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FLORIDA - Florida is implementing a new initiative to enhance school safety by testing non-lethal drone technology designed to rapidly confront active shooter threats on campus.
On Monday, November 17, 2025, Commissioner of Education Anastasios Kamoutsas announced that three school districts (Broward, Leon, and Volusia) will participate in the new Campus Guardian Angel Program.
This program utilizes specialized non-lethal drones developed by a Texas-based company of the same name.
Florida is the first state to approve $557,000 in state funding for this technology, although it's reportedly being deployed in schools in Colorado, Virginia, and Texas as well.
The technology is intended to be activated within seconds of an alert, such as the state's mandatory Alyssa's Alert silent panic system.
The non-lethal drones are remotely piloted from a command center in Austin, Texas, by professional operators.
The drones are stationed in secure boxes on-site and can allegedly reach a shooter anywhere on campus in as little as 15 seconds.
Their mission is to distract, disorient, or physically stop an assailant while providing real-time video and audio feeds to first responders.
The devices are equipped with deterrents including sirens, flashing lights, and the capability to fire non-lethal pepper spray balls.
Commissioner Kamoutsas stated the program is part of Florida's ongoing investment in safety solutions, noting the state remains a national leader in providing a secure learning environment.
The pilot program's performance will determine if the technology is expanded statewide.