By Suzie Ziegler
LONDON — Emergency communications company Superhailer has debuted its namesake device, “a safe, high-power, acoustic communication tool,” according to the company.
The megaphone-like tool is meant to broadcast messages clearly to large, raucous crowds.
“In riot situations it’s loud and chaotic, and it’s hard to hear anything clearly. The police have a very difficult job to talk to the crowd. The best way to calm tension is to regularly disseminate information and let protesters know what’s going on,” says Ben Greving, a firearms instructor and specialist equipment expert for law enforcement agencies. “The Superhailer is a very effective way of delivering that information in a safe, loud and clear way – and letting people know what they should do.”
According to the company, Superhailer can project live speech, recorded messages and “attention-grabbing” sounds up to 800 feet away. The tool also has directional accuracy and maintains its clarity, the company says.
“Operators simply aim the device at the desired person or people they want to communicate with and press the button. At this point an in-built laser range finder instantly measures the distance to the target. This information is fed to the onboard safety limiter that, in only a quarter of a second, determines what the safe volume level should be before any sound is broadcast,” the release reads in part.
Greving says Superhailer is loud, but not harmful, and is “designed to be always safe.” Superhailer’s maximum volume stays below 112dB LAeq, “well within sound levels generally accepted as being legally permitted,” according to the release.
Superhailer can also record video and sound 30 seconds before and after the device is used.