Page 18 - Security Today, May/June 2023

Sparking an Interest IPVideo Corp.’s HALO IoT Smart Sen- sor and New York-based integrator A+ Technology & Security Solutions were able to ensure technology convergence for Concern Housing, which finally knew it had found the fire safety solution they were looking for, for years. The manage- ment team wanted to learn more about the HALO IoT Smart Sensor as it sparked their interest as the only solution to their smoking and vaping problem. A decision was made in 2020 to implement a demo program where 20 HALO devices were in- stalled in various buildings to catch smok- ers and proved to be a huge success. Even though the agency was not using the device for any other applications other than smoke/vape detection, the sensor could monitor so much more if needed. What makes this sensor unique was that it could also be used for air quality monitoring, gunshot detection, noise alerts, emergency key word alerting and panic buttons, all of which do not use a camera or record audio, and can be used in privacy areas, such as bathrooms. However, the agency was solely focused on smoking/vaping alerts at this time and ensuring that any type of fire haz- ards could be prevented with HALO. “Our decision to select HALO was based on the support we received from A+ Tech- nology and how well they worked with our design teams, general contractors and our staff/consultants” said Erika Green, director of property management at Concern Hous- ing. “They are extremely knowledgeable and responsive and have been a valuable re- source to us as we look to make our housing as safe as possible for all of our residents.” Smart Sensor Reduces Fire Risk With a successful pilot program in 2020, the decision was made by the management team to move forward with the installation and deploy 262 smart sensors in apartments throughout the various sites/buildings. “Our focus at Concern Housing is keeping people safe and catching individu- als who were non-compliant to our non- smoking policy was critical,” Green said. HALO allowed the agency to be able to provide prompt, effective feedback to resi- “During an emergency, response time is critical and having alerts sent immediately to designated security staff and personnel can make the difference between life and death in certain situations.” dents who were smoking in their units, so the behavior could be strongly discouraged. Concern Housing takes security seriously and deployed an access control and video surveillance system in the larger buildings that are monitored by security guards. With project plans including more than 399 HALO device installations through- out the buildings, Concern Housing knew that it had finally found the right solution to keep residents’ safe day and night. “We were alerted right away by the HALO devices with text and email alerts going directly to our management team and security,” Green said. Reliability was key to the agency as it can alert staff of sensor damage through an alarm triggered if any sensors are tampered with or disengaged by someone. In fact, Concern Housing has received thousands of alerts since 2020, which has led them directly to the person smoking or vaping inside apart- ments. In some instances, the same individual kept setting off the alerts numerous times, which helped the staff “be in the know” of what is going on inside all their buildings. Staff members were able to deal with the problem by speaking directly to the person who was breaking the rules and convince them to stop smoking and vap- ing inside their units. Without the sensor device, there was no way for the manage- ment team to pinpoint the culprits and try to mitigate risks. Over the years, HALO has become known for its broad range of applications such as gunshot detection, keyword alerting, air quality monitor- ing, vaping, smoking, and continues to be known in the industry as an IoT Smart Sensor going beyond just vaping. “The need for security while maintain- ing individual privacy is in high demand,” said David Antar, president at IPVideo Corporation. “With HALO and the added safety features and custom sensor options, we can address the security & privacy di- lemma in significant ways, further provid- ing our clients with peace of mind.” As other dangers continue to rear its ugly head; facilities from coast to coast can rest easy knowing that there is a simple, easy solution out there for them that can address all their safety concerns with just one device. Monique Merhige is a freelance writer based in Florida, and is president of Infusion Direct Marketing Inc. 18 MAY/JUNE 2023 | SECURITY TODAY COVER STORY