WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — This semester, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools is testing out a pilot program with OpenGate Weapon Detection Systems.
The district secured eight OpenGate detectors, it allows students to be screened faster and requires less staff to operate than the district’s existing metal detectors.
"They don't have to go through the process of what we've had to do with the other systems where it was handing over all the materials and going through the bags," Robert B Glenn High School Principal Dr. Scott Munsie said, "We’re able to get six students in within about 19 seconds. It's an amazing process and it works really effectively for us."
Jonathan Wilson is the Chief Safety Security and Emergency Management Officer. He said this resource is just one part of the bigger picture. Wilson said staying safe also involves trust between students and staff.
"We think in WS/FCS this is the best system for us. This system gives us the opportunity not just to look at a computer screen as students are walking in, but to interact with the students," he shared.
The pilot program runs through the rest of the the school year.
This type of weapons-detection technology, is funded using $150,000 of a $500,000 school safety grant, is just one element of the district’s multi-tiered approach to safety.
WS/FCS owns 175 metal detectors. They are deployed randomly at all district middle and high schools at the beginning of the school day and in individual classrooms throughout the day.
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