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

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

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

Those are essential factors 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 mentioned a teacher left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the teacher truly closed the door, nevertheless it didn’t lock routinely like it was imagined to. The gunman shot and killed 19 students and two teachers before he was killed by legislation enforcement.

Armoured One, which was based after the Sandy Hook Elementary College capturing, is made up of former navy and regulation enforcement agents who study mass taking pictures assaults and consult on college safety measures.

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“We are going to first work collaboratively to identify where Armoured One assets can greatest compliment the coaching already provided, including their resources to the training tools and resources the district already makes use of,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry stated Wednesday afternoon at a information conference at City Hall to announce the partnership.

Press the play button immediately under to look at all the information convention.

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

Armoured One can be known for offering active shooter training and assessments. The corporate issues particular person experiences for each constructing and recommends the most effective equipment to use for each facility it’s working with.

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Curry stated he plans to find the funding for that coaching but also work with the corporate to perform faculty safety assessments. Armoured One CEO Tom Czyz said his group knows what to look for when it assesses a school’s vulnerability.

“They’re ways to decelerate an attacker and velocity up police response,” Czyz stated. “How can we gradual him down -- after which speed up the response that would cease him.”

Duval County Public Colleges Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene and Duval County College Police Department Chief Greg Burton say security and safety are top of thoughts on daily basis.

What I wish to be frequent is that our households know that we are prepared every day. And that’s what we work in direction of being a greater faculty district as it relates to safety and safety,” Green stated.

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

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

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

Duval County voters accepted a half-cent sales tax in November 2020 with the precise purpose of replacing growing older colleges, repairing a large backlog of maintenance points, and bolstering college security.

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

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

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

More information about how that cash is planned to be spent in particular person faculties can be discovered on the school district’s half-cent gross sales tax data dashboard.

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The following list of security measures is revealed on the college district’s website:

Each faculty has a security plan and emergency response team.

All faculty classrooms are locked when occupied by college students.

Faculty plans are reviewed with workers each semester.

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

The district makes use of varied major security monitoring strategies including camera surveillance and monitored managed access systems.

All colleges and district places of work have a District Emergency Communications Community radio with direct entry to high school police and district leadership. Faculty Police have direct entry to JSO.

All colleges conduct regular evacuation drills (fire drills).

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

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