School administrators are increasingly adopting multi-sensor technology to address safety concerns, including violence and a rise in vaping and e-cigarette usage, which pose fire and life safety risks and disrupt learning environments.
This innovative solution is gaining traction among K-12 school districts looking to better monitor challenging areas like restrooms and locker rooms, where such activities frequently occur.
Enhanced Detection Capabilities
Collaborating with reliable security integrators, these schools are installing advanced, tamper-resistant sensors capable of detecting various conditions. These devices can differentiate between tobacco and THC vaping, recognise attempts to mask vaping with aerosols, and identify gunshots with precise location information. Time-stamped alerts provide real-time notifications for immediate response.
The sensors also monitor indoor air quality, helping to reduce disease spread by ensuring effective air filtration. Additionally, they alert administrators to hazardous substances in science labs and utility areas. Custom applications extend notifications after-hours for unauthorised movements or to optimise HVAC energy usage.
Real-World Applications
In Chickasha, Oklahoma, the implementation of this technology yielded immediate results
In Chickasha, Oklahoma, the implementation of this technology yielded immediate results. Within a week, sensors detected aggressive noises from a school bathroom, leading to the discovery of a student concealing contraband by forcefully removing a towel dispenser.
Dan Turner, Executive Director of Operations for Chickasha Public Schools, noted the system's effectiveness in improving safety by stating, "This system has gone way beyond expectation for not only preventing vaping but deterring crime and other disruptive behaviour."
Comprehensive Safety Strategy
Beyond detecting vaping, this multi-sensor technology facilitates air quality monitoring and supports healthier, safer school buildings. It helps in curbing disruptive behaviours, such as bullying and vandalism, ensuring a positive learning atmosphere.
The technology can also be integrated with existing video management systems to enhance security across campus facilities.
Funding Opportunities
Federal COVID-19 relief funding is available to support the deployment of these systems in middle
Federal COVID-19 relief funding is available to support the deployment of these systems in middle and high schools.
Districts have leveraged Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds, influenced by a Stanford University study indicating higher COVID-19 risks for vaping teens and young adults.
Collaborative Solutions
Everon offers a range of solutions, including multi-sensor technology, mass notification systems, and access control, to support safer educational environments.
By partnering with top cooperative purchasing organisations, schools can ensure cost-effective procurement of security and safety solutions, while optimising their budgets.
School administrators are turning to an innovative, multi-sensor technology to prevent incidents of violence and to proactively address the rise in vaping and e-cigarette use among students on school grounds, which creates new fire and life safety risks on campus and contributes to disrupting a safe learning environment for students.
Enhanced Detection for Hard-to-Access Areas
A growing number of K-12 school districts are working with trusted security integrators to install these intelligent sensors to help regulate difficult to monitor areas in school buildings, like restrooms and locker rooms, where vaping commonly occurs.
The tamper-resistant devices can detect a range of conditions, including vaping with tobacco and marijuana (THC), loud or aggressive noises, or gunshots with alerts that are time-stamped to provide real-time notification. These all-in one, smart sensors can:
- Learn the environment to differentiate between tobacco vaping, vaping with THC and intentionally masking or covering up vaping with aerosols.
- Detect gunshots and identify the location using two-factor authentication.
- Notify administrators when specific key words or loud, aggressive noises are detected.
- Monitor indoor air quality for high CO2 levels to help reduce the spread of disease by ensuring proper indoor air filtering.
- Detect chemical spills and hazardous gases in science labs or maintenance/utility areas and provide emergency alerts.
Custom applications are also available to send notifications when lights or noises are detected in unauthorized areas after-hours or to manage HVAC energy costs.
Multi-Sensor Technology in Action
The first week after installing the devices at one high school in Chickasha, Oklahoma, sensors picked up loud noises indicating a fight or aggressive behavior coming from a student bathroom. When school officials investigated, they discovered a student forcibly pulling the towel dispenser off the wall in the restroom and using the space behind it to conceal a drop point for illegal substances. The force of pulling the towel rack off the wall triggered the sensors to send an alert and launched immediate action by school administrators.
"This system has gone way beyond expectation for not only preventing vaping but deterring crime and other disruptive behavior so we can keep our schools safe and create a positive learning environment for students," said Dan Turner, Executive Director of Operations for Chickasha, Oklahoma Public Schools.
Additional Benefits and Applications
This multi-sensor technology goes far beyond vaping detection to:
- Provide comprehensive air quality monitoring to reduce the spread of contagions and enhance building safety and health awareness.
- Help detect and deter disruptive behavior like bullying, vandalism, and trespassing to keep schools safe and ensure a positive learning environment for students.
- Integrate with a school's video management system to achieve added layers of security and visibility across campus facilities.
COVID Mitigation Funding
Available federal COVID-19 rescue and relief funding may be applied to help supplement the cost of these types of systems at middle and high schools. School districts have successfully accessed Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding to deploy these types of systems by referencing an August 2020 Stanford University study showing teens and young adults who vape have a 20% greater chance of contracting COVID-19.
Want to Learn More? Partner With Them
Trust the specialized teams at Everon to be your One Ideal Partner for a full range of solutions, including multi-sensor technology, mass notification systems, access control, video surveillance and more to help create safer schools where students can learn, educators can teach, and risks can be identified and addressed proactively.
For schools and state and local government buildings, we understand that obtaining the best-in-class security, fire and life safety solutions at the best value is paramount to maintaining budget costs.
As a member of the nation's top cooperative purchasing organisations, they'll benefit from substantial cost savings by leveraging their pre-negotiated contract vehicles to optimise the purchase process, all while staying on budget.
