City, DCPS pronounces partnership with company specializing in safety doors, glass

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Town of Jacksonville and Duval County faculty district on Wednesday introduced a new plan to keep children safe within the classroom.

The school district hired a New York firm named Armoured One, which focuses on doors and glass and claims it may possibly slow down or forestall a shooter from getting into a classroom.

Those are essential elements after police in Texas decided the door accessed by the gunman at Robb Elementary College in Uvalde was closed however not locked. Initially, state police mentioned a instructor left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the trainer really closed the door, however it 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 regulation enforcement.

Armoured One, which was based after the Sandy Hook Elementary Faculty shooting, is made up of former navy and legislation enforcement brokers who examine mass capturing assaults and seek the advice of on school safety measures.

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“We'll first work collaboratively to establish the place Armoured One resources can greatest praise the coaching already offered, including their resources to the coaching tools and sources the district already uses,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry stated Wednesday afternoon at a information conference at Metropolis Hall to announce the partnership.

Press the play button immediately under to observe the whole information conference.

The safety glass and film that Armoured One invented can face up to a number of hits -- whether or not that’s bullets, someone ramming into the glass or using different objects or weapons -- with out breaking, which could sluggish an attacker. The doorways it uses have metal framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One is also known for providing lively shooter coaching and assessments. The company issues particular person reports for every constructing 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 search out the funding for that training but also work with the corporate to perform faculty security assessments. Armoured One CEO Tom Czyz stated his workforce knows what to search for when it assesses a faculty’s vulnerability.

“They’re taking a look at ways to decelerate an attacker and velocity up police response,” Czyz stated. “How will we gradual him down -- and then velocity up the response that would stop him.”

Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene and Duval County School Police Department Chief Greg Burton say safety and security are high of mind daily.

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 greater faculty district as it pertains to security and safety,” Inexperienced mentioned.

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

Greene mentioned that the district’s greatest protection is its college students and staff. She said she continues to encourage the school community to report anything they see that’s suspicious.

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As far as the cost, it’s unclear right now, as the partnership remains to be being worked out.

Duval County voters authorised a half-cent sales tax in November 2020 with the particular objective of replacing getting older colleges, repairing an enormous backlog of maintenance issues, and bolstering school security.

Right now, 74 tasks are in the design section and 15 are below building.

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

Over its 15-year life, the sales tax is projected to generate $64.9 million for the particular objective of upgrading faculty security in DCPS colleges.

More details about how that money is deliberate to be spent in particular person faculties may be discovered on the college district’s half-cent gross sales tax info dashboard.

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The following record of safety measures is published on the school district’s web site:

Every school has a safety plan and emergency response crew.

All school lecture rooms are locked when occupied by students.

Faculty plans are reviewed with staff every semester.

The district has a highly trained college police division, giving all faculties direct access to high school resource officers.

The district utilizes various major safety monitoring methods together with camera surveillance and monitored controlled access systems.

All faculties and district places of work have a District Emergency Communications Community radio with direct access to highschool police and district leadership. School Police have direct entry to JSO.

All schools conduct regular evacuation drills (fireplace drills).

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

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