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

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

The school district employed a New York firm named Armoured One, which specializes in doors and glass and claims it could possibly 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 School in Uvalde was closed but not locked. Originally, state police stated a teacher left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the teacher really closed the door, but it surely didn’t lock mechanically like it was supposed 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 taking pictures, is made up of former navy and legislation enforcement agents who examine mass shooting attacks and seek the advice of on college security measures.

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“We will first work collaboratively to establish the place Armoured One resources can finest praise the coaching already offered, adding their sources 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 Hall to announce the partnership.

Press the play button instantly under to watch all the news convention.

The security glass and film that Armoured One invented can withstand a number of hits -- whether or not that’s bullets, somebody ramming into the glass or using other objects or weapons -- without breaking, which could gradual an attacker. The doorways it makes use of have steel framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One can also be known for providing energetic shooter training and assessments. The company points particular person reviews for each building and recommends the most effective tools to use for every facility it’s working with.

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Curry stated he plans to seek out the funding for that coaching but in addition work with the corporate to perform school security assessments. Armoured One CEO Tom Czyz stated his staff knows what to search for when it assesses a faculty’s vulnerability.

“They’re methods to slow down an attacker and speed up police response,” Czyz said. “How do we slow him down -- after which pace 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 safety and security are prime of mind day-after-day.

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

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

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

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

Duval County voters accredited a half-cent gross sales tax in November 2020 with the particular purpose of replacing getting old colleges, repairing a large backlog of upkeep issues, and bolstering school safety.

Right now, 74 initiatives are in the design section and 15 are underneath building.

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

Over its 15-year life, the sales tax is projected to generate $64.9 million for the precise purpose of upgrading college safety in DCPS faculties.

Extra information about how that money is planned to be spent in individual schools might be discovered on the college district’s half-cent sales tax info dashboard.

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The following list of safety measures is published on the varsity district’s web site:

Every school has a safety plan and emergency response group.

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

School plans are reviewed with workers every semester.

The district has a extremely skilled faculty police division, giving all faculties direct entry to high school resource officers.

The district makes use of numerous major safety monitoring strategies together with digicam surveillance and monitored controlled entry methods.

All faculties and district workplaces have a District Emergency Communications Community radio with direct access to high school police and district leadership. School Police have direct access to JSO.

All faculties conduct common evacuation drills (fire drills).

All faculties conduct regular emergency and lockdown (“code red” and “code yellow”) drills.

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