As students return to classrooms for the new school year, an Austin-based technology company says its emergency response drones are now protecting schools in three states, with plans to eventually expand into Texas.
Campus Guardian Angel, developed by Austin-based Mithril Defense, has deployed between 20 and 60 drones in secure docking stations at schools in Florida, Georgia, and Colorado. The company says the drones are designed to provide an immediate response during an active shooter emergency while law enforcement is en route.
“We’d love to deploy into schools in Texas and keep … kids of our own families and friends and neighbors safe as well,” CEO Justin Marston said, Audacy reported.
Drones Designed for Rapid Response
The drones are remotely piloted from an operations center in Austin staffed by former law enforcement officers, emergency responders, trained drone pilots, and former 911 dispatchers.
According to the company, school staff can activate the system through a mobile app after identifying a potential armed threat. Operators then verify the emergency using school camera feeds before deploying drones, which officials say can reach a suspect in about 15 seconds.
Each drone is equipped with cameras, lights, sirens, and two-way speakers that allow operators to communicate with a suspected gunman, victims, and responding officers. The drones can also deploy pepper spray and, if necessary, physically strike a suspect in an effort to disrupt the attack until police arrive.
“Our goal and our mission as a company is to protect kids and keep them safe from mass violence in schools, and also to reduce the fear of mass violence in schools,” Marston said, per Audacy.
Expansion Begins Outside Texas
Although the technology was developed in Texas, the first deployments have occurred elsewhere.
Florida lawmakers funded a pilot program that is placing the drone systems in selected schools across three districts, with additional state funding approved this year to expand the program. Broward County Public Schools has identified Boyd H. Anderson High School for participation, although district officials say implementation remains in the planning stages.
In Colorado, John Adams Academy in Douglas County will become the state’s first school to install the system. School officials said the drones will complement other security measures, including armed staff members and a school resource officer.
The company has also installed systems at schools in Georgia, per CBS News.
Why the Technology Is Not Yet in Texas Schools
Despite being headquartered in Austin, Campus Guardian Angel has not yet deployed its drone systems at Texas schools.
Marston said the company’s initial rollout occurred in Florida and Georgia because those states hold annual legislative sessions and were able to establish funding and pilot programs more quickly.
“It’s just that Florida and Georgia have legislative sessions every year, and Texas was in a non-cycle year when we started deploying,” Marston said, according to Audacy.
Marston said the company has demonstrated the system for the Texas School District Police Chiefs Association, the Texas School Safety Center, and multiple school districts across the state. He said Campus Guardian Angel is now working with a Texas lawmaker and seeking school districts interested in adopting the technology once funding and legislative support become available.
Addressing School Violence
Campus Guardian Angel cites increasing concerns about school violence as the driving force behind its technology.
According to the company, school shootings have increased significantly over the past decade, while false active shooter reports — commonly known as swatting incidents — have also become more frequent, creating anxiety among students, teachers, and parents.
Marston pointed to a false alarm at Round Rock High School as an example of the lasting emotional effects such incidents can have.
“We spoke to Round Rock High School in Texas, where they had a major event and the teachers ended up having clear trauma and PTSD, even though it was a false alarm,” he said.
The company says its system is intended only for life-threatening emergencies and is not designed for routine surveillance or responses to minor disciplinary issues.
“Our ultimate goal is to incapacitate or degrade that suspect in 60 seconds, then work with law enforcement to take that person into custody,” Khristof Oborski, the company’s director of tactical operations, told CBS Colorado.
While the technology has been tested extensively in simulations and training exercises, it has not yet been used during an actual school shooting. School officials participating in the pilot programs say they view the drones as another layer of protection alongside school resource officers, physical security measures, and emergency response plans.
Provided by Dallas Express
