Att'n LB Gunfire-Impacted Neighborhoods/Business Groups: This Firm Says It Has New Gunfire Location System That's Less Expensive, More Flexible And Gives Data Directly To You That Can Be Shared With LBPD. Are You Willing To Test It? Would You Like Your Councilmember To Use His/Her Contributor-Funded "Officeholder Account" Or City Budgeted Sum To Test It In Your Neighborhood?

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Att'n LB Gunfire-Impacted Neighborhoods/Business Groups: This Firm Says It Has New Gunfire Location System That's Less Expensive, More Flexible And Gives Data Directly To You That Can Be Shared With LBPD.

Are You Willing To Test It? Would You Like Your Councilmember To Use His/Her Contributor-Funded "Officeholder Account" Or City Budgeted Sum To Test It In Your Neighborhood?

If LBREPORT.com didn't tell you,
who would?No one in LBREPORT.com's ownership, reporting or editorial decision-making has ties to development interests, advocacy groups or other special interests; or is seeking or receiving benefits of City development-related decisions; or holds a City Hall appointive position; or has contributed sums to political campaigns for Long Beach incumbents or challengers. LBREPORT.com isn't part of an out of town corporate cluster and no one its ownership, editorial or publishing decisionmaking has been part of the governing board of any City government body or other entity on whose policies we report.

LBREPORT.com is reader and advertiser supported. Support independent news in LB similar to the way people support NPR and PBS stations. We're not non-profit so it's not tax deductible but $49.95 (less than an annual dollar a week) helps keep us online.

(April 14, 2019, 11:15 a.m.) -- If you live in or operate a business in a LB gunfire-impacted neighborhood, LBREPORT.com invites your views on the following.

On April 12, 2019 a representative of EAGL Technology ("Emergency Automatic Gunshot Lockdown"/EAGL), a firm about which we were previously unaware, contacted us about its gunshot location system. He did so after seeing LBREPORT.com's story about LB's most recent "ghost shooting" which included our maps showing gunfire-impacted LB neighborhoods and referenced the City Council's 2011 vote to fund a different gunfire location system that LBPD didn't purchase on grounds that, in its view, it didn't meet LBPD's needs at that time.

EAGL Technology's rep, Dr. David A. McWhorter, PhD (lists Homeland Security Consulting Group), Washington, D.C.) said EAGL's system differs in several ways from the other system. He said EAGL costs less, is more flexible and provides its shooting data to the parties using it (and the data belongs to them) although they're free to share it with LBPD and the City.

On its website, EAGL describes a "City Web" system in which [website text] "Each wireless Energy Sensor can be programmed into most existing privately owned burglar alarm systems to autonomously monitor for firearm discharges in densely populated areas, delivering 24/7 real-time Gunshot Reporting to Local Law Enforcement. The CityWeb concept is based on a public/private partnership, in which local Law Enforcement and Private Companies cooperate to champion public safety in their neighborhoods."

LBREPORT.com requested emailed information about EAGL and Dr. McWhorter emailed an overview that we publish below in the public interest. LBREPORT.com has no business relationship or other ties to EAGL Technology or to Dr. McWhorter; we're not getting any money out of reporting this story or whether EAGL is deployed here or not; we simply consider the technology newsworthy in Long Beach.

