For Immediate Release
Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Media Contact: Kendra Noonan
Director of Communications
knoonan@shooterdetectionsystems.com
978-502-5258

North Providence Mayor, Police, and School Officials Host Active Shooter Detection and Police Response Demonstration Showcasing Shooter Detection Systems

Active Shooter Detection System Instantly Alerts Police, Building Occupants, and City Officials to Shots Fired in Facilities

NORTH PROVIDENCE, R.I. —  The Office of the Mayor, in collaboration with the North Providence Police Department, School Administrators and Rhode Island State Police today hosted an Active Shooter Demonstration and Police Response Event at the North Providence High School, the first of many municipal buildings to receive the Guardian Indoor Active Shooter Detection System which will alert first responders, building occupants and key officials in the event of shots fired inside the school.

Having served 21 years as a volunteer Firefighter and First Responder for the town, Mayor Lombardi is passionate about the safety of North Providence. “As Director of Public Safety for North Providence, this technology stood out as the obvious choice to address this threat proactively,” said Lombardi. “The High School is the start of a program, one that we plan to spread citywide, to all municipal buildings, starting here in our schools, because the safety of our children comes first for all of us.”

Law Enforcement experts agree that effective response to an active shooter incident depends on sending immediate notification with reliable incident details to police in order to immediately address an active shooter situation in progress and reduce the incident’s duration to save lives. At the North Providence High School, the Guardian System is integrated into the school’s camera surveillance system to provide advanced situational awareness while providing immediate notification of gunshots, allowing for rapid response by First Responders and building occupants.

“As important as 911 is to police response, people under extreme stress are not always the most reliable source of information, and perpetrators move quickly”, says Chief of Police Christopher Pelagio. “The Guardian system sends real-time intelligence with the exact location of an active shooter, instantaneously to dispatch, allowing our officers to find and neutralize the threat without tragic delays.”

Building occupants also need this information to safely implement their active shooter/evacuation training protocols and make the best decisions to save their own lives during a terrifying situation. Superintendent of Schools Madeline Smith sees the value in the system’s notification capabilities. “I need to know immediately if there is a threat of violence of any kind unfolding at any of our nine schools. This system will send me a text message with the school name, location, number of shots and in real time,” said Smith. “From an administrative perspective, I can address the crisis immediately and with confidence that police are already responding to the threat. We hope this system is never needed, but it gives us the peace of mind, knowing that help will immediately be on its way and with fast, accurate information.”

The Guardian System is based on proven gunshot detection technology deployed in 2003 to protect U.S. troops from sniper attack. With the rise in active shooter threats, Shooter Detection Systems’ CEO Christian Connors licensed this technology and adapted it for indoor acoustics, adding a secondary gunshot validation to ensure zero false alerts. “We are extremely grateful to Mayor Lombardi and Chief Pelagio for prioritizing the safety of North Providence’s students,” said Connors. “When their project is complete, North Providence will lead the nation as the first municipality to implement an active shooter and reporting system so widely throughout the city. From the security industry perspective, it’s also exciting to see the integration with ExacqVision video surveillance system pick up the camera views when a shot is detected to provide the police with an instant visual of the incident as it is occurring.”

“The Active Shooter threat unfortunately continues to rise and is a reality that we cannot ignore,” said Mayor Lombardi. “We cannot bury our heads in the sand and pretend that this problem does not exist or that it could never happen here.”

About Shooter Detection Systems, LLC
Shooter Detection Systems is the world leader in indoor gunshot detection technology. Developed in conjunction with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and a major defense contractor, SDS’ gunshot detection systems utilize the most advanced and proven shooter detection technologies available in the commercial market. SDS is focused on saving lives through the use of proven, military-grade technology designed by the world’s foremost scientists. The company’s technology is currently deployed in airports, schools, healthcare facilities, Fortune 500 corporations, municipal buildings, court systems, major utilities, manufacturing plants, high-rise office buildings, and government and private buildings. For more information, visit our website at www.shooterdetectionsystems.com or call 1-844-SHOT911. Follow Shooter Detection Systems on Twitter @shooterdetect.

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