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Company offers high-tech solutions to school threat problems

A Luzerne County company has a three-tiered system that can identify an active-shooter situation and sends out alerts.

LUZERNE COUNTY, Pa. — In an active shooter situation, Alan Pugh of AMP Global Strategies in Shavertown says time is everything.

"It's kind of the time saves lives in response saves lives. And that's been the biggest key behind this," said Pugh.

That's why his company is pitching its three-tiered technology system to school districts across Pennsylvania. The first tier equips teachers with a panic alarm on their cell phones.

"When they activate that panic alarm, they could have a direct line of audio and video if wished to their SRO, or the incoming law enforcement, or school administrators," he explained.

The second tier is gunshot detection technology.

"Technology that was developed by the Department of Energy, and it's a gunshot sensor system. So essentially, it's a battery-operated device installed throughout the facility or exterior of that facility, and when a gunshot activates, it reads the energy waveforms off the barrel of the gun, and it will send out an instantaneous alert," said Pugh.

The technology can show where in the building the gunfire is taking place.

The third tier allows a school's camera system to identify firearms.

"The minute it sees a gun appear on one of the cameras, it's able to pass that information and populate an alert," said Pugh.

Pugh says this technology is already used in cities and the private sector.

"Unfortunately, our major issue with schools is one: Funding," said Pugh.

Pugh hopes to put the technology in school districts around Pennsylvania. He says two districts in Luzerne County are already on board for installation.

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