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[April 12 email from David A. McWhorter, PhD, Homeland Security Consulting Group, Washington, D.C.]
The Emergency Automatic Gunshot Lockdown (EAGL) System is built upon technology developed by the Department of Energy (DOE). The indoor system uses the patented FireFly® Wireless Ballistic Sensor technology and the outdoor system uses the DragonFly. Both autonomously detect gunfire and alert police and EMTs. The system can be integrated with mass notification, existing access control systems, video surveillance, intercom, and/or public-address systems. The DragonFly can use the same rf radio as the FireFly or be configured for IoT. One of the biggest distinctions we have is affordability compared to what you may have seen in the past.
All of our sensors are completely wireless. The installation is non-destructive and relocatable. It is literally a matter of sticking them to the wall or attaching to a post. Our indoor sensors have a radius range of 100 feet (31,400 ft²) and do not need line-of-sight, thus many fewer sensors are needed compared to other solutions. If you move buildings or to another floor, pluck up the sensors and put them in the new place. Our new outdoors sensors have a radius range of 150 feet (70,685 ft²), allowing you to protect your infrastructure without having to pay for square miles of coverage; they can be used in parking lots or other outdoor gathering places. There are no recurring service costs. Our platform has built-in mass notification or it can integrate with your existing one. We also integrate with cameras, access control, PA systems, etc.
The interface to other systems is done through common standards and we can easily integrate with a city's Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Real Time Crime Center (RTCC).
The data belong to the customer for analysis, planning, etc.
In terms of customers, we have deployed over 1,200 sensors in just the last six months (we hit the indoor market in late 2017 and just now hitting the outdoor market). We have deployments at airports, higher education, K-12, commercial, municipal.
We have recently achieved two milestones: a Platinum Award from American Security Today (https://americansecuritytoday.com/ast-awards/) and a Developmental Testing & Evaluation Designation (DTED) from the DHS SAFETY Act (https://www.safetyact.gov/lit/at/aa search "EAGL"). The DTED option was designed for cutting edge technology and is a stepping stone to additional designations.
Bottom line is that EAGL is the only company that can provide seamless indoor/outdoor, relocatable gunshot detection. Further, we offer it at a fraction of the cost of our competitors.

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On its website, EAGL states that regarding law enforcement, fire services and emergency medical services:

Public Safety segments also benefit from the EAGL Gunshot Detection & Lockdown System. EAGL can aid first responders by providing incident situation awareness information. Incident location, ballistic data and "live" video streaming features are provided by the EAGL System when it is integrated with existing video systems.

In the "About Us" section of its website, EAGL Technology states:

EAGL Technology was established in 2015 and after acquiring gunshot ballistic science developed by the Department of Energy (DOE) Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), successfully advanced this technology by creating state-of-the-art security equipment capable of performing immediate threat assessment with access control provisions & notification features. The equipment designed by EAGL Technology includes the EAGL Gunshot Detection & Lockdown System and CityWeb. Both product lines use patented FireFly® Wireless Ballistic Sensor technology which can be integrated with existing access control systems, video surveillance, intercom and public-address systems. With this equipment development comes the expertise of over 100 years combined security advisor experience. Our team meticulously collaborates with security representatives at all government levels, facility managers, and other security professionals to ensure security assessment, planning & implementation are tailored to meet our customer’s security protocols, budgets and needs.

LBREPORT.oom is interested in hearing from residents and businesses in gunfire-impacted Long Beach neighborhoods: After reading the company's description of its EAGL system:

(1) Would you participate in a pilot/test of the EAGL system in your neighborhood?
(2) Do you belong to a neighborhood group or business group that might be interested in participating in a pilot/test of the EAGL system?
(3) Do you believe the City Council's "Public Safety Committee" (Price, Supernaw, Austin) should invite an EAGL representative to provide a presentation to the Committee (after which the Committee an make a recommendation to the full City Council)?
(4) Do you favor having your Councilmember agendize the EAGL system for direct presentation to the full City Council?
(5) If the company's presentation indicates the system could have benefits for your neighborhood and for Long Beach, would you favor your Councilmember using his/her contributor-funded "officeholder account" sums, or City-budgeted sums, or both, to deploy the EAGL system?

LBREPORT.com invites your responses by email to mail@LBReport.com or via private message to LBREPORT.com Facebook page here.

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Support really independent news in Long Beach. No one in LBREPORT.com's ownership, reporting or editorial decision-making has ties to development interests, advocacy groups or other special interests; or is seeking or receiving benefits of City development-related decisions; or holds a City Hall appointive position; or has contributed sums to political campaigns for Long Beach incumbents or challengers. LBREPORT.com isn't part of an out of town corporate cluster and no one its ownership, editorial or publishing decisionmaking has been part of the governing board of any City government body or other entity on whose policies we report. LBREPORT.com is reader and advertiser supported. You can help keep really independent news in LB similar to the way people support NPR and PBS stations. We're not non-profit so it's not tax deductible but $49.95 (less than an annual dollar a week) helps keep us online.