Not a manual. Not a spec sheet. These are the questions Randy hears from skeptics — fleet managers who've been burned before, DOT officers who've heard too many pitches, tow operators who need to know if this works at 2 AM in the rain. Straight answers, every one.
"Your MUTCD setup is doing exactly what it's designed to do: inform drivers a work zone is ahead and guide them around it. The problem it cannot solve is what happens when a driver doesn't respond in time."
OVERWATCH doesn't replace your traffic control setup. It adds the one thing signs and cones cannot: an alarm that fires the instant a vehicle crosses your boundary — before the collision. A cone struck at highway speed gives your crew zero seconds of warning. OVERWATCH gives them three to five.
The question isn't whether your setup is compliant. It almost certainly is. The question is what happens on the day when compliant isn't enough.
This is the right question — because a system that cries wolf gets ignored, and an ignored alarm is worse than no alarm at all.
OVERWATCH's detection filter is calibrated to vehicle-sized objects only. Wind-blown cones, debris, birds, small animals, crew members inside the zone — none of these trigger the alarm. The filter was tuned in real highway conditions precisely because nuisance alarms kill trust in any safety system.
When OVERWATCH fires, something vehicle-sized just crossed your line. Every time.
Yes — fully, in all of those conditions. LiDAR emits its own laser pulses. It doesn't rely on ambient light. Darkness has zero effect on detection performance. This is one of the core reasons LiDAR was chosen over camera-based systems: it performs identically at 2 PM and 2 AM.
Rain, dust, and light fog cause minimal degradation. Keeping the lens clean — a 30-second wipe before deployment — is the primary maintenance step for consistent all-weather performance.
Automatic reset — in under one second. When the vehicle clears the barrier, the alarm stops and the system immediately rearms itself. No crew action required.
This is critical. If a crew member had to manually reset after every event, the zone would be unprotected during the reset window and crew attention would be pulled from their own safety at exactly the wrong moment.
Under 3 minutes is the field-tested number, not a lab estimate. Position the unit at the zone boundary. Use the video targeting display to align the barrier. Press arm. That's it.
Drivers who go through a 30-minute familiarization session consistently hit under 2 minutes by their second or third deployment. The demo Randy walks you through includes a live timed deployment so you see the actual number for yourself.
Yes — this is a design requirement, not a marketing claim. The portable unit weighs approximately 50 lbs and stands independently once positioned. No second person. No tools. No vehicle hookup.
The scenario where OVERWATCH matters most is often a solo operator — a tow driver at a 2 AM breakdown. If it required two people to deploy, it wouldn't be available in that exact situation.
No — and we'll always be direct about this. MUTCD-compliant traffic control is required by law and remains essential. OVERWATCH doesn't replace any of it.
What it adds is the one layer your existing setup cannot provide: an alarm that fires at the moment of intrusion. Cones guide drivers. Signs warn them. OVERWATCH detects when guidance and warning weren't enough — and gives your crew the seconds they need to react.
If the portable unit is physically moved after arming, the barrier position shifts with it — which is why proper targeting before arming matters. The vehicle-mounted unit is fixed to the vehicle and not subject to incidental movement.
For portable deployments in high-traffic adjacent positions, ask Randy about ballast and stabilization options during your demo. He'll walk through the right setup for your specific scenario.
The FDOT Approved Products List (APL) is Florida DOT's pre-vetted roster of safety equipment officially approved for use in Florida transportation projects. OVERWATCH is on it.
For procurement officers: no independent evaluation required, clear compliance documentation, and a direct purchase path. Typical timeline is 45–90 days from demo to units in the field. View FDOT APL details →
Federal ITS grant programs can potentially cover up to 80% of eligible technology purchase costs for qualifying agencies. Actual coverage depends on your program, state, and available grant funds at the time of application.
Call Randy. He'll confirm your state's current funding landscape in about 10 minutes. Alpha Safenet provides all technical documentation needed for grant applications — you file it, we give you everything needed to do it accurately. ITS funding details →
Possibly. It's very likely your state is already on the approved APL listing.
If so, there is no need for additional evaluation, compliance documentation, or jumping through bureaucracy hoops in order to start the procurement process. See if your state is already on the list →
Yes. APL listing accelerates government procurement — it doesn't gate private purchases. Towing operators, contractors, and utility companies buy directly regardless of state APL status.
For government agencies in non-listed states: federal ITS funding may still be accessible through your state's ITS program. Randy will also work with you to pursue state registration if you want to initiate that process. Talk to Randy about your state →
Every OVERWATCH unit includes a 1-year warranty covering defects in materials and workmanship. Training documentation, deployment checklists, and quick-reference guides are included with every purchase.
For field support: call Randy directly at 423-580-4255. He answers personally. Most field issues are resolved by confirming the lens is clean, battery is charged, and targeting alignment is correct — Randy walks through this in under 5 minutes on the phone.
No chatbots. No support tickets. Call or email the person who built the system and knows every deployment scenario inside out.