Tech Valley Products Keep Nation Safe, Sound
Published Apr 15, 2007
Ryan O’Donnell, CEO of BullEx Digital Safety, has made emergency preparedness his business.
On one heartbreaking morning in 2001, American security was forever changed.
In today’s post-9/11 world, New York companies are leading the way to restore some peace of mind by using cutting-edge technology to heighten awareness and improve the response to danger.
Armor Dynamics has designed a revolutionary, lightweight ballistic technology called Magmacore.™ Rather than trying to stop a projectile by sheer thickness, the groundbreaking technology uses a three-dimensional, rigid matrix to displace energy, creating an effective barrier against explosives and high-velocity rounds.
Magmacore™ is the technology behind Armor Dynamics’ V-Blast protective shield, SecureCan trash receptacle, and Bunker Blocks. The company also is crafting other applications, including innovative body and vehicle armor.
“I believe the need for better ways of fortifying our homeland and protecting our military and homeland security forces has always been there,” says inventor David Warren, president of Armor Dynamics. “The significance of 9/11 and the resulting war on terror is that the threats have evolved and become more complex. The threat is evolving and so, too, must the technology.”
Evolving capabilities has helped make Polar Industries Inc. a leader in the surveillance industry.
Geoffrey Anderson, COO for Polar Industries, says recent legislation has brought about dramatic changes in the legal framework governing video surveillance.
“There should be no expectation of privacy in a public place,” he notes of the expansion of corporate, law enforcement and government rights to obtain and broadcast video.
Anderson says his industry is undergoing a digital revolution much like the cellular phone industry did a decade ago. Polar Industries won the 2006 Emerging Technology of the Year Award for its innovation in developing the ZPAN100™, a 360º Internet protocol camera.
“It typically replaces the work of about six cameras,” he explains, adding that on top of the increased visual scope, there is a reduction in hard drive needs thereby allowing for significantly longer recording times.
Clearly having the latest technology is important, but it’s equally crucial to be able to use the tools at hand. BullEx Digital Safety has created the Intelligent Training System™ – a live-fire simulator that uses ultrasonic sensing technology and a “smart” extinguisher to gage a trainee’s effectiveness.
“Fire extinguishers are really our first line of defense when it comes to an incident – from a small fire in the oven to a terrorist attack,” says Ryan O’Donnell, CEO of BullEx, which won the $100,000 Business Plan Competition as part of the 2006 Summit in Tech Valley.
“In the post-9/11 world, we’re seeing that emergency preparedness is becoming – and rightfully so – more of a priority to safety officers,” he says.
Whether protecting soldiers in the Middle East, keeping a watchful eye on the perimeter here at home or training individuals to act quickly and competently in the face of danger, New York Tech Valley firms are clearly helping make Americans more secure in an uncertain world.
Story by Cindy Sanders
Photo by Wes Aldridge
Current Weather Conditions In Albany, NY (12205)
Cloudy, and 29 ° F. For more details?
Click here...
