Fresno Unified piloting vape detection system on 8 campuses to reduce student use
The system is a sensor that monitors the air quality in a room, including in bathrooms, where kids have been found smoking.
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Fresno Unified School District is cracking down on kids vaping on campus.
Eight schools have rolled out a pilot program that includes a vape detection system.
At Yosemite Middle School, staff is working to keep vapes off campus.
Principal Nichole Horn says vape pens were a prevalent problem in the past.
"I would collect things weekly," Horn said.
That's why the district decided to roll out a pilot program, installing the Verkada Vape Detection System across eight campuses.
"The purpose was to keep kids -- to get them to stop vaping, really," Horn said.
Verkada Product Manager Dominic Komarek says the system is a sensor that monitors the air quality in a room, including in bathrooms, where kids have been found smoking.
"The best way I can describe it is like a nose mounted to the ceiling, and it can basically sniff our vape, cigarette, THC smoke," Komarek said.
When the sensor detects the smoke, it doesn't take long before an alert pops up for administrators.
"That time from when you exhale to when it reaches the sensor can vary, but on average, we're seeing like 15 seconds detection time, sometimes even faster than that," Komarek said.
Principal Horn says the alert tells her exactly where on campus the vaping is happening.
It also syncs with cameras on campus so staff can see exactly who was around at the time of the alert.
"They know that if the vape sensors go off, we take everyone in the area, we talk to all of them and we call all of their parents," Horn said.
The sensor is smart enough to ignore body sprays and aerosols, and Principal Horn says the system has been effective.
"I am getting a lot fewer vape pens turned in," Horn said. "It would be best if the kids don't vape at all. That would be the ultimate goal."
In addition to the vape detection system, another tool was implemented that allows staff to track who is going to the restroom during class hours.
That helps reduce how many students are out roaming the halls or going into the restroom to vape.
For news updates, follow Jessica Harrington on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
