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States Consider Drones to Stop School Shootings
The pilot uses remotely flown drones to locate a potential shooter within 15 seconds and adds another layer of protection, officials said.
On Friday, Deltona High School in Volusia County became the first campus in the country to launch a drone pilot program designed to detect potential shooters on campus within 15 seconds.
The Florida legislature appropriated $557,000 to test the technology across Broward, Leon, and Volusia school districts, with all three campuses receiving drone installations over the next several months.
Operated by professional pilots in Austin, Texas, the Campus Guardian Angel system utilizes 13 mounted boxes, each equipped with 3 drones that deploy within seconds and trigger sirens and strobe lights.
Costing about $8 per student for the pilot, the system faces skepticism from victims' families; Debbie Hixon stated, "It's hard to just jump on the bandwagon until you see it in action."
Georgia has also allocated $550,000 to pilot the program in five high schools, while CEO Justin Marston stated the company expects expansion into Texas next year amid growing state interest.