Safe Zone was developed and designed to send accurate, advanced alerts quickly in the event of an active shooter. Creating a simple, sophisticated product with a minimally invasive installation that requires no extra computers or multiple pieces of hardware on-site was top of mind in development and design. As a result, the Safe Zone system consists of palm-sized detectors surface-mounted and connected to low-voltage power. Getting the system online is an easy step-by-step process in the Safe Zone app, which certified Safe Zone installers perform with the system administrator at the time of installation.

Mounting and Connecting the Detector

Safe Zone hardware is very simple. A mounting bracket attaches with a single screw and a detector magnetically attaches to the bracket. For a dropped ceiling, the bracket’s magnet attaches directly to the metal rail grid. The bracket also features break-away tabs for mounting on a flat surface such as a ceiling or wall.

The detector comes in two versions, Wi-Fi and Power over Ethernet (PoE). The certified Safe Zone installer passes either the power wires (Wi-Fi) or CAT 5 wire (PoE) through the bracket prior to mounting. Both versions require very little current from the power supply, making them energy and cost-efficient.

The Wi-Fi detector will accept between 5- and 12-volts DC. This can come from a centralized power supply or a plugged-in wall wart, or even a USB jack. The current requirement is very low (about 200ma), so the required wire size is very small. Simply account for voltage drop across the distance from the power supply. The PoE version is 802.3af class 2 compliant.

A diagnostic LED in each detector indicates whether or not they are oriented correctly for proper function. If not, a yellow light appears, allowing the installer to correct the orientation and ensure the accuracy of the sensor immediately. This diagnostic LED light continues to monitor the system during installation, using color-coded lights to signal the progress (solid white for connecting to network, pulsing purple for software updates in progress, etc.)

Getting the System Online

Once mounted and powered, the detectors go online through a straightforward set up via Bluetooth in the Safe Zone app. Safe Zone installers initiate the new system in the app, designate the system administrator for that system, then walk the system administrator through the process of setting up their unique Safe Zone gunfire detection system based on their floorplan and the location of the detectors. The app is exceptionally user-friendly, designed to be simple and visually familiar.

From the app’s home page, the certified Safe Zone installer pairs the detectors to the system, names the detectors for ease of use (“Room 201,” “Conference Room 3,” etc.), verifies signal strength and manages the systems during and after installation for professional quality control. At this point, the system administrator uploads the system’s contact list for SMS text message alerts.

Acclimation Mode

Before each system goes online and live, Safe Zone monitors the system for a short period of time dependent on the environment to fine-tune the machine-learning. Should any issues arise, they are resolved right away so the system can be fully functional as quickly as possible.