City, DCPS announces partnership with company specializing in safety doorways, glass

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The town of Jacksonville and Duval County college district on Wednesday announced a brand new plan to maintain children safe within the classroom.

The college district employed a New York firm named Armoured One, which makes a speciality of doors and glass and claims it could decelerate or forestall a shooter from getting right into a classroom.

Those are essential components after police in Texas decided the door accessed by the gunman at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde was closed however not locked. Initially, state police mentioned a teacher left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the instructor really closed the door, nevertheless it didn’t lock robotically like it was imagined to. The gunman shot and killed 19 students and two lecturers earlier than he was killed by law enforcement.

Armoured One, which was based after the Sandy Hook Elementary College shooting, is made up of former navy and legislation enforcement agents who research mass shooting attacks and consult on college security measures.

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“We will first work collaboratively to determine where Armoured One assets can best praise the training already offered, including their resources to the training tools and sources the district already uses,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry stated Wednesday afternoon at a news convention at Metropolis Corridor to announce the partnership.

Press the play button immediately beneath to observe all the news conference.

The security glass and film that Armoured One invented can face up to a number of hits -- whether that’s bullets, somebody ramming into the glass or using different objects or weapons -- without breaking, which may sluggish an attacker. The doors it uses have steel framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One is also identified for offering energetic shooter training and assessments. The company issues particular person reports for every building and recommends one of the best equipment to make use of for every facility it’s working with.

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Curry mentioned he plans to seek out the funding for that coaching but additionally work with the corporate to perform faculty security assessments. Armoured One CEO Tom Czyz mentioned his crew is aware of what to search for when it assesses a school’s vulnerability.

“They’re taking a look at methods to decelerate an attacker and velocity up police response,” Czyz mentioned. “How can we slow him down -- and then velocity up the response that will stop him.”

Duval County Public Faculties Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene and Duval County College Police Division Chief Greg Burton say security and safety are high of thoughts day-after-day.

What I need to be frequent is that our families know that we're prepared each and every day. And that’s what we work in the direction of being a better college district as it pertains to security and safety,” Inexperienced stated.

Burton mentioned, “I might say the one phrase that summarizes all the pieces that we do is vigilance.”

Greene said that the district’s best protection is its students and employees. She mentioned she continues to encourage the college group to report something they see that’s suspicious.

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As far as the price, it’s unclear proper now, as the partnership remains to be being labored out.

Duval County voters accepted a half-cent gross sales tax in November 2020 with the particular objective of changing aging faculties, repairing an enormous backlog of upkeep issues, and bolstering school security.

Right now, 74 tasks are in the design part and 15 are under construction.

As of January 2022, the tax has generated greater than $118 million dollars, with greater than $5.7 million already spent or allocated to projects below development.

Over its 15-year life, the gross sales tax is projected to generate $64.9 million for the specific goal of upgrading school safety in DCPS schools.

More details about how that money is deliberate to be spent in individual colleges can be found on the varsity district’s half-cent gross sales tax information dashboard.

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The next listing of safety measures is printed on the college district’s web site:

Every college has a security plan and emergency response workforce.

All faculty school rooms are locked when occupied by students.

School plans are reviewed with workers each semester.

The district has a extremely skilled school police department, giving all colleges direct access to school useful resource officers.

The district utilizes varied major safety monitoring methods including digicam surveillance and monitored controlled entry techniques.

All faculties and district workplaces have a District Emergency Communications Network radio with direct entry to high school police and district leadership. College Police have direct entry to JSO.

All faculties conduct common evacuation drills (fireplace drills).

All faculties conduct common emergency and lockdown (“code crimson” and “code yellow”) drills.

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