District Newsroom

Volusia County Schools showcases successful demonstration of Campus Guardian Angel drone safety system at Deltona High School

DELTONA—Volusia County Schools (VCS) hosted state and local leaders, law enforcement partners, and members of the media at Deltona High School for a live demonstration of Campus Guardian Angel, an innovative drone-based safety system developed by Mithril Defense. The event marked a major milestone in Florida’s exploration of advanced technologies designed to protect students and staff during active-shooter incidents.

“In Volusia County, we have a priority that is part of our belief system: Every student and staff member deserves to feel safe and secure in their learning and working environment,” Superintendent Dr. Carmen Balgobin said during Friday’s press conference. “As we move forward in Volusia County, we have a commitment to every single one of you, to every parent, to every child, to every community member, to every business owner, to our legislators, we have a commitment, and that commitment is that each and every day we will strive and do everything in our power to ensure that every single family member feels safe within our school system and that they know our priority also is to ensure that their student receives a quality public education.”

VCS is one of only three school districts in Florida selected to participate in this pilot program, which is supported by $557,000 in funding from the Florida Legislature. The demonstration highlighted how the system integrates with existing safety protocols and how it may shape future statewide decisions on school security.

Florida Sen. Tom Wright commended the district for being proactive and said the state’s investment is money well spent. “You can’t put a price on the lives of our children,” Wright said.

Volusia County School Board Chair Ruben Colón said the superintendent, along with him and his fellow board members, believes that nothing is more important than keeping students and staff safe.

“We are not waiting for a tragedy to define us; we are preventing it,” Colón said. “School safety isn’t just a policy here in Volusia County, it’s a promise, because every child who walks through our doors is someone’s whole world, and we treat them that way.”

During the demonstration, attendees observed how the Campus Guardian Angel system deploys non-lethal drones immediately after an emergency alert is triggered. The drones deliver real-time video to law enforcement and use deterrents—including sirens, flashing lights, and pepper spray—to disrupt potential threats. Domestically produced and stored on campus, the drones can reach any location within 15 seconds, providing critical time for first responders.

“Quite frankly, this is the future,” Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood said.

The system features encrypted communication and is integrated with other security measures to ensure activation only occurs in response to verified threats. Campus Guardian Angel is working closely with Volusia County Schools, the Volusia Sheriff’s Office, and additional law enforcement partners to align the technology with established emergency procedures.

Deltona High School served as the host site for the demonstration, offering students, staff, and community members a firsthand look at how the technology functions in real-time scenarios. Principal Dr. Christina Lapnow said students already have plenty on their minds when they arrive at school and shouldn’t have to worry about safety protocols.

“Our job is to make sure the weight of keeping them safe never falls on them,” Lapnow said.

School Board leadership emphasized the importance of exploring innovative tools that enhance safety while supporting the district’s broader commitment to student well-being.

The demonstration also provided an opportunity for the creators of Campus Guardian Angel to share their vision for the future of school safety technology.

Justin Marston, CEO and founder of Campus Guardian Angel, said Friday was the beginning of a revolutionary new chapter in protecting American schoolchildren, starting in Deltona High School.

“For the first time in history, we have active shooter suppression systems that can respond to an active shooter in five seconds, confront them in 15 seconds, and degrade or incapacitate the shooter within 60 seconds,” Marston said. “By doing so, we’re filling a critical time gap before first responders can arrive, those critical moments when most lives are lost in an active-shooter situation.”

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Volusia County Schools’ vision is to create life-long learners prepared for an ever-changing global society. The VCS Strategic Plan: www.vcsedu.org/strategic-plan.

Media Contact:

Mike Micallef, Chief Communications Officer

Community Information Services

Mrmicall@volusia.k12.fl.us