Maryland’s Charles County Public Schools Select Omnilert AI Visual Gun Detection
Leesburg VA March 30 2023 Omnilert, a leader in active shooter and emergency notification solutions, today announced that the Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) in Maryland have selected its active shooter solution to monitor external cameras throughout its campuses. As the industry’s only visual gun detection technology to feature a proven emergency notification system (ENS), the Omnilert solution is the most effective system available today – providing 24/7 monitoring with a near-instant response at the first sight of a gun to ensure the best possible outcomes.
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. CCPS is home to 27,598 students located across 22 elementary and 9 middle schools, 7 high schools, and 5 education centers. Also, with 3,755 employees, CCPS is the largest employer in Charles County.
“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,” said 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.”
“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,” said Dave Fraser, CEO of Omnilert. “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.”
How AI Visual Gun Detection Works
Omnilert Gun Detect is an advanced AI software that detects handguns and long guns in a vast 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. This solution gives emergency response teams advance warning before shots are fired and delivers precise information on the location and a photo and video of the potential shooter.
Unlike other solutions that merely provide weapon identification, Omnilert Gun Detect has 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 any existing IP-based camera and can monitor spaces that other safety technologies miss such as exterior grounds and parking lots. The software was designed with privacy concerns in mind as there is no use of facial recognition on subjects being monitored and the video feeds never leave the school premises.
