Many schools have robust security systems to keep weapons and threats from entering the building. However, sometimes threats can slip by. Therefore, it’s important to have strategies to respond and isolate the danger to save lives quickly. A gunshot detection system is something you hope you’ll never need but can save students and teachers in case an active shooter ever makes its way onto your Houston, TX, school campus. These are three ways a gunshot detection system can increase your school’s security and work to save the lives of the students and staff in your building.

Unfortunately, the number of mass shootings in the U.S. is increasing. In 2021, 232 mass shootings have already occurred. From 2013-2019, 2,100 mass shootings injured 9,000 people and killed over 2,400.

Schools are not immune—the U.S. experiences more school shootings than many other countries. California records the highest number of school shootings with an estimated 158 since 1970. Texas comes in second, the only other state with more than 100 school shootings, totaling 133. Mass shootings are defined as four or more people shot, whether injured or killed.

We share these statistics not to alarm you but to let you know that the unthinkable does happen, all too often. If there is a ray of good news, the advancement of technology has created the opportunity to be proactive in ways we would never have imagined just a decade ago. Let’s look at how we can protect our children, teachers, and staff through the use of gunshot detection systems in Houston, TX.

As gun-related violence and gun crime cases have risen in frequency over the years, law enforcement officers, private security companies, schools, businesses, and the military have begun implementing sophisticated gunshot detection systems that can pinpoint the date, time, location, and gun type of a gunshot. 

Gunshot detection technology that sends real-time alerts to local law enforcement can significantly reduce the time it takes for police and other security enforcers to respond to a shooting. And in an active shooter situation, a few saved minutes can translate into a more than a few saved lives. Keep reading to learn three Houston, TX, environments where gunshot detection adds security value.   

In a perfect world, we wouldn’t have to worry about gunshots in schools. But unfortunately, it’s a precaution teachers and administrators need to consider for the safety of all inside school buildings. As security technology advances, gunshot detection systems are becoming more prevalent in schools and businesses across the country.

If you run a school or university in the Houston, TX area, and you’re curious about gunshot detection, we’ve gathered information on establishments already employing the technology below. Continue reading to learn how it works and how others are benefiting from life-saving systems.