Volume 10
Feb 2017 Edition
Mentioning that a U . S . Department of Homeland Security official was present at the event Wednesday , Partin said the federal department has plans to push the technology across other law enforcement agencies and is looking at the county sheriff ’ s office as a pilot .
An injury instant notification text is sent by the Automatic Injury Detection vest system . ( Image Credit : Matt Gentry , The Roanoke Times )
The smartphone component involving allergy and blood type information is very useful for emergency response crews so they know how to better handle the deputy upon arriving at the scene , Partin said .
The panels are programmed to also work in a shooting , a knife attack or if hit by shrapnel .
“ They [ deputies ] don ’ t have a choice . They get thrown into these events . They go into these situations blind ,” said Ken Brinkley , an inventor with Select Engineering Services LLC , the firm that built the panels and sensors .
“ This is probably the biggest advance in communication we ’ ve [ police ] had since the radios and cell phone .”
An Army Expeditionary Warrior Experiments ( EXFOR ) Soldier prepares to insert the AID into a body armor vest prior to live fire experimentation during AEWE 2016 at Fort Benning , GA . ( US Army Photo by Angie DePuydt , Maneuver Battle Lab )
The sheriff ’ s office will be the only law enforcement agency in the New River Valley to be using the system .
The current and common practice of broadcasting for backup via a radio is less foolproof than what AID presents , said Brinkley , who referred to some officer-involved shootings in recent years .
“ They weren ’ t fatally shot , but they weren ’ t able to communicate their position ,” he said .
“ These are the kinds of situations we deal with out there .”
( Soldiers test the ruggedness of the Automatic Injury Detection ( AID ) panels – proving that rough handling will not damage the AID system or cause false triggers . Courtesy of DataSoft- Corp and You- TubeSoldiers test the ruggedness of the Automatic Injury Detection ( AID ) panels – proving that rough handling will not damage the AID system or cause false triggers .)
“ We saw how one piece of technology can save an officer ’ s life and give their family peace of mind when they walk out the door ,” he said .
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