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| Fog Technology Provides New Device for Security |
| By Michelle Gaseau, Managing Editor |
| Published: 09/29/2003 |
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A riot breaks out during chow. Inmates are throwing food, chairs and punches. Officers rush in to quell the situation, but this time they have a new non-lethal tool that can help them apprehend the instigators - a tactical fog system. The fog is dispensed from a portable unit and within seconds the inmates have lost their ability to see their surroundings or hear their fellow offenders because of the thick fog that hangs in the air. The tactical officers however - aided by special vision apparatus - can see each other and take control of the ringleaders without incident. While this scenario has not yet taken place inside a correctional facility, it has been played out in a mock scenario at the annual Mock Prison Riot in Moundsville, West Virginia. And, by next year a handful of corrections agencies may be able to test the fog technology themselves in demonstration projects. "This [technology] is a little different and is actually quite effective. You get in the middle of it and put your wrist watch up to your face and can barely see it," said Lawrence Kosiba, President and CEO of the national Office of Law Enforcement Technology Commercialization, which co-sponsors the Mock Riot each year. The Tactical Fog System, by Fog Security Systems of Manitoba, Canada, was used by tactical teams at both the 2001 and 2002 Mock Riots in several riot-like scenarios. The demonstrations showed officers and others that the fog technology has uses in several security situations, large and small. "Whoever the officer is on duty can see the trouble and hit a button and it activates the fog. It takes 20 seconds to engulf the area where you have vision up to two inches. No one can see except for those on the emergency response team with cameras on their helmets. They can see through the fog as clear as day," said Laurence Gainsborough, President of Fog Security Systems Inc. Gainsborough is hopeful that the system will actually receive first-hand testing experience in live correctional setting next year through a National Institute of Justice program. Options and Uses Currently, the fog system comes in two types, one that is installed in an area of a facility and another that is portable and can be carried to the unit where it is needed. The portable units, which are the size of a small room dehumidifier and weight less than 60 pounds, were used at the Mock Riot demonstrations. Gainsborough said that correctional facility disturbances are an ideal use for the technology because it can improve safety for officers and inmates. Likely spots for placement of the units would be a cafeteria, housing unit or use of portable units in the recreation yard. "Correctional facilities are ideal because of all the troubles from overcrowding and the fights can escalate into high damage and the inmates and officers can be at risk of harm," he said. "As the aggressor, you wouldn't know who was around you. The officer can come from behind," he said. The substance deployed is Propylene Glycol, which is a food preservative, combined with distilled water. It is totally safe to breathe, Gainsborough said, non-irritant, non-corrosive and easy to clean up as it dissipates in the air. "This is totally non injurious. They way we use it, no one has to wear a mask," he said. Gainsborough added that agencies could decide to add other substances to the "fog" such as pepper spray, if that was desired. But for officers to see through the fog, they must have special vision devices mounted on their emergency response helmets that use Tactical Fog Thermal Imaging technology, much like night vision technology. With the ability to see each other and the offenders, coupled with the reduced noise that the fog provides, officers can easily detain and apprehend offenders in a disturbance. Gainsborough said that the portable unit comes with a generator so it can be placed on the back of a vehicle and driven to another area of the facility or it can be carried like a backpack and used with a wand - such as in a cell extraction. While the technology has an easy application to riots and disturbances, according to Gainsborough, the fog system was originally designed as an anti-theft device for businesses. The system was installed in businesses such as high-end clothing stores or computer and high-tech firms in the entryways to deter theft. In addition, the technology has been used recently by the U.S. military as a tool to help uncover those hiding in the caves of Afghanistan or as a protective device when military officials go door-to-door seeking Al Qaeda members or others with information, Gainsborough said. Also the system has been purchased as an anti-hijacking device for airplanes. The fog technology has also been used by the federal research arm DARPA, which has experimented with adding a solution that kills 99.9 percent of Anthrax spores when it is vaporized in the fog. "With the fog, it travels over, under, around and into areas," Gainsborough said. This application may also have some use in correctional facilities where mail contaminated with Anthrax might be found. "With this, no one has to move," he said. While preliminary reactions to the technology have been very positive, Kosiba of the OLETC said there is one aspect that might be of some concern to officers who are claustrophobic. "We found that out real quick. It is disorienting. We had one person [in the Mock Riot demonstration] we found was claustrophobic [and he had to leave the scenario]," Kosiba said. The cost of the units currently starts at $25,000 depending on how many areas of a facility need to be secured by the system, Gainsborough said, or if a portable unit is required. When it comes to officer safety and inmate control, however, human life is difficult to put a price on and correctional agencies are eager to find less lethal methods for accomplishing both. "We are on the leading edge of the technology wave and we want to bring things to the market," said Wayne Barte, Project Manager with OLETC, who helped bring the fog security system to the Mock Riot. "It piqued the interest of the teams and we could integrate it with other technologies." Resources: For more information about the system, contact Gainsborough at 204-253-0388 or by email at laurence@fogsecurity.com |
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