Metropolis, DCPS announces partnership with firm specializing in safety doorways, glass

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The city of Jacksonville and Duval County faculty district on Wednesday introduced a new plan to keep children secure in the classroom.

The college district employed a New York company named Armoured One, which focuses on doorways and glass and claims it may possibly slow down or prevent a shooter from getting right into a classroom.

These are crucial components after police in Texas decided the door accessed by the gunman at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde was closed however not locked. Originally, state police mentioned a trainer left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the instructor truly closed the door, but it surely didn’t lock automatically prefer it was speculated to. The gunman shot and killed 19 college students and two academics before he was killed by regulation enforcement.

Armoured One, which was founded after the Sandy Hook Elementary College taking pictures, is made up of former army and legislation enforcement brokers who examine mass shooting assaults and consult on school safety measures.

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“We'll first work collaboratively to identify where Armoured One resources can finest praise the coaching already offered, adding their assets to the coaching instruments and resources the district already makes use of,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said Wednesday afternoon at a information conference at City Hall to announce the partnership.

Press the play button straight beneath to watch the whole news conference.

The security glass and film that Armoured One invented can stand up to several hits -- whether or not that’s bullets, somebody ramming into the glass or utilizing other objects or weapons -- without breaking, which may sluggish an attacker. The doors it uses have metal framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One is also recognized for providing active shooter coaching and assessments. The company issues individual stories for every constructing and recommends the very best tools to make use of for each facility it’s working with.

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Curry stated he plans to find the funding for that coaching but additionally work with the corporate to carry out college security assessments. Armoured One CEO Tom Czyz stated his crew is aware of what to search for when it assesses a college’s vulnerability.

“They’re methods to decelerate an attacker and speed up police response,” Czyz mentioned. “How will we sluggish him down -- and then speed up the response that will cease him.”

Duval County Public Faculties Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene and Duval County School Police Division Chief Greg Burton say security and safety are top of mind day-after-day.

What I need to be widespread is that our households know that we are ready each day. And that’s what we work towards being a greater school district because it relates to safety and security,” Green stated.

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

Greene mentioned that the district’s best protection is its students and staff. She stated she continues to encourage the school neighborhood to report anything they see that’s suspicious.

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

Duval County voters accredited a half-cent sales tax in November 2020 with the precise function of changing ageing schools, repairing a large backlog of maintenance points, and bolstering faculty safety.

Proper now, 74 initiatives are in the design section and 15 are under construction.

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

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

More information about how that cash is deliberate to be spent in individual schools may be discovered on the college district’s half-cent gross sales tax data dashboard.

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The following checklist of security measures is printed on the school district’s web site:

Every college has a safety plan and emergency response workforce.

All college lecture rooms are locked when occupied by students.

School plans are reviewed with staff each semester.

The district has a extremely educated school police division, giving all colleges direct access to highschool useful resource officers.

The district utilizes varied major safety monitoring methods including camera surveillance and monitored controlled entry methods.

All schools and district workplaces have a District Emergency Communications Network radio with direct access to school police and district leadership. School Police have direct entry to JSO.

All faculties conduct common evacuation drills (fire drills).

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

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