Volusia Schools Chosen for Safety Drone Program

Volusia County is one of three counties in the state which will have a pilot program for security drones at its public schools. Along with Broward and Leon counties, Volusia County Schools will be one of the first to access a program designed to combat major safety threats. The program is being facilitated by Campus Guardian Angel, a company based out of Texas. With a $557,000 appropriation from the Florida state legislature, drone technology is being implemented so that it may be deployed as part of the response to an active shooter situation. The addition of Campus Guardian Angel to Volusia County Schools was supported by both Superintendent Dr. Carmen Balgobin and Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood. Both agreed that the initiative will help to keep Volusia’s schools more safe from what has become many parents’ biggest fear about their children’s education. “Ensuring students and teachers have a safe and secure learning environment is one of my top priorities as Commissioner,” said Florida Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas. “Florida remains the national leader in school safety because we continue to invest in solutions that protect students and support a rapid, coordinated response. The Guardian Angel Program is an important step in expanding the safety tools available to our districts. I thank Governor DeSantis for driving these efforts forward and ensuring our schools have the resources they need.”  According to a report on the program from the Florida Department of Education, the drones would work to distract an active shooter. They’d also provide audio and video of the situation to law enforcement personnel who are working to respond to the threat. The drone would be deployed ‘within seconds of an emergency alert’, the Volusia Sheriff’s Office added. They’re stored on-campus and are said to be capable of getting anywhere on the premises in as short a timeframe as fifteen seconds. The Campus Guardian Angel Program will be implemented in early 2026, the county says. From here it will be evaluated to determine whether it may be expanded in the future, potentially across the state. “Every child deserves to learn in an environment where they feel safe and protected. At Volusia County Schools, safety is our highest priority, and we embrace innovative solutions that help us achieve that goal,” said Volusia Superintendent Dr. Carmen Balgobin. “Being selected for this pilot program is an incredible honor, and we are grateful for the opportunity to lead the way in using cutting-edge technology to safeguard our students and staff. This initiative reflects our commitment to proactive security measures and to ensuring that our schools remain places of learning, not fear.” “There is no more important mission than the safety and security of our schools, and the Volusia Sheriff’s Office and Volusia County Schools are eager to work with the state of Florida and Campus Guardian Angel to lead the charge in exploring new tools to protect our students, faculty, and staff,” added Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, American school students are over three times more likely to be exposed to a school shooting since the Columbine High School massacre in April 1999. In a period of data from 2020 to 2024, 51 students per 100,000 were exposed to a school shooting. Further data from the Rockefeller Institute of Government shows that the United States experienced 109 mass shootings in a period from 2000 to 2022. The country with the second highest total in that period was France, with six. The only other nations with more than two were Germany (5), Canada (4), and Finland (3). The Rockefeller Institute speculates that America’s significant lead in mass shooting frequency can be attributed to comparatively relaxed regulations on firearms and considerably higher rates of gun ownership. Though countries with stricter gun laws (such as China and Japan) are shown to have low rates of gun deaths, these countries have seen higher rates of stabbing attacks. Still, data indicates these attacks are both less frequent as a whole and usually substantially less deadly than gun attacks.