RADFORD, Va. (WDBJ) – Radford City Public Schools is receiving over $200,000 from the Virginia Department of Education for safety funding.
Leaders said the money is going towards trying out some new technology to spot and stop threats and emergencies in a matter of seconds.
Every parent wants an extra set of eyes watching out for their child at school. Artificial Intelligence is providing that to students in Radford thanks to a state safety grant.
“We want to be able to stop situations before they become situations, we want to be able to notice abnormalities before they become an issue,” said RCPS Superintendent Adam Joyce.
Joyce said the funding is split between two new safety upgrades. The district is using the first portion of the $209,931 to upgrade all 119 cameras between the Radford High School and John N. Dalton Intermediate School.
These aren’t your typical security cameras. They’re getting AI software that spots unusual activity around campus.
“A lot of times camera footage is after the fact, but these AI cameras, without having to be monitored, are able to pick up on things that we might not have otherwise noticed without them,” said Joyce.
That could be anything from a suspicious car in the parking lot to someone trying to jump the fence.
“If there’s an alert, The AI picks up on something that they feel like is important, they’ll let us know within seconds and then we can monitor those cameras to see if it’s a legitimate issue or if it’s just something that’s normal,” said Joyce.
The rest of the money will go toward upgrading radios on the school bus so drivers can have a direct line to communicate with Radford Police Department.
“If there’s an incident on the road, you don’t have to wait on a cell phone call that may or may not go through,” explained Joyce. “They have instant two-way communication with dispatch as well as central office.”
Joyce said safety is a top priority at Radford City Public Schools, and these technology upgrades are part of ongoing safety efforts.
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