Following early success, a Florida school district is expanding implementation of an artificial intelligence (AI)-based gun detection platform as a way to proactively protect its students and faculty against gun-related violence.

Following a successful one-year implementation, Hernando County School District of Brooksville, Florida will utilize the AI-based gun detection video analytics platform ZeroEyes, which holds a U.S. Department of Homeland Security SAFETY Act Designation. The technology will be layered on top of existing security cameras in more than 10 facilities, where it will identify brandished guns and dispatch alerts to first responders and local law enforcement in as fast as three to five seconds from detection. In addition to proactive gun detection, the solution will provide actionable intelligence to local law enforcement and security staff for situational awareness.

Located on the central-west coast of Florida, Hernando County School District is composed of 10 elementary, three K-8, four middle and five high schools, as well as three charter schools, one alternative school and three technical/adult education centers. It serves more than 24,000 students and employs approximately 3,100 staff members.

The AI was trained to detect only guns and does not perform any facial recognition. The system also does not receive, record, store, or share any personal or biometric data. The system only receives images when a gun has been identified; at all other times, the monitoring screens remain blank.