Appoquinimink School District adopts ZeroEyes’ proactive gun detection solution

PHILADELPHIA, August 15, 2023 -- ZeroEyes, the creators of the only AI-based gun detection video analytics platform that holds the US Department of Homeland Security SAFETY Act Designation, today announced that its proactive AI gun detection and intelligent situational awareness platform has been implemented by Appoquinimink School District in New Castle County, Delaware to protect visitors to its sports stadiums.

ZeroEyes was selected as part of the district’s larger safety initiative. The integration of ZeroEyes will proactively protect students, staff and parents against gun-related violence in four of Appoquinimink School District’s sports facility locations. 

The visual gun detection and intelligent situational awareness solution will be layered on Appoquinimink School District’s existing digital security cameras. If a gun is detected, the software will instantly send images to the ZeroEyes Operation Center (ZOC), staffed 24/7/365 by specially trained U.S. military and law enforcement veterans. These experts will verify the threat and dispatch alerts and actionable intelligence, including visual description, gun type and last known location, to local staff and first responders in as fast as 3 to 5 seconds from detection.

“Many students, faculty members and parents have been hesitant to attend school sporting events due to fear of gun-related violence," said Tom Poehlmann, Appoquinimink School District director of security safety and operations. “By deploying ZeroEyes’ technology at our sports facilities, we can be proactive and get ahead of a potential threat. We want parents to have peace of mind that when they send their children to football games on Friday nights, everyone will have a safe and enjoyable experience.”

The district, located in southern New Castle County, Delaware, serves more than 12,000 students in grades Pre-K-12, and ranks as Delaware’s fastest growing school system. The community prides itself on its commitment to embrace change, including the adoption of innovative security solutions to foster a high-achieving learning environment.

“It is saddening that extracurricular school activities have been tarnished by the growing school shooting epidemic,” said Mike Lahiff, CEO and co-founder of ZeroEyes. “School sporting events should be a safe space for students, parents and staff — not a place of fear. We applaud the Appoquinimink School District for leading the way as Delaware’s first district to adopt our proactive gun detection technology to alleviate this fear and protect its community from gun-related threats.”