ZeroEyes unveils new risk management program for school districts

PHILADELPHIA – ZeroEyes has expanded its school safety offerings with the launch of a membership organization that provides risk management and financing support in the event of firearm-related threats. 

Harborwatch Association, LLC, is designed to help K-12 schools and school districts using ZeroEyes’ visual firearm detection software, says Kieran Carroll, chief strategy officer. While school districts, of course, have all sorts of insurance coverage, they often don’t cover events such as active shooter situations or assaults on campus. 

Filling a coverage gap 

While school districts, of course, have all sorts of insurance coverage, they often don’t cover events such as active shooter situations or assaults on campus.  

“At ZeroEyes, we feel like we are closest to the risk because we are going to sit on the premises on their security cameras, and we have a unique and interesting way to underwrite the risk for our customers from that perspective,” Carroll said. “We’ve seen a spike in specialty coverage in this sector over the last couple of years.”    

Association members would receive an immediate payout to cover business interruptions or losses incurred such as cafeteria food spoiling if a school has to go into lockdown, staff absences following the event or transportation disruptions, says Carroll. The program also provides money toward crisis management programs.  

“If they have to handle public relations and communications, this could jump in and help bolster them,” he said. “A lot of our K-12 customers don’t have super mature policies in place, so this is additional help for them. It operates similar to what we’ve seen particularly in cybersecurity in the last 20 years.” 

The cost of a firearm incident 

The financial impact of even a non-shooting firearm incident can be significant, ranging from $20,000 to $30,000, says Dr. Christopher Heilig, EVP of school safety and technology for ZeroEyes and a former superintendent. 

Based on district-level data, the cost of a weapon being brandished on campus can range from $20,000 to $30,000 when factoring in personnel, operational and insurance-related expenses. 

“We’re always looking to advise (school) boards on how to protect the district,” he said. “Something like this in addition to their other coverage really protects the district and speaks to the cost of absorbing the cost of gun violence.” 

An added layer of protection 

ZeroEyes, which serves thousands of locations across 47 states, has seen the frequency of such events increasing, driven by social media and gang activity, says Carroll, who said that the company has been involved in multiple arrests in just the past few weeks related to guns on campus. 

“We hope we never have to make a payment – that kids and staff and teachers aren’t jeopardized - but our software detects guns at schools week over week that shouldn’t be there,” he said. “This (new program) is another layer of protection. It’s about helping districts strengthen their overall safety and risk management posture.”