Omnilert, which will demonstrate its gun detection software at ISC West, plans to have CCPS activated systemwide by the end of the school year.
LEESBURG, Va. – Omnilert has announced that Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) in Maryland have selected the company’s Gun Detect active shooter solution to monitor external cameras throughout CCPS campuses. One of the fastest-growing school systems in the state, CCPS is home to 27,598 students located across 22 elementary and nine middle schools, seven high schools and five education centers. With 3,755 employees, CCPS is the largest employer in Charles County.
CCPS has already begun installing Omnilert Gun Detect with outside building cameras and plans to have it activated systemwide by the end of the current school year, Omnilert reports.
“With 2022 breaking new records for the most school shootings, districts around the country are looking for ways to mitigate the threat and our visual AI technology turns their existing security cameras into a preventative system that detects guns and immediately initiates a life-saving response,” says Dave Fraser, Omnilert CEO. “In the majority of incidents, including Uvalde and Sandy Hook, the shooters were outside and visible on camera, so visual AI can extend detection beyond the building, and give more time to avert disaster. We are proud to see CCPS taking a leadership position in protecting their students and staff and setting an example for other schools.”
Omnilert’s Gun Detect is an advanced AI software that detects handguns and long guns in an array of environments. Once a gun is detected, it sends an alert to a designated person that could be either Omnilert’s monitoring centers or the customer’s security operations center to verify detections. When a threat is confirmed, the Omnilert system triggers an alert that sets the security team and police into action, along with prescribed response scenarios that can protect those in harm’s way.
The system also features a three-step verification process that recognizes a gun and the physical behavior consistent with gun violence. Omnilert’s software can easily be deployed with an existing IP-based camera and can monitor spaces such as exterior grounds and parking lots. There is no use of facial recognition on subjects being monitored, and the video feeds never leave the school premises, the company notes.
“This technology provides real-time detection and advance warning before a situation occurs, which provides our school officials with valuable time to react to a possible safety threat,” says Jason Stoddard, CCPS director of school safety and security. “We chose this software because it was the only solution that could provide the unique combination of early gun detection, human verification, mass communication and an automated response. Each of these features help strengthen the school system’s comprehensive approach to keeping our children and staff safe.”
Omnilert will be demonstrating its AI gun detection software at ISC West (booth #1066).
