Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), a gunshot-detection solutions provider to the transportation industry, will deploy its Guardian Active Shooter Detection System for the new Automated People Mover (APM) facility at Los Angeles International Airport. Together with SDS partners Genetec and Everbridge, the final system implementation will include integrations with the facility’s video surveillance, access control, mass notification and critical emergency management system.
The Los Angeles City Council approved a 30-year contract worth $4.9 billion with LAX Integrated Express Solutions (LINXS) to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the APM train system at the airport. Bombardier Transportation will provide the APM operating system, including overseeing the design and installation of the Guardian system. According to public statements from Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), APM trains will arrive every two minutes, with convenience and accessibility being key to its service.
Station platforms are set to have escalators, elevators and moving walkways to provide fast and convenient access to airport terminals. It is estimated that the APM will cater to a maximum ridership capacity of 10,000 passengers per hour and up to 87.7 million passengers yearly, according to an announcement.
SDS states it was selected by Bombardier after a thorough market survey for active shooter solutions. “The Guardian system continues to be the gunshot detection system of choice for major airports and transportation authorities across the U.S.,” says SDS CEO Christian Connors. “This is due in large part to our success with existing airport installations and our zero false alert history, but we also credit the rigorous testing and independent third-party certifications that qualify Guardian as a true life safety solution.”
Other recent airport clients that have selected the SDS Guardian solution include Charleston International Airport (CHS) in North Carolina and the upcoming installation at Abilene Regional Airport (ABI) in Texas. Said to be built from sniper detection technology used by the U.S. military in conflicts around the globe, Guardian combines proprietary acoustic gunshot detection algorithms and infrared sensors to detect gunshots in the indoor environment.
