Metropolis, DCPS pronounces partnership with company specializing in safety doorways, glass

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Town of Jacksonville and Duval County college district on Wednesday announced a brand new plan to keep youngsters safe within the classroom.

The varsity district employed a New York company named Armoured One, which makes a speciality of doorways and glass and claims it may possibly slow down or forestall a shooter from getting right into a classroom.

These are crucial elements after police in Texas decided the door accessed by the gunman at Robb Elementary Faculty in Uvalde was closed but not locked. Originally, state police said a trainer left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the instructor really closed the door, however it didn’t lock mechanically prefer it was supposed to. The gunman shot and killed 19 college students and two teachers 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 regulation enforcement agents who examine mass taking pictures attacks and seek the advice of on faculty security measures.

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“We are going to first work collaboratively to identify the place Armoured One resources can finest praise the coaching already supplied, including their resources to the training tools and assets the district already makes use of,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry stated Wednesday afternoon at a news conference at City Corridor to announce the partnership.

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The safety glass and movie that Armoured One invented can face up to a number of hits -- whether that’s bullets, someone ramming into the glass or utilizing other objects or weapons -- with out breaking, which may slow an attacker. The doorways it makes use of have metallic framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One can also be recognized for providing energetic shooter coaching and assessments. The company issues individual stories for every constructing and recommends the best tools to use for each 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 corporate to perform school security assessments. Armoured One CEO Tom Czyz said his group knows what to look for when it assesses a school’s vulnerability.

“They’re looking at methods to decelerate an attacker and velocity up police response,” Czyz said. “How can we slow him down -- after which velocity up the response that might cease him.”

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

What I wish to be widespread is that our families know that we're prepared each day. And that’s what we work in direction of being a better school district as it pertains to security and security,” Green mentioned.

Burton stated, “I might say the one word that summarizes every thing that we do is vigilance.”

Greene mentioned that the district’s greatest defense 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 associated fee, it’s unclear proper now, because the partnership is still being worked out.

Duval County voters authorised a half-cent sales tax in November 2020 with the particular function of replacing ageing schools, repairing a massive backlog of upkeep points, and bolstering school security.

Proper now, 74 tasks are within the design section and 15 are beneath building.

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

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

Extra details about how that money is deliberate to be spent in particular person faculties could be found on the varsity district’s half-cent gross sales tax data dashboard.

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The following record of safety measures is printed on the school district’s website:

Each faculty has a safety plan and emergency response team.

All college classrooms are locked when occupied by students.

College plans are reviewed with workers every semester.

The district has a highly trained college police department, giving all colleges direct entry to highschool resource officers.

The district utilizes various major safety monitoring strategies together with digital camera surveillance and monitored controlled entry techniques.

All schools and district places of work have a District Emergency Communications Community radio with direct access to highschool police and district management. Faculty Police have direct entry to JSO.

All faculties conduct regular evacuation drills (fireplace drills).

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

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