FAYETTEVILLE, WV (WVNS) — Fayette County Schools received a new state-of-the-art tool in the fight for student safety Tuesday, March 22, 2022.

Evolv is a weapon detection security screening company, whose co-founders lived in Boston during the marathon bombing. The company wanted to create a more efficient tool for weapon detection in large groups.

The screening system is already in place at stadiums and amusement parks across the country, as a way to try and better ensure people are safe as they start to come back together

“I think that people have no decided post covid that when we gather, let’s gather in a different way we don’t want to stand in lines we don’t want people touching our stuff and because we want to be together let’s make it a free-flowing experience and a frictionless experience,” said Peter George, the President and CEO of Evolv Technology.

George explained there are many venues where traditional metal detectors are not practical, such as stadiums and schools making this technology beneficial.

He said schools are the perfect place for their express technology, like any other sort of weapon screening would keep kids out in line for hours as they miss class. He added the key factor of their technology is it goes further than just detecting metal, but it can actually tell if it is a phone or a weapon, allowing those who have no issue to go about their day, while those who do step to the side to be searched.

Through their Give Evolv grant program, the company donated Fayette County Schools the first Evolv Express screening system through the program.

Out of the schools they interviewed, they felt Fayette County Schools possessed the passion and dedication to use this system the right way

“Really what the goal is is to get more kids safer sooner and the commitment that this team here has to do something like this,” said Kevin Charlton, the chair of Give Evolv.

The technology can adapt, recognize larger items like a laptop, or be bypassed if law enforcement walks through and if someone brings in a disassembled or 3-D gun, the system could still identify the barrel.

In addition to the systems installed throughout the county, the company also provided training to use the technology.

Superintendent Gary Hough said this will put the school systems way ahead in the fight to keep students and faculty safe.

“Its another tool in the tool kit for the safety of our students and to be able to give them that tool and to have it given as a gift, we need it,” said Superintendent Gary Hough.

The screening systems are in place at Oak Hill High School, Oak Hill Middle School, Midland Trail High School, and shared at both Fayetteville P-K and Valley PK through 8.