An artificial intelligence-powered security system has detected over 3,155 threats since being installed a year ago at Windsor Regional Hospital.
The list of items includes 1,834 knives.
The Evolv Weapons Detection System uses powerful sensor technology with artificial intelligence to detect weapons or other potential items of concern while also allowing staff, patients, and visitors to pass through the checkpoint without always having to open their bags or empty their pockets.
On Oct. 19, 2023, Windsor Regional Hospital became the first healthcare centre in Canada to use the advanced system when it was activated in the emergency departments at the Met and Ouellette campuses.
Manager of Safety and Security at Windsor Regional Hospital, Michael Broderick, says a threat is something that may or may not be a weapon but is still something they don't want in the emergency department.
The AI technology distinguishes between items that might be a threat, such as a gun or knife, and most everyday items individuals might be carrying, like a cellphone.
If the system detects an item of concern, a red light would be activated, a video would highlight where the perceived threat may be on the person in question, and a security guard would then perform a secondary inspection.
"The other threats can be things like tools or personal items that might have a sharp edge or an object that people might have in their pocket or purse that they carry otherwise, but because of our policies, it's not something you need to attend the emergency department," he says. "Those items are either stored for them or returned to their vehicle at the time of their enterance."
Broderick says they've never had a firearm come through the system, but there have been makeshift weapons detected on some people coming to the hospital.
"They may not have their fixed address or have all of their belongings in their backpack. They do what they need to do on the streets to protect themselves," he says. "You'll see items that have been modified as such to have a sharp edge on the end or a baton that they've created out of a stick or something. While it's not technically a weapon, it's something designed for protection."
The decision to implement the technology came after discussions with the WRH Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee, where officials had discussed incidences of weapons brought into the emergency department.