APS to Add Vape Detectors at the Junior High and High School
Alpena Public Schools is looking to install dozens of vape detectors in both the junior high and high school.
The district has seen a rise in vaping in schools every year and hopes these new devices will help them crack down.
If these devices, made by Verkada, detect vape usage a message will be sent to school staff to let them know where it’s happening. Bathrooms are one of the most common places students tend to go.
Not only do some vapes the school has seen contain nicotine, but other drugs as well. “We don’t ever want to see that,” said Lee Fitzpatrick, communications director for APS. “God forbid we ever lost a student for one of these poisons going into their body and so we want to make sure that this is a safety issue for kids in schools and it’s also an educational issue.”
These vape detectors can also monitor for things like fires, audio decibels in case of an emergency, and air quality. The schools is hoping to get dozens of these devices installed by the end of the year.
