Fort Smith Public Schools to integrate AI gun detection software into security cameras

On By Littum

FORT SMITH — Fort Smith Public Schools will soon have AI gun detection software installed on all 26 campuses.

ZeroEyes, a Philadelphia company, created an AI-based weapon detection video analytics platform. The software is human-verified and has the full US Department of Homeland Security SAFETY Act designation, according to a press release from the company.

The software integrates with existing digital security cameras and helps mitigate mass shootings and gun-related violence by reducing response times, the release said. The software has been recognized by Homeland Security as an effective anti-terrorism technology.

The software company, founded by Navy SEALs and technologists, partnered with Curtis Stout, an electrical and electronic solutions company based in Little Rock, to integrate the technology into Fort Smith public schools, according to the release.

“With nearly eight decades of construction expertise, schools trust us to leverage and deliver only the best solutions,” said Ron Smith, president and CEO of Curtis Stout. “It was a natural progression for us to expand into safety and security infrastructure. We are proud to begin our campus security division with ZeroEyes as the anchor product and expect this to be our fastest growing division yet.”

Martin Mahan, deputy superintendent of Fort Smith Public Schools, said the district was interested in adding another layer of security to its security plan and was evaluating all solutions on the market.

“ZeroEyes came out on top for several reasons,” he said. “Its ability to overlay our existing security cameras allows our students to have a normal school experience. Not to mention, ZeroEyes has a full-time operations center with human verification and comes at a lower cost than similar solutions.”

If a gun is identified through the AI ​​gun detection, images are instantly shared with the trained U.S. military and law enforcement veterans who staff the ZeroEyes Operations Center 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, the release said.

“If these experts determine the threat is valid, they issue alerts and actionable intelligence — including visual description, gun type and last known location — to local law enforcement and school personnel as quickly as three to five seconds from detection,” according to ZeroEyes.