Army unveils active-shooter response team at West Point

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Andrew Dondero explains the new system

WEST POINT – Members from the Department of the Army held the first tech demonstration for a prototype active-shooter response system, the Joint Active Shooter Protection and Response System, or JASPR, Wednesday, at the West Point Prep School campus.

JASPR is an unprecedented software technology that uses already existing emergency infrastructure, like electronic door locks, alarms and security cameras, as well as other implementations such as panic buttons, gunshot detectors, beacons, access controller and text to speech tech to help increase advantage for victims and responders, while simultaneously diminishing it for shooters.

The system operates on the tenets of detect, alert, control, enable and save lives – in that order.

For instance, if a shooter enters a building, the first shot fired will be detected by the gunshot sensor, which will alert emergency responders, like a fire alarm would. That will also set off an alarm throughout the building to alert the occupants that there is an active shooter. Once first responders are alerted, the closest law enforcement will have a feed of the various security cameras sent to their smart phones, so they can locate and identify the shooter before entering.

As soon as responders are on the scene, they will be able to coordinate electronic door locking mechanisms to control where the shooter will move, where the most advantageous spot for them to enter is, and allow for an effective egress for occupants inside.

Demonstrators from the Department of the Army said the main issues with how active shootings are currently handled are response times and the shooter having control over the situation, rather than the first responders, both of which JASPR can mitigate.

The current average first response time to an active shooting is approximately six minutes. They believe JASPR will reduce that to two minutes, with the added benefit of first responders not going into the situation blind.

Computer Engineer at Picatinny Arsenal, Andrew Dondero, who is responsible for the technical design of JASPR, said although this system is still in its infancy, the goal is to have it become a standard response system like the fire response system that already exists in public buildings, it just may take some time.

“We are a prototype right now and we’re seeking funding to extend this as a pilot project so that we can work through all the caveats that go along with installing a system of this magnitude,” said Dondero. “The same way that the fire system took many, many years to implement through the fire code, we expect that it would be a similar process that we would have to work with facilities to augment their codes to increase security,” he said.

As it is now, the software is government-off-the-shelf and has open architecture. This allows the system to be integrated into existing systems and along with modular and custom options, there are options for automatic or centrally managed implementation.

The first places this system will be seen, if the adequate funding is secured, will be in hospitals, schools and mission-critical buildings. West Point’s prep-school currently has a working JASPR system in place, but it will be removed after the demonstration period.




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