VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – On Monday, Florida Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas revealed that Volusia County Schools, along with two other districts in Florida, will take part in an innovative safety initiative known as the Campus Guardian Angel pilot program. This project aims to bolster school security using drones, as stated in a recent press release.

The initiative plans to deploy drones to distract active shooters and provide live audio and video feeds to guardians and law enforcement during potential threats on school grounds. Additionally, this program will seamlessly integrate with the Alyssa Alert platform, which mandates silent panic alarms in all public schools.

“Volusia County Schools is excited to engage in the Campus Guardian Angel Program pilot. By joining this effort, we continue to emphasize our pledge to proactive safety and a well-coordinated response. This marks a crucial step in ensuring our schools not only educate effectively but also safeguard our students,” expressed Dr. Carmen Balgobin, Superintendent of Volusia County Schools.

Besides Volusia County, the districts of Broward and Leon will also be participating in this program.

Commissioner Kamoutsas remarked, “The Guardian Angel Program is pivotal in broadening the range of safety tools available to our school districts.”

The program is designed to use non-lethal drones as a means to neutralize potential school shooters, providing an added layer of protection for educational institutions.

According to the group’s website, the drones are kept on-site using charging pads at the schools, and they can be flown remotely by the team’s members during an emergency response.

Officials behind the program also note that the drones are armed with several tools, including pepper spray balls, flash bangs and sirens —but no lethal weaponry. This means no firearms that shoot bullets.