Enhancing School Safety: Hart Public School's Journey with Coram AI

Introduction

Physical security is a paramount concern for K-12 public schools. While many schools possess functional security cameras, the outdated software managing these systems often leads to prolonged investigation times, significantly burdening IT directors to maintain these antiquated systems. Hart Public School in Michigan faced similar challenges, which were effectively addressed by transitioning to the Coram AI video surveillance system.

Challenges: The Status Quo before Coram AI

Hart Public Schools, a district serving over 1,300 students across four schools on a single campus, had installed over 100 IP cameras from various vendors, including Panasonic, Advidia, and IPro. While the quality of the camera feeds was satisfactory, the Video Management System (VMS) was notably outdated. Remote access to video feeds was challenging and sluggish, lacking in AI features and analytics. Consequently, in the event of an incident, the IT team was burdened with the task of locating the appropriate footage. The previous system, which recorded based solely on motion, frequently missed crucial footage, often failing to detect movement.‍

Solution: Enhancing Video Security with Coram AI

The transition to Coram AI was a smooth process for Hart Public School. The Coram AI team, in collaboration with Jason Gale, the Director of IT at Hart Public School, installed multiple Coram Point NVRs. In mere minutes, all cameras were operational. The integration was seamless, requiring no replacement of the existing school security cameras. Additionally, several malfunctioning Fisheye cameras were successfully replaced with new Coram AI Fisheye cameras.‍

Benefits: Advanced AI Security Camera System for Public Schools

The shift to Coram AI brought numerous advantages to the school:

Jason Gale, the Director of IT: “Coram AI is one of the first systems that I have seen that can take our existing cameras and add AI to it. The AI-based features have made it so much easier for me and my team to view and search through camera footage. It's saved us valuable time on investigations, and I feel much more confident in the security of our premises. I'm really impressed with how well the software works and how user-friendly it is.”

Jason Gale, Director of IT, and the school superintendent of Hart Public School discussing Coram AI's role in improving student safety in their monthly podcast.‍

1. Discover Feature for Expedited Video Searches

The Discover feature, which is ChatGPT of video surveillance, allowed Hart's team to reduce investigation times drastically. For instance, searching for 'kid on a skateboard' yields relevant video clips within seconds. “It is amazing what Coram AI can do with search queries. It has helped us find video footage so much easier. It is also easier to use and access, so we can give so many people access to the platform and do search,” noted Jason Gale.

2. Continuous 24/7 Recording

Unlike the previous system, which only recorded upon detecting motion and often missed vital footage, Coram AI offers continuous 24/7 recording, ensuring 30 days or more of uninterrupted storage. This feature provides peace of mind to the IT and security teams, guaranteeing the availability of relevant video clips in case of incidents. “I never miss a video clip. Coram AI knows this is a kid and records and stores it,” Jason Gale affirmed.

3. Facial Recognition and Alerts

The introduction of facial recognition and alerts for persons of interest significantly enhanced the capabilities of Hart Public School. This feature allows swift identification of campus visitors and enables setting alerts for specific individuals.

4. Responsive Customer Support

The promptness of Coram AI in responding to requests contributes substantially to maintaining campus safety. “I send an email, and somebody is working on it within minutes,” commented Jason Gale.

5. Frequent Software Updates

Since its implementation at Hart Public Schools, the Coram AI system has consistently introduced significant features. This approach to regular updates is relatively novel in the realm of physical security, where customers are accustomed to static systems that remain unchanged until a significant upgrade is required, often years later. Notable updates from Coram AI include the Kiosk feature, allowing the superintendent to view specific cameras on a monitor without system login, and alerts for persons of interest.

This change shows how committed Hart Public School is to using AI and the latest in security to keep students and the campus safe. We at Coram AI are proud to work with public schools all over the country. This is just the start. Coram AI plans to add many more helpful features soon to make schools even safer.