Colorado school is first in the state to install drone active shooter response system
Sterling Ranch's first school will open to students in a few weeks. John Adams Academy is a public tuition-free, "liberty-based" charter school that will be the first school in Colorado to use drones to protect students from active threats.
"School safety. It is the number one question and concern on parents' minds," said Kim Gilmartin, John Adams Academy Douglas County co-founder.
When students take to the halls of John Adams Academy this month, they'll have some high-tech company. Right now, Austin-based tech company Campus Guardian Angel is digitally mapping the school and preparing to install drones.
"It's never been done before," said Khristof Oborski, director of tactical operations for Campus Guardian Angel.
Their purpose? To stop a school shooter.
"In the event of an assailant, we want to verify that the suspect is in the school, and then within 15 seconds, we want to confront him with a piece of equipment that's already here," said Oborski.
Staff sounds the alarm about a threat using an app. Then, a pilot in Texas taps into the school's cameras and deploys a drone. The drones are equipped with two-way audio and video so they can be law enforcement's eyes and ears.
"Our ultimate goal is to incapacitate or degrade that suspect in 60 seconds, then work with law enforcement to take that person into custody," said Oborski.
The drone can use flashing lights, sirens, pepper gel and even kinetic hits to slow the attacker.
"I was amazed at how quickly these drones get on the attacker," Gilmartin said.
The technology has drawn questions about what's to stop the drone from hurting a student or confusing John Adams' armed staff with a school shooter.
"We trust the company that we're working with, and we've asked those questions. We've been talking about this. This is human-operated. This is not AI-operated," Gilmartin said.
"People with decades of law enforcement experience are making that decision to initiate force, and they're going to make sure that the area is safe before they do that," said Oborski.
While the school recently asked Douglas County for $200,000 in security funding, John Adams Academy now says it is privately funding the drone technology and wouldn't share how much it costs.
"We're not going to disclose the donor, but yes, it's privately funded from individuals," Gilmartin said.
Gilmartin says the school will also have an SRO, to be partially funded by Douglas County. A Douglas County spokesperson says that has not yet been decided and will likely be discussed in an upcoming Board of County Commissioners business meeting.
"We have armed staff, we have an SRO, we have physical security in place. So we're looking at having every tool in our toolbox that we can for these families," Gilmartin said.
The technology is also being placed in six schools in Florida and five in Georgia but has not stopped any real-world threats yet.
"Nationwide, we're looking at delivering chicken nuggets with drones," said Oborski. "To use a drone to stop a school shooter to save a kid's life, I don't think it's so far-fetched after all."
The first day of school at John Adams Academy is scheduled for Aug. 24.
