News and Stories

Motion detection sensors (Brave sensors) have been installed in several VIRL (Vancouver Island Regional Library) branches, thanks to a $50,000 grant from the Island Health Resilience and Safety Grant. The grants fund initiatives that improve workplace resilience and individual safety related to the toxic drug crisis.

Brave sensors are purpose designed to:

• Decrease the risk for serious or fatal consequences to a member of the community suffering from opioid poisoning in a private library washroom stall.
• Decrease the risk of negative psychological impacts to staff and other patrons that may witness or attend to an opioid poisoning in a library washroom.
• Decrease the risk of staff and patron conflict.
• Decrease the risk of staff exposure to unintended patron indecency, biohazards, and other unknown substances.
• Decrease current administrative washroom checks by library staff, enhancing patron privacy and allowing additional washroom time for those who may be in need.
• Provide library staff the opportunity to focus on specific work tasks supporting the efficient operation of the library.

How do they work?

The Brave sensors are a motion sensor system that passively monitors public bathrooms and washrooms for signs of movement. They are activated when a person enters a washroom stall. If a stall is occupied for an extended period of time or if the sensor has not detected movement in the stall for a pre-determined span of time, an alarm is immediately sent to a dedicated Brave mobile phone monitored by branch staff. Library staff would then follow the established procedures and guidelines listed above for responding to occurrences in the branch – now including the Brave alarms – and proceed with any necessary interventions.

Is anything else recorded or captured?

No. The device is a reverse-motion sensor system that passively monitors for the absence of micro-movements, such as respiration. The Brave Sensor contains only motion sensors, no microphones or cameras. All public washrooms with Brave sensors installed are equipped with signage.

Where are Brave Sensors Installed? 

• Nanaimo Harbourfront
• Courtenay
• Campbell River
• Port Hardy
• Sooke

If you have any concerns about your privacy, contact us at privacy@virl.bc.ca.

For more information about Brave sensors, visit https://www.brave.coop/product/brave-sensors.