Insights
Weapons detection for events and venues: what camera software can and can't do
A game, a festival, a graduation or a concert brings thousands of people to one place for a few hours. Event teams plan for entry, parking, crowd flow, medical calls and coordination with partner agencies. Weapons detection is one part of that plan, and it helps to be clear about what each tool does.
Start with the event plan
CISA's guidance on securing public gatherings points event teams to a few basics: connect with local authorities, develop incident response plans, train staff and volunteers, and report concerns to emergency authorities. Source: CISA, Securing Public Gatherings
CISA also offers a no-cost Mass Gathering Security Planning Tool that gives event planners a framework, with event-planning checklist items, venue characteristics and suggested planning considerations. Source: CISA Mass Gathering Security Planning Tool
Camera software fits inside that plan. It doesn't replace it.
Entry screening and camera software do different jobs
Entry screening happens at the gate: bag checks, walk-through screening and staff at the entrance. Camera software looks at what the venue's cameras can see once people are inside the venue, such as concourses, stairways and side entrances, where the cameras can see.
VOLT isn't entry screening. It's a way for the event team to notice moments in the places the gate can't cover.
The moments event teams need to know about
At an event, the moments that need a quick response include someone who falls on a stairway, a crowd forming at an exit, a possible fight on a concourse, or someone in an area that should be closed.
VOLT is built to notice moments: a fall, a possible fight, someone where they shouldn't be.
When VOLT notices one, it sends a notification such as "Crowd forming" or "Possible fight", with the camera view and the location, to the people the venue chooses. Every notification is human verified.
Using the venue's existing cameras
VOLT is built to run on the cameras you already have.
Sharing what you see with partner agencies
Large events can bring several agencies together for one day. Our post on game-day mutual aid covers how schools and venues can plan video sharing with partner agencies ahead of time.
Where weapons detection fits
VOLT detects handguns, long guns, and knives that are visible to the camera.
That makes it one layer in the event plan, alongside screening at the gate, staff on the ground and the agencies working the event.
Questions to ask before your next event
- Which areas does the gate cover, and which areas depend on cameras and staff?
- Who checks a notification before it reaches the event team?
- Who receives each type of notification on event day, and who is the backup?
- How will you share video with partner agencies, and who approves it?
- How will you review what happened after the event?
