Winnipeg Health Sciences Centre to make AI-powered weapon detectors permanent

Manitoba's largest hospital is making AI-powered weapon detectors a permanent fixture at some of its entrances.

Scanners at the adult and children's emergency department, as well as the Crisis Response Centre of Winnipeg's Health Sciences Centre, are slated to all be operational starting next Thursday, a Shared Health spokesperson said in an email Friday.

The move follows a months-long trial of the devices, which automatically screen people using artificial intelligence, allowing them to walk into the facilities without having to remove any of their belongings at a security check, unlike traditional metal detectors.

The HSC pilot tested devices from three different vendors. On Friday, Toronto-based Xtract One Technologies announced the company's SmartGateway detector was selected.

CEO Peter Evans said SmartGateway is currently in use in places like New York's Madison Square Garden, facilities run by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and other hospitals across North America. 

Evans said he couldn't provide any specific results from the HSC pilot because of a non-disclosure agreement, but the system was able to successfully detect thousands of weapons at a similar health-care facility in Virginia, where about five per cent of people were caught with items like knives, guns and even a crossbow.

"What we've been able to determine in working in pilots like the one we did with Shared Health and like the ones that we've done at other locations is the problem is very significant," Evans said.

'No system is perfect'

A Shared Health memo sent out to staff said the HSC emergency departments will be manned 24/7 by an institutional safety officer and a security guard. The scanner at the children's ER entrance will only go live once Shared Health is "in a better position to staff the scanner and expected processes," the memo said.

Evans said HSC put the devices through a "rigorous process" to figure out the settings that worked for them during the pilot, testing it out in multiple locations and over several weeks.

Xtract One aims to catch over 98 per cent of firearms and 96 per cent of edged weapons at a minimum during testing, but the results can vary depending on the environment, he said.

SmartGateway has also been tested by government agencies in the U.S. and the U.K., he said.

"No system is perfect," he said. "You'll find organizations are looking to balance the guest experience and the safety, and so finding that sweet spot could leave the systems open to detecting or missing some of the weapons going through."

Union calls for detectors in other facilities

Manitoba Nurses Union president Darlene Jackson said front-line staff at the hospital felt the detectors "really made a difference" during the pilot, and that they felt much safer. 

She said the decision has been "a long time coming."

"I would really like to see those scanners move to facilities outside the perimeter, not just within Winnipeg," she said, citing recent incidents in Thompson and Swan River.

"I think it would be very beneficial to have them in some of our hospitals that are … areas of concern."

Xtract One said it's in talks with other provincial governments to place the detectors in other Canadian heath-care facilities.

Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said during a news conference Friday they were "thrilled" the technology is coming to HSC.

When asked about potentially installing the technology to other hospitals in the province, the minister said not every approach works in every setting.

"Some folks are talking about maybe community safety hosts," Asagwara said. "We're working with each and every site that has these concerns and making sure we're taking a tailored approach that meets their needs."

The Winnipeg Jets and Blue Bombers also adopted the weapon detectors at their home arenas this year.

Shared Health says visitors to Health Sciences Centre will see signage indicating that construction work is going on as testing is underway to ensure the site is ready for the permanent scanners.