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

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

The varsity district hired a New York firm named Armoured One, which specializes in doorways and glass and claims it will possibly decelerate or forestall a shooter from getting right into a classroom.

These are essential elements after police in Texas determined the door accessed by the gunman at Robb Elementary Faculty in Uvalde was closed but not locked. Initially, state police said a teacher left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the instructor actually closed the door, but it didn’t lock robotically prefer it was alleged to. The gunman shot and killed 19 students and two teachers earlier than he was killed by regulation enforcement.

Armoured One, which was based after the Sandy Hook Elementary Faculty taking pictures, is made up of former military and legislation enforcement brokers who research mass capturing assaults and consult on school security measures.

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“We are going to first work collaboratively to establish where Armoured One resources can greatest compliment the training already offered, including their assets to the training tools and sources the district already makes use of,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said Wednesday afternoon at a news convention at Metropolis Hall to announce the partnership.

Press the play button immediately below to look at your complete information convention.

The security glass and film that Armoured One invented can stand up to several hits -- whether that’s bullets, somebody ramming into the glass or using other objects or weapons -- without breaking, which may sluggish an attacker. The doors it makes use of have metallic framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One can also be known for providing energetic shooter coaching and assessments. The company issues particular person experiences for each constructing and recommends the most effective gear to make use of for each facility it’s working with.

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Curry stated he plans to search out the funding for that training but in addition work with the company to perform faculty security assessments. Armoured One CEO Tom Czyz said his workforce is aware of 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 mentioned. “How will we sluggish him down -- and then speed up the response that will cease him.”

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

What I want to be frequent is that our households know that we're ready each and every day. And that’s what we work in direction of being a better school district as it relates to safety and security,” Green said.

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

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

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

Duval County voters accepted a half-cent sales tax in November 2020 with the particular function of replacing aging faculties, repairing a massive backlog of maintenance issues, and bolstering faculty security.

Proper now, 74 initiatives are within the design part and 15 are under development.

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

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

Extra information about how that cash is planned to be spent in particular person schools can be discovered on the varsity district’s half-cent sales tax information dashboard.

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The next listing of security measures is published on the college district’s web site:

Every faculty has a safety plan and emergency response group.

All college school rooms are locked when occupied by students.

School plans are reviewed with employees each semester.

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

The district makes use of varied main security monitoring strategies including digital camera surveillance and monitored managed access programs.

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

All faculties conduct common evacuation drills (hearth drills).

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

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