In an exclusive interview with SJA, Ivo Allen, Founder and CEO of 911inform discusses his motivation behind improving emergency response times and the “pioneering” features used by his platform.

Can you explain your motivation behind setting up 911inform?

My wife actually was the one behind the idea of 911inform.

About eight years ago, we were watching a Dateline episode about school shootings and in that episode they said 80% of fatalities in a mass shooting event are from non-life-threatening gunshot wounds from victims bleeding out.

At the time, my expertise from founding Hunter Technologies revolved around networking and telecommunications for New Jersey police departments and schools.

Knowing I was adjacent to this security field, my wife turned to me and asked why that was and I didn’t have a good answer for her.

This began my exploration with the police and schools we worked with, where I realized a major problem was all the security technologies they had weren’t at all integrated with each other and required their own logins.

The average emergency scenario is over in about eight minutes.

During those eight minutes, no one is taking the time to log into each software to activate its separate features.

So despite having a plethora of safety features available, almost none of it actually gets used in an emergency.

When I told my wife what we had found out, she let me know that I needed to fix it and that’s how 911inform was born.

What were the biggest hurdles to overcome when doing so?

The technological development of our platform was certainly a large hurdle.

We worked on our software for three years before launching, knowing we needed to come to market with an absolutely flawless product.

In public safety where lives are on the line, there really is no alternative.

We also were striving for a solution that had never been done before – connecting all of an organization’s existing security tools under one platform, streamlining the execution of those tools and then creating a link between the organization and 911 personnel.

What are the main features of your platform and how do they benefit the user?

911inform is connected with your municipality’s emergency dispatch, so if a 911 call goes out or your security protocols are triggered, 911inform live streams that information directly to dispatch and responding personnel.

The first responders can view an interactive map of your facility, including where the call was made, tap into the security cameras of that room and view the scene before ever setting foot on site.

They now know exactly where an emergency is taking place and how it’s unfolding, giving them unparalleled situational awareness.

In addition to monitoring your existing systems (like phone, video, door locks, mass notifications), we also offer interactive floor plans accessible to first responders, radio integration and AI-powered weapons, license plate and facial recognition.

Use of our system also makes facilities compliant with federal safety regulations, including Kari’s Law, the RAY BAUM’S Act and Alyssa’s Law.

In what ways does 911inform simplify the emergency response process?

We operate under a single-pane-of-glass philosophy, meaning our platform is a one-stop-shop for all situational awareness and command control at the touch of a button.

We also track and log the activity of all assets and personnel during the event.

After the emergency is over, we provide a detailed history of all activity including transcription and recording of the 911 call and radio traffic.

With our system, we are drastically reducing facility lockdown times from ten minutes to less than ten seconds.

Our clients are seeing an overall reduction in response times to medical emergencies in their facilities by an average of 60%, which truly is life-saving.

How do you expect 911inform to evolve in the future?

We are constantly evolving to provide new, helpful integrations into our system.

Most recently, we incorporated environmental factors, such as mold and CO2 detection and Z-access, which provides vertical location data in addition to just horizontal (i.e. for pinpointing emergencies within a large skyscraper building).

Additionally, we work with local, state and federal agencies to ensure up-to-date regulations are in place and new technologies are being adopted to keep up with the modern world and to keep the public safe.

You’ve been a part of a few different companies such as Hunter Technologies and TigerSix Sports Management, what qualities have you learned from these positions which still serve you well today?

Starting a business out of our house and charging expenses to your credit card, like I did with Hunter Technologies, you learn very quickly how to hustle and how to close deals.

That drive was really what fuels my mindset towards business today, always pushing forward to improve our sales, increase our capital and streamlining processes.

For me, it all comes down to execution and being able to do it consistently and well.

Additionally, having a team behind you is the most important factor for success.

The average term of employment at Hunter is 17 years, so I strive at each of my companies to ensure that we get the best talent available and then keep those people happy, because having the right team really makes all the difference.

I noticed when I was getting bogged down in the day-to-day running of the company, I wasn’t able to source new business and drive innovation.

Having that support you know you can rely on while you focus on other things is a game changer.

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