market. For more information, visit our website at: www.shooterdetectionsystems.com.

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