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

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Town of Jacksonville and Duval County college district on Wednesday introduced a new plan to keep kids secure within the classroom.

The school district employed a New York firm named Armoured One, which makes a speciality of doors and glass and claims it will probably decelerate or prevent 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 College in Uvalde was closed but not locked. Initially, state police stated a instructor left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the teacher really closed the door, however it didn’t lock automatically like it was imagined to. The gunman shot and killed 19 students and two teachers earlier than he was killed by law enforcement.

Armoured One, which was founded after the Sandy Hook Elementary School capturing, is made up of former military and legislation enforcement brokers who examine mass shooting assaults and consult on faculty security measures.

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

Press the play button straight below to look at the whole news conference.

The safety glass and film that Armoured One invented can withstand several hits -- whether or not that’s bullets, somebody ramming into the glass or utilizing other objects or weapons -- without breaking, which may slow an attacker. The doors it makes use of have metallic framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One can also be identified for offering active shooter training and assessments. The company points particular person experiences for each constructing and recommends the perfect gear to use for each facility it’s working with.

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

“They’re looking at ways to slow down an attacker and speed up police response,” Czyz stated. “How can we slow him down -- and then speed up the response that might stop him.”

Duval County Public Faculties Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene and Duval County School Police Department Chief Greg Burton say security and safety are prime 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 college district as it relates to safety and security,” Green mentioned.

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

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

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So far as the cost, it’s unclear proper now, as the partnership is still being labored out.

Duval County voters authorised a half-cent gross sales tax in November 2020 with the precise purpose of changing ageing colleges, repairing an enormous backlog of upkeep issues, and bolstering college safety.

Proper now, 74 initiatives are within the design phase 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 allocated to projects beneath construction.

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

More information about how that money is deliberate to be spent in individual schools will be found on the college district’s half-cent gross sales tax info dashboard.

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The following record of safety measures is revealed on the college district’s website:

Each school has a security plan and emergency response staff.

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

School plans are reviewed with staff every semester.

The district has a extremely trained college police division, giving all colleges direct access to highschool resource officers.

The district utilizes varied major safety monitoring strategies including digital camera surveillance and monitored managed entry methods.

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

All faculties conduct regular evacuation drills (fire drills).

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

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