
HTS Active Alert
Even some of the places we visit every day are vulnerable to threats and situational emergencies. Doing nothing is no longer an option.
H edge Tactical Solutions, a provider of workplace safety training, decided that the next phase of protection solutions and safety measures would not be limited to individual knowledge and skills. Rather, technology would begin driving a new wave of collective action and safety precautions. Enter the HTS Active Alert, a real-time, mobile app-based emergency response and alert system for the workplace and community.
In addition to providing a floorplan-based Touch-To-Locate® interface, the platform provides alerts for medical emergencies and “assistance needed” scenarios, with targeted notifications for each. The app communicates with localized dispatch centers to provide up-to-date information to law enforcement and emergency responders. It also features a centralized dashboard for authorities to monitor the system nationwide, and the platform even allows operators to key into the security camera feeds at the location where an alert is posted.
On top of building the iOS and Android mobile apps, Red Shepard worked closely with management to develop, install, and implement an easy-to-use web interface for the administrator of each location, a desktop application for office workers, and a web-based analytics dashboard. We also provided training and support to these facility administrators in order for them to completely understand this all-encompassing security alert platform.
Active Alert has been installed and used at a number of locations, including school campuses, religious institutions, entertainment venues, and even in support of Super Bowl LII in Minneapolis. We’re confident in our ability to plan, manage, and scale your project to any degree.
The Technology
For HTS, Red Shepard built and supports 10 custom-built software products. Each product operates on a different platform with a specified and succinct purpose. Notably, the system includes six mobile applications; three iOS apps, and three Android apps - built natively in Swift 3.0 and Java, respectively. Additionally, the system features 3 separate React JS web applications atop Google's App Engine that act as various operator dashboards, admin analytics and reports interfaces, and additional system-wide management tools.
For the backend, we handled all real-time needs using Google's Firebase socket layer, and heavy utilization of Cloud Functions for serverless micro operations that did not need any persistant disk space. All data is stored and replicated across 2 separate databases, and persisted for archival, analytics, and security. The Analytics engine of the dashboard is powered by Google BigQuery.