GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. -- — Phoenix Academy in Guilford County confirms to WFMY News 2 they will be installing a security system to combat school shooters.
The technology comes from an Irish Company, Johnson Controls. Phoenix Academy will be the first school in the state to implement this technology throughout their entire school system.
The Active Shooter Detection System (ASDS) uses sensors placed throughout the schools. The ASDS uses audio sensors to listen for a gunshot, and then uses infrared sensors to see the flash of the gun.
Using these two pieces as part of a puzzle, the system can alert the right people to where the shooter is.
Law Enforcement said this can be the difference between life and death.
"Having that information would be huge. We need to know where that shooter happens to be. These schools are very, very large, and there are different areas in them so having that information would be a fantastic asset to us," said Guilford County Sheriff BJ Barnes.
Phoenix Academy isn't the only school making changes. Late last year, Guilford County Schools held safety roundtables with the Sheriff, and other officials to see what they could do better to keep kids safe.
"One thing that we've been working on this year is finishing out out door buzzer project so that every school has a front-door buzzer," said Scott McCully, the Chief Operations Officer at Guilford County Schools.
Phoenix never said just how much their new system costs, but we all know security isn't cheap.
So while locked doors may not sound as cool as shooter sensor technology, Guilford County says it's a small, sensible way we can keep our kids safe.