Uvalde CISD to deploy OmniAlert AI gun‑detection software under 3‑year grant

Uvalde Consolidated ISD announced Monday that OmniAlert selected the district as the first recipient of its Safe Haven Grant Program, providing a three‑year deployment of OmniAlert’s AI visual gun‑detection platform across district camera systems. Superintendent Yolanda Colas told trustees the software will run on existing camera feeds and is designed to detect brandished weapons in frame; when a weapon is detected the system highlights the camera feed and sounds an alert so dispatch has immediate situational awareness and can deploy law enforcement. Colas said the district had previously identified OmniAlert as a preferred solution but could not afford the deployment without the grant. The district said the grant will not replace standard safety protocols, and that the software is intended to add an automated visual layer to existing monitoring; OmniAlert’s platform requires a weapon to be visible (brandished) to trigger detection, staff said. The district thanked OmniAlert and its funder partner for the award and said rollout across sites should begin within weeks. Trustees asked whether the system can detect concealed weapons; staff replied that OmniAlert detects visible/brandished items only and that other systems (separate vendor) are used for broader threat detection. Chief Puente (district police) told the board cameras, radios and an alert app will integrate with local first responders, and that officers continue monthly drills and training to exercise response protocols. Staff said the grant includes software licensing for three years and will be integrated with the district’s dispatch monitoring so that detected events generate immediate alerts to school administrators and law enforcement.