Chesapeake & Midlantic Marketing, in collaboration with Crist Communications, recently led a proof of concept demonstration showcasing the power of Bosch IVA Pro Gun Detection technology in a school safety setting. The event brought together school officials, local law enforcement, and security professionals to witness firsthand how advanced analytics can enhance emergency response and student protection.
At the heart of the demonstration was a simple but critical objective: reduce law enforcement response times in active threat scenarios. Jason Crist, President of Crist Communications, emphasized the urgency of the issue:
“Student safety is an important thing for everybody. We feel like we can apply this technology to help reduce the response time from law enforcement to get to the school and respond to an emergency.”
The demonstration didn’t occur in a vacuum—it aligned with an existing school system’s comprehensive safety plan. The setup included physical barriers, emergency response protocols, and layered access control, with the Bosch IVA Pro gun detection acting as a real-time intelligence layer that fits seamlessly into that ecosystem.
“Our technology will go right in with that plan for detecting, deterring and response,” Crist said. “The construction of this building specifically does a really good job in delaying... detecting it is where we come in.”
During the demo, participants saw how the IVA Pro system detects a raised, visible firearm and instantly communicates that alert through a video management system. The alert includes video, camera geolocation via integrated mapping, and real-time event tracking—all accessible on mobile devices and in the facility’s security operations center.
“It gives them the video at the live event. It gives them the live video at that location currently. From that point, they can immediately look and see what happens... and give status and information to responders.”
This level of situational awareness supports rapid verification, informed decision-making, and coordinated law enforcement response. The system is also designed for flexibility, allowing alerts to be routed to wherever the client needs them—whether it’s mobile phones, security hubs, or dispatch centers.
Crist Communications made clear that introducing new technology into a school environment is never taken lightly. The Bosch IVA Pro Gun Detection solution was first evaluated at a Chesapeake & Midlantic Marketing's Security Technology Forum, held annually near Washington, D.C. After thorough testing and validation, Crist and his team felt confident bringing it into a live demonstration environment.
“We're not going bring an emerging technology to a customer until it's vetted and ready to go,” Crist noted. “We excel with customers that need that additional level of service, that additional level of expertise.”
He credited Steve Pennington and the MidChes team for their careful vetting process and for providing the support necessary to execute the demonstration successfully.
“Those guys went through their paces… when it was ready to go, then we were able to engage a customer of ours that we thought would fit really well with it.”
Beyond gun detection, the event also highlighted complementary technologies such as facial recognition, anti-tailgating systems, and secure building access—all integrated into a layered security design. The result is a holistic approach where physical, procedural, and technological measures work in tandem to delay, detect, and respond to threats.
Crist closed the event with a forward-looking message about building trust and capability in the face of modern threats:
“All those systems should tie in and work as one for the customer to be able to respond to an incident.”
As emerging threats demand faster and more intelligent response mechanisms, this demonstration stands as proof that advanced analytics like Bosch IVA Pro Gun Detection can be a vital tool in safeguarding schools—and the lives within them.
Beyond schools...
While this demonstration focused on a school environment, the Bosch IVA Pro Gun Detection solution is not limited to educational facilities. Its flexible integration capabilities and real-time alerting make it an ideal fit for government buildings, corporate campuses, places of worship, and any organization seeking to improve threat detection and response time. As targeted violence continues to be a growing concern across sectors, proactive technologies like this one offer a scalable, intelligent layer of protection that supports both prevention and rapid response—wherever safety matters most.
Additional Demonstration Footage
The video below contains the footage from the longer video above, however also has footage including a taser, mobile phone in multiple common positions, and a common workplace tool.
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