By Jeff Wardon, Jr., Assistant Editor

Healthcare facilities have been tasked with balancing open, inviting environments with the need for robust security. However, with workplace violence and active shooter incidents on the rise, facilities managers are looking more closely at how technologies such as CCTV and weapons detection systems can change to meet these challenges. 

In this manufacturer roundtable, Healthcare Facilities Today spoke with security technology manufacturers about how these innovations in CCTV and weapons detection are taking shape and what healthcare facilities should know as they weigh new solutions. 

How are rising concerns around workplace violence and active shooter incidents shaping the development of CCTV and weapon detection systems for healthcare facilities? 

“Healthcare facilities are increasingly evaluating and adopting preventative vs. reactive technologies.  Some examples of preventative technologies are video analytics to identify firearms, touchless concealed weapons detection and audio analytics to detect raised voices.” 

— Barbara Wood, key account manager, Genetec 

Related Content: Healthcare Crime and Violent Incidents by the Numbers

“Rising violence in healthcare settings, along with new state mandates and duty of care obligations, are reshaping CCTV and weapons screening, into response-oriented systems. Hospitals, and other organizations, are moving from traditional 'record and review later' surveillance models and toward modern, response driven systems. Hospitals and healthcare facilities are layering specialized AI on top of existing cameras for weapon detection and vehicle tracking, along with bookmarking/evidence packaging capabilities to meet reporting requirements.  

Visual gun detection provides a critical early-warning capability, operating in places where walk-through devices cannot—such as parking lots, loading docks and perimeter areas. This transforms CCTV from a passive forensic tool into an active prevention system that can trigger alerts, mobilize staff and even escalate directly to first responders before a shooter reaches the door.” 

— Eric Polovich, director of sales operations, Omnilert 

“Most weapon detection development today is centered on higher throughput, lower-sensitivity applications that are best suited for managing crowd flow in large settings – not necessarily workplaces. While these systems can find larger weapons, they lose effectiveness when called upon to detect smaller handguns, disassembled handguns, knives and improvised weapons that are often found on the street like box cutters and sharpened screwdrivers. This industry trend leaves the healthcare vertical searching for weapon detection systems that are both new and effective as healthcare facilities like emergency rooms, psychiatric wards and even main entrances are increasingly concerned with items representing a full range of threats.” 

— Steve Novakovich, chief executive officer, Garrett Metal Detectors 

Jeff Wardon, Jr., is the assistant editor of the facilities market.