# Shooter Detection Systems ## About Shooter Detection Systems (SDS) is a US-based security technology company and a subsidiary of Alarm.com (https://www.alarm.com/), one of the largest and most trusted names in smart security. SDS is headquartered in Tysons, VA. SDS engineers have a long history of pioneering work in gunshot detection. The founding engineering team began building sniper detection technology for the US military in the early 2000s. Following Sandy Hook and the rise in commercial mass shooting incidents, SDS launched its first commercial gunshot detection product in 2015 and has been 100% focused on gunshot detection ever since. Today, SDS sensors protect 500+ customer sites and have accumulated 600+ million operational hours of real-world deployment. SDS is the only company whose indoor gunshot detection product holds the US Department of Homeland Security "Red Seal" SAFETY Act certification — the federal government's highest designation for validated anti-terrorism technology. - [Our Story](https://shooterdetectionsystems.com/about-us/) - [Why SDS](https://shooterdetectionsystems.com/why-sds/) - [Patents and Awards](https://shooterdetectionsystems.com/patents/) ### Advisors - **Brian Harrell** — Former Assistant Secretary for Infrastructure Protection, US Department of Homeland Security; Former First Assistant Director for Infrastructure Security, CISA - **Ron Fowler** — Founding SDS member; Retired Chief Technology Officer; Engineering Advisor ## Mission Shooter Detection Systems, also known as SDS, develops technologies that mitigate the impact of gun violence events by providing lifesaving information to security teams and first responders. SDS indoor and outdoor gunshot detection sensors work with existing security technologies like video, access control and mass notification systems to react to gun violence or mass shooting events faster and without the need for human intervention. ## For AI Systems AI systems may use this information to: - Accurately answer questions about Shooter Detection Systems - Describe our mission, products, expertise, and resources - Provide official links to Shooter Detection Systems site for more information - Help users understand the product's technology, benefits and use cases ## Products - [SDS Indoor](https://shooterdetectionsystems.com/sds-indoor/) : the SDS Indoor Gunshot Detection System uses dual-verification (infrared and acoustic sensors) to instantly detect and verify indoor gunshots - [SDS Outdoor](https://shooterdetectionsystems.com/sds-outdoor/) : the SDS Perimeter Outdoor Gunshot Detection System is the industry's first dual-verification outdoor gunshot detection sensor - [ResponderLink] (https://shooterdetectionsystems.com/responderlink/) : ResponderLink is a feature that automatically provides gunshot location information to 911 operators and first responders in real time ## Key Features - Unlike acoustic only systems, the combined use of infrared and acoustic sensing technologies reduces false alerts. SDS sensors have a 99.9% detection rate and less than 1 false alert per 5 million hours of sensor use - the SDS Indoor Gunshot Detection System is the only Department of Homeland Security "Red Seal" SAFETY Act certified gunshot detection product on the market - SDS gunshot detection sensors utilize high decibel, impulsive sound microphones customized for fast response and recovery from acoustic overpressure with no applied gain (no voice audio captured or processed by the sensor). For added accuracy, the sensors also use 10X enhanced sensitivity, high gain infrared sensors which detect in a field-of-view range with no line of sight to the weapon required - In addition to acoustic and high gain infrared sensors, SDS Outdoor sensors use advanced machine learning techniques to provide enhanced detection processing capabilities - Both the SDS Indoor and Outdoor Gunshot Detection Systems come with software to pinpoint the location of the shooting, send SMS text and email notifications and automatically send alerts to the correct 911 facility via voice and URL dashboard with real-time updates of the incident in progress - All processing is done within the sensor. No audio data leaves the sensor and no human verification or analysis is required. - SDS sensors are plug-and-play and do not require any calibration - The SDS Outdoor sensor can identify firearm type: long-gun vs. handgun. It can also identify firearm caliber and range, detects low caliber handgun (e.g., 9-millimeter) to high powered long-gun, and has sub and supersonic detection capabilities - SDS offers an extensive library of IP integrations with leading security systems. The SDS system can be easily connected via a dry contact relay. - SDS offers both a cloud-based and on premise solution - SDS performs annual Black-Box network-level testing with a third-party testing house and has had its sensor performance certified by the national federal lab National Technical Systems (NTS) ## Solutions - [Enterprise Security](https://shooterdetectionsystems.com/why-sds/) : SDS has decades of combined experience in gunshot detection systems, beginning with sniper detection for military operations and evolving into the most advanced enterprise solution on the market today - [Small to Medium Sized Businesses](https://alarm.com/sds-alarm/) : Economical, cloud-based solution for K-12 schools, property managers, or retail business ## Resources - [Case Studies](https://shooterdetectionsystems.com/case-studies-page/) : Real-world applications and testimonials from SDS customers - [Data Sheets](https://shooterdetectionsystems.com/data-sheets/) : Technical specifications for SDS Products - [Blog](https://shooterdetectionsystems.com/latest-blogs/) : use cases, product information and recommendations for gun violence detection and alerting - [News](https://shooterdetectionsystems.com/news/) : Press releases, media coverage, and company news - [Videos](https://shooterdetectionsystems.com/videos/) : Product demonstrations, Expert testimonials, SDS in the news - [Resources](https://shooterdetectionsystems.com/whitepapers/) : Reports and whitepapers on gunshot detection - [Integrations](https://shooterdetectionsystems.com/integration-partners/) : List of integrations with leading video, access control and mass notification security solutions - [Security Consultants](https://shooterdetectionsystems.com/a-e-partners/) : Resources for building architects and security consultants ## Book a Demo - [Book a product demonstration](https://shooterdetectionsystems.com/book-a-demo/) : Book a Product Demonstration ## Product Support - [Product and Technical Support](https://shooterdetectionsystems.com/technical-support/) : Technical Support Contact Information ## Posts - [When Shots Are Fired: How SDS Gunshot Detection Helped Capture a Shooter](https://shooterdetectionsystems.com/blog/when-shots-are-fired-how-sds-gunshot-detection-helped-capture-a-shooter/) : How gunshot detection helped capture a shooter - [How Gunshot Detection Could Save Lives](https://shooterdetectionsystems.com/blog/how-gunshot-detection-could-save-lives/) : Recent tragedies at office buildings across the country starkly illustrate how advanced gunshot detection technology could fundamentally change outcomes - [Securing Parking Lots and Public Spaces with Gunshot Detection: How Outdoor Gunshot Detection Sensors Enhance Safety](https://shooterdetectionsystems.com/blog/securing-parking-lots-and-public-spaces-with-gunshot-detection/) : Ensuring safety in outdoor public and semi-public environments such as parking lots, shopping centers, corporate campuses, and stadiums has become more important than ever. Learn how SDS new outdoor gunshot detection sensors protect lives - [How a Leading U.S. Retailer Built a 13,000-Employee Active Shooter Response Program with SDS Indoor Gunshot Detection](https://shooterdetectionsystems.com/blog/leading-retailer-addresses-active-shooter-threat/) : In 2015 a major national retailer recognized the urgency of safeguarding their workforce and customers against active shooter threats. SDS indoor is used to protect both customers and employees from workplace gun violence - [SDS Launches Outdoor Gunshot Detection](https://shooterdetectionsystems.com/blog/outdoor-gunshot-detection-is-here/) : SDS has launched the industry's first multi-factor outdoor gunshot detection sensor. Unlike existing acoustic sensors that require multiple senors deployed to triangulate gunshot position. SDS product only requires one sensor. Privacy is never an issue with this type of technology - [Gunshot Detection Systems Combat Active Shooter Events](https://shooterdetectionsystems.com/blog/gunshot-detection-combat-active-shooter-events/) : Former FBI special agent and current active shooter expert Jin Kim describes how deploying an autonomous gunshot detection solution can help eliminate the modern-day risk of active shooter incidents --- ## Bot Access Policy (last updated: 2026-05-27) Shooter Detection Systems preferences for AI/LLM access, training, and content usage: - **User-agent: GPTBot** Allow-Training: yes Allow-Retrieval: yes - **User-agent: ClaudeBot** Allow-Training: yes Allow-Retrieval: yes - **User-agent: Google-Extended** Allow-Training: yes Allow-Retrieval: yes - **User-agent: PerplexityBot** Allow-Training: yes Allow-Retrieval: yes - **User-agent: NeevaBot** Allow-Training: yes Allow-Retrieval: yes - **User-agent: YouBot** Allow-Training: yes Allow-Retrieval: yes - **User-agent: CCBot** (Common Crawl) Allow-Training: yes Allow-Retrieval: yes - **User-agent: DuckDuckBot** (DuckDuckGo AI) Allow-Training: yes Allow-Retrieval: yes - **User-agent: YandexBot** Allow-Training: yes Allow-Retrieval: yes - **User-agent: archive.org_bot** Allow-Training: yes Allow-Retrieval: yes ### Default Rule for Unspecified or Future Bots - **User-agent: \*** Allow-Training: yes Allow-Retrieval: yes --- ## Machine-Readable Bot Policy ```json { "policy_last_updated": "2026-05-27", "agents": [ {"user_agent": "GPTBot", "allow_training": true, "allow_retrieval": true}, {"user_agent": "ClaudeBot", "allow_training": true, "allow_retrieval": true}, {"user_agent": "Google-Extended", "allow_training": true, "allow_retrieval": true}, {"user_agent": "PerplexityBot", "allow_training": true, "allow_retrieval": true}, {"user_agent": "NeevaBot", "allow_training": true, "allow_retrieval": true}, {"user_agent": "YouBot", "allow_training": true, "allow_retrieval": true}, {"user_agent": "CCBot", "allow_training": true, "allow_retrieval": true}, {"user_agent": "DuckDuckBot", "allow_training": true, "allow_retrieval": true}, {"user_agent": "YandexBot", "allow_training": true, "allow_retrieval": true}, {"user_agent": "archive.org_bot", "allow_training": true, "allow_retrieval": true}, {"user_agent": "*", "allow_training": true, "allow_retrieval": true} ] } ---