Could Your School Benefit from Gunshot Detection?

In a perfect world, we wouldn’t have to worry about gunshots in schools. But unfortunately, it’s a precaution teachers and administrators need to consider for the safety of all inside school buildings. As security technology advances, gunshot detection systems are becoming more prevalent in schools and businesses across the country.

If you run a school or university in the Houston, TX area, and you’re curious about gunshot detection, we’ve gathered information on establishments already employing the technology below. Continue reading to learn how it works and how others are benefiting from life-saving systems.

SEE ALSO: How to Respond Quickly to Shootings & Save Lives

What Is Gunshot Detection?

Gunshot detection technology uses acoustic, infrared, or shockwave sensors to identify the location of an explosive charge. It traces the source and direction of the gunshot and uses zero false lead technology to differentiate from similar sounds like fireworks. Once the shot is located, it will trigger your security system to notify a monitor center, which will alert the police. Mass notification messages can also be sent to your security team and staff so they will know to start a lockdown immediately.

Without gunshot detection, it typically takes eight minutes for a call to report it to the police. But now, authorities will know in less than a minute. The system can pinpoint the site within 3 to 5 feet, minimizing confusion on the shooter’s whereabouts and avoiding mass chaos.   

Where It’s Used Now

In 2019, the University of West Georgia installed gunshot detection technology across its campus with forty to fifty sensors. Days after the system was installed, two real-life scenarios occurred. Off campus on Park Lane, a woman was arrested for firing shots at her husband. Less than a mile away, the system picked up 44 shots at a liquor store. Since the technology can detect shots even off-campus, schools will have the chance to prepare themselves for crime in the neighborhood.  

The city of Baltimore has also employed gunshot detection technology over five square miles of West Baltimore. On its first night after installation, the system recorded four gunshot incidents. In Dracut, Massachusetts, public schools have implemented gunfire detection in all buildings. The Cushman School in Miami installed the technology this year, too. Across the nation, cities, towns, and schools are putting an end to panic with proactive security solutions.

Would you like to learn more about bringing gunshot detection to your Houston, TX school? Contact ASAP Security Services to discuss options.