Geofenced Emergency Alert System for Law Enforcement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for notifying law enforcement officers (LEOs) of armed intruder situations are inefficient, often resulting in delayed response times due to the lack of targeted and timely alerts within specific geofenced areas.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method and system that uses geofencing technology to receive notifications of armed intruders within designated areas, determining the location of LEOs within those geofences and sending emergency alerts to ensure rapid notification and response, while also restricting notifications to only when personnel are within the relevant geofence.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If traditional emergency notification systems are used, then all LEOs are contacted regardless of location, but this results in delayed response times and inefficient resource allocation
Solution Approach 1:
The notification system is segmented by geofenced areas. Instead of sending universal notifications to all LEOs, the system divides the coverage area into multiple geofenced zones and selectively notifies only those LEOs whose devices are currently within the relevant geofence, thereby reducing response time without requiring complex centralized coordination
Solution Approach 2:
LEO devices pre-register their locations and availability with the server before emergencies occur. The system performs preliminary actions by maintaining an updated database of LEO positions and geofence memberships, enabling immediate targeted notification when an incident is detected without requiring real-time location queries during the emergency
2Measurement precision
If geofencing technology is implemented to target alerts, then notification precision is improved, but device complexity and implementation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses universal smartphone devices with standard GPS and network capabilities that all LEOs already possess. The geofencing functionality is implemented as a software application rather than requiring specialized hardware, allowing the precise targeting capability to be achieved through multi-functional use of existing devices
Solution Approach 2:
A centralized server acts as an intermediary between incident detection sources and LEO devices. The server handles the complex geofence management, location tracking, and selective notification logic, while LEO devices simply receive and display alerts. This intermediary approach concentrates system complexity in a single manageable component rather than distributing it across multiple devices
3Productivity
If real-time location tracking of LEOs is implemented, then alert targeting is improved, but energy consumption and data usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous real-time location tracking, the system uses periodic location updates where LEO devices report their positions at intervals or when entering/exiting geofenced areas. This periodic action maintains sufficient accuracy for alert targeting while significantly reducing the energy consumption and data usage associated with continuous tracking
Solution Approach 2:
The system optimizes location tracking by focusing resources only on LEOs within or near active geofences. When an incident is detected, the system activates enhanced location monitoring only for LEOs in the relevant geographic area rather than maintaining high-precision tracking for all LEOs at all times, thereby reducing overall energy consumption while maintaining alert effectiveness
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method executed by one or more computer servers includes receiving a notification from a first communication device. The notification indicates an armed intruder within a first stationary geofence. The method further includes determining whether one or more of a first plurality of communication devices are within a second stationary geofence different than the first stationary geofence, and in response to the notification, providing an emergency alert to the communication device(s) determined to be within the second stationary geofence. Other example computer-implemented methods, communication devices including software applications, and systems for notifying one or more LEOs of an armed intruder by a premises personnel associated with a premises are also disclosed.