A new device called SDS Outdoor has been developed to provide first responders with critical information about outdoor shooting incidents almost instantly.
The portable system, which was created in collaboration between the Department of Homeland Security and Shooter Detection Systems, can be easily transported by one or two officers and set up without the need for technicians.
“Many US gunshot detection technologies are not easily deployed in the field or at temporary locations,” said Dr. Dimitri Kusnezov, Under Secretary for Science and Technology at DHS. “This new system can be moved by one or two officers without the need for technicians to transport and set up. This mobile capability will help responders approach gun violence incidents with greater awareness, reducing response times and increasing responder safety.”
Unlike many other gunshot detection systems, which rely on sound alone and can produce a high number of false positives, SDS Outdoor uses both the sound and flash of a gunshot to detect and validate each incident. It can also be deployed in locations without infrastructure support, such as outdoor concerts or rallies.
Prototype testing of SDS Outdoor began in January 2022, and the device was demonstrated to a user advisory group in May. It was then tested by the National Urban Security Technology Laboratory and the First Responder Technology Program team in an Operational Field Assessment in New Jersey in November. Feedback from participating law enforcement agencies helped to improve the system’s effectiveness in detecting and alerting responders to gunshots.
SDS Outdoor can be used in conjunction with other detection and tracking technologies developed by the Department of Homeland Security, such as MappedIn Response and Detection of Presence of Life through Walls, to give first responders a more complete view of the situation. It is now being commercialized by Shooter Detection Systems and made available to law enforcement agencies and first responders across the US.