4 Feb 19
“Smart” OC Spray!
We saw an interesting product in January at the SHOT show upon which I’ve thus-far failed to comment:
Sabre, along with Fox Labs and several others, is a respected manufacturer of OC dispensers, designed for personal defense.
At Sabre’s SHOT Show booth, we saw a sign that read:
“Smart OC”
Trying to imagine how OC spray could be “smart,” Vicki and I approached the booth and talked with folks there.
Sabre’s new product is a small, personal OC spray bottle, with GPS and smart-phone capabilities!
Owners can set it up (via an app) so that when the OC bottle is activated (OC is actually sprayed), an “alarm” is automatically sent, via the owner’s cell phone, alerting a person and/or alarm-company operators who have been selected for this duty by the owner.
They will, in turn, immediately call the user back to determine what is going on, and then take appropriate action
Along with the alarm, the physical location of the device user’s cell phone is also sent, so responders know exactly where to OC user is, even when they’ve moved since spraying the OC.
This device and app are brand new, but it struck me as being a very good idea for college students, for example.
It’s similar to modern automobiles which can be set-up to send a like alarm, and GPS information, when airbag(s) are deployed.
For one, I’m interested to see if this idea really “catches-on.” When it does, all other OC spray manufacturers will likely offer their own versions, just as we’ve seen happen in the car industry.
Of course, there are concerns:
False alarms
Reluctance to use OC when legitimately necessary, for fear of “causing a stir”
Non-effectiveness in non-cell areas (OC is still effective, but the alarm is delayed)
However, for one, I still think it is a good idea, and Sabre is a company with the integrity to do it right and make a quality, reliable product.
Price I was told is $70.00, and of course that doesn’t include the phone!
Wish I’d thought of it!
/John