City, DCPS declares partnership with firm specializing in safety doorways, glass

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The town of Jacksonville and Duval County faculty district on Wednesday introduced a brand new plan to keep kids protected in the classroom.

The school district employed a New York company named Armoured One, which makes a speciality of doors and glass and claims it could slow down or stop a shooter from getting right into a classroom.

These are essential factors after police in Texas decided the door accessed by the gunman at Robb Elementary Faculty in Uvalde was closed however not locked. Originally, state police stated a instructor left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the teacher truly closed the door, but it surely didn’t lock robotically like it was purported to. The gunman shot and killed 19 college students and two lecturers before he was killed by legislation enforcement.

Armoured One, which was based after the Sandy Hook Elementary College taking pictures, is made up of former army and regulation enforcement agents who study mass shooting attacks and seek the advice of on faculty safety measures.

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“We will first work collaboratively to establish where Armoured One resources can finest compliment the training already provided, adding their assets to the training instruments and assets the district already uses,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry mentioned Wednesday afternoon at a news convention at City Corridor to announce the partnership.

Press the play button directly beneath to observe the complete information convention.

The safety glass and movie that Armoured One invented can face up to several hits -- whether or not that’s bullets, someone ramming into the glass or utilizing other objects or weapons -- with out breaking, which could slow an attacker. The doorways it makes use of have metal framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One can also be identified for providing lively shooter training and assessments. The corporate issues particular person experiences for each building and recommends the most effective equipment to use for every facility it’s working with.

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Curry mentioned he plans to find the funding for that training but in addition work with the company to carry out college safety assessments. Armoured One CEO Tom Czyz said his staff knows what to search for when it assesses a college’s vulnerability.

“They’re taking a look at methods to decelerate an attacker and pace up police response,” Czyz stated. “How can we sluggish him down -- and then speed up the response that may stop him.”

Duval County Public Colleges Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene and Duval County School Police Division Chief Greg Burton say security and safety are high of thoughts day by day.

What I need to be widespread is that our households know that we're prepared each day. And that’s what we work towards being a better college district because it pertains to safety and safety,” Inexperienced stated.

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

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

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As far as the associated fee, it’s unclear proper now, because the partnership is still being labored out.

Duval County voters approved a half-cent sales tax in November 2020 with the specific purpose of changing getting older schools, repairing a massive backlog of maintenance points, and bolstering school safety.

Right now, 74 projects are in the design section and 15 are under development.

As of January 2022, the tax has generated more than $118 million dollars, with greater than $5.7 million already spent or allotted to tasks underneath building.

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

Extra details about how that money is planned to be spent in individual schools might be discovered on the school district’s half-cent gross sales tax data dashboard.

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The next record of security measures is published on the school district’s website:

Each college has a security plan and emergency response group.

All school lecture rooms are locked when occupied by college students.

College plans are reviewed with workers every semester.

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

The district utilizes varied main safety monitoring strategies including digicam surveillance and monitored managed access techniques.

All schools and district offices have a District Emergency Communications Community radio with direct access to highschool police and district management. School Police have direct entry to JSO.

All schools conduct common evacuation drills (fireplace drills).

All colleges conduct common emergency and lockdown (“code purple” and “code yellow”) drills.

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