How does VOLT AI help small university security teams?

VOLT AI serves as a force multiplier for limited security staff. At Maryville University, an 11-person security team now has comprehensive campus monitoring capabilities across 23 buildings, with AI providing eyes and ears where staff cannot physically be present. VP for Student Life Raphaella Prange notes: 'With our small staff, we can't possibly be everywhere at the same time. Now VOLT allows us to have our eyes and ears in most places.'

Can VOLT AI integrate with existing Genetec camera systems?

Yes. VOLT AI integrated seamlessly with Maryville's existing Genetec camera fleet without requiring a costly infrastructure overhaul. Other vendors would have required complete replacement with price tags approaching $1.4 million, but VOLT's overlay approach preserved Maryville's existing camera investment.

How does VOLT AI support student wellness and retention?

VOLT AI's ability to detect medical emergencies and welfare concerns allows universities to identify struggling students and connect them with resources before situations become critical. VP Prange explains: 'If we can identify a struggling student through VOLT and get them help before they drop out, fail classes, or something worse happens, that's where your real advantage is.'

What detection capabilities does VOLT AI provide for university residential halls?

VOLT AI provides people loitering detection for unauthorized individuals in residential halls, vehicle loitering detection across campus, person down detection for medical emergencies, slip and fall detection for incident documentation, and fire/smoke detection for early warning. In one incident at Maryville, the system detected an unauthorized individual attempting dorm access at 3 AM, enabling immediate intervention.

What were Maryville University's requirements when evaluating AI security solutions?

Maryville established three non-negotiable requirements: comprehensive weapon detection including long guns, pistols, and knives; real-time tracking that maintains visibility after initial detection; and human validation to eliminate alert fatigue. Equally critical was integration with their existing Genetec camera fleet without requiring infrastructure overhaul.

Customer story · Higher education · Missouri

Maryville University puts safety inside student life.

A security team of 11 looks after 23 buildings, and uses what they see to get students help earlier.

Team of 11, 23 buildings Kept their Genetec cameras Every alert human-reviewed Welfare and medical moments

Red brick university buildings among autumn trees on an open lawn

The challenge

Cameras everywhere, and almost none of them watched live.

Maryville was not reacting to an incident. It wanted campus safety to match how the university teaches.

Eleven officers, a whole campus

A lean team covered 23 occupied buildings, walking trails, athletics and residence halls. Most footage went unwatched in real time.

No appetite for a rip-and-replace

Other vendors would have meant a complete infrastructure overhaul, with price tags approaching $1.4 million.

What they did

Three requirements, and a partner willing to work their way.

Brandon Baethke set out what the university would not compromise on, then looked for a vendor who could meet it on their cameras.

Step 1
Set non-negotiables
Comprehensive detection, real-time tracking that keeps visibility after the first alert, and human validation so staff are not worn down by noise.
Step 2
Overlay the existing fleet
VOLT ran on Maryville’s existing Genetec cameras, preserving the investment already made.
Step 3
Turn on what the campus needs
Person down, people and vehicle loitering, slip and fall, fire and smoke, and weapon detection, each tuned to the campus.

What changed

From watching screens to reaching students.

Maryville is early in its rollout, and it has already changed what the team can act on.

Help arrives while it still helps

Person-down and welfare alerts let the team find students in distress and connect them with care, which supports retention as well as safety.

A 3 AM intervention

Loitering detection flagged someone trying to get into a dorm where they did not belong. Security intercepted and removed them from campus.

Value beyond the security office

Other departments found uses too: after-hours cover for high-value labs, water intrusion, and occupancy data during tournaments.

In their words

Why it mattered at Maryville.

From the Vice President for Student Life.

With our small staff, we can’t possibly be everywhere at the same time. We weren’t monitoring everything before. Now VOLT allows us to have our eyes and ears in most places.

Raphaella Prange
Vice President for Student Life, Maryville University