By: Protech

Every morning, millions of parents pull up to drop-off lines, watching their kids disappear behind doors to their schools. But for many, a quiet fear lingers. Schools are supposed to be secure, providing a safe place for learning, yet too often, schools across the country suffer from violent attacks.

Traditional school security is passive. Cameras “record” footage, but they don’t alert staff to escalating events. They don’t recognize conflict. They don’t recognize weapons or flag an unauthorized visitor before they reach a classroom. They don’t detect when a student or teacher collapses in a hallway. Instead, the event is recorded on a hard drive while the occupants of the school are unaware of the danger.

Imagine a teacher in a class of 30 students or a security guard sitting at the front door. They hear a commotion down the hall. Maybe it’s a fight. Maybe it’s a gunshot. They can’t see through walls, so they don’t know. William West saw this gap and founded Protech to serve as their x-ray vision, allowing the teacher and security to instantly see the cause of the commotion and take immediate action. Perhaps it’s to break up a fight, help a fallen student, or rapidly strategize how to get their students out of the building during an active shooting event.  

Whatever the situation may be, Protech provides parents, administrators, teachers, and students with peace of mind, and valuable time to act in scenarios where every second counts.

The Problem: Reaction Instead of Prevention

Ask any school administrator, and they’ll tell you big security challenges aren’t just extreme, worst-case scenarios. Day-to-day incidents like bullying, fighting, medical emergencies, and unauthorized visitors create safety risks that are often missed until it’s too late. 

Today’s schools rely on a mix of security guards, locked doors, and video surveillance. The reality is that people can’t be everywhere at once. Even with security cameras, school personnel can only act if they happen to be watching the right screen at the right time. 

This is where AI comes in. Imagine a security guard in front of every door and under every camera, all day, every day, who knows what dangers to watch for.

Security That Sees Risks in Real Time

Protech’s AI-powered security system isn’t just another camera. It’s a real-time, proactive safety network. It integrates with existing school security infrastructure, identifying risks as they happen and immediately alerting the right people. 

Instead of passively recording events, Protech can:

• Develop Relationships Based on Trust: With the joint goal of keeping children safe, Protech builds meaningful relationships with clients and parents based on the shared values that truly matter.
• Ensure Effective Results: By identifying threats and sending alerts in real time, Protech provides crucial time for staff and administrators to act and potentially intervene before things escalate. 
• Foster a Safer Future: By strengthening and reprioritizing how we approach security, students can focus on learning, teachers can focus on educating, and parents can rest assured that their kids are safe and secure. 

When Protech recognizes a nefarious event, it instantly sends a notification to the mobile phones of the faculty, staff, security, and whomever the school wishes to be involved. The notification displays a live feed of the event as well as a map of the location of the event. This gives the school personnel a first-hand account in real-time, enabling them to take appropriate action.  

The Cost of Inaction

Some schools may hesitate to invest in AI security because of cost. Protech’s system can be installed for $50 per student, but the true cost of outdated security is far greater. 

What happens when security measures fail? 

• For families, it’s the fear of sending their children to a school that isn’t truly safe.
• For students, it’s the daily anxiety that erodes their ability to focus and learn. 
• For teachers, it’s the unease that impedes their ability to conduct their jobs effectively.
• For schools, it is the liability, financial burden, and emotional toll of preventable incidents.

Many schools already have cameras, but they aren’t using them to their full potential. Protech transforms existing security systems from passive recorders into active protectors.

Redefining School Security: How AI Changes Everything

The difference between outdated security and AI-driven protection isn’t just about technology; it’s about mindset. It’s the shift from watching to acting. From responding to preventing. From hoping someone catches a threat in time to ensuring that no threat goes unnoticed.

William West and Protech aren’t just offering a product; they are addressing how schools approach safety. 

Published by Joseph T.