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

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

The school district employed a New York company named Armoured One, which specializes in doors and glass and claims it might decelerate 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 College in Uvalde was closed but not locked. Initially, state police stated a instructor left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the trainer really closed the door, however it didn’t lock automatically prefer it was speculated to. The gunman shot and killed 19 college students and two lecturers before he was killed by law enforcement.

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

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“We are going to first work collaboratively to establish where Armoured One assets can greatest compliment the training already supplied, adding their assets to the coaching instruments and assets the district already makes use of,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said Wednesday afternoon at a news conference at City Corridor to announce the partnership.

Press the play button directly beneath to look at the whole news convention.

The security glass and film that Armoured One invented can withstand a number of hits -- whether or not that’s bullets, someone ramming into the glass or using other objects or weapons -- without breaking, which might sluggish an attacker. The doorways it uses have metal framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One can also be recognized for providing lively shooter training and assessments. The corporate issues individual reviews for each building and recommends the very best tools to make use of for each facility it’s working with.

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Curry said he plans to find the funding for that coaching but also work with the corporate to carry out school safety assessments. Armoured One CEO Tom Czyz said his team is aware of what to look for when it assesses a college’s vulnerability.

“They’re looking at ways to slow down an attacker and velocity up police response,” Czyz stated. “How do we sluggish him down -- and then pace up the response that would cease 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 every single day.

What I need to be common is that our families know that we're prepared every day. And that’s what we work towards being a better faculty district because it relates to safety and security,” Inexperienced said.

Burton mentioned, “I would say the one word that summarizes the whole lot that we do is vigilance.”

Greene mentioned that the district’s best protection is its students and workers. She mentioned 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 right now, because the partnership is still being labored out.

Duval County voters approved a half-cent gross sales tax in November 2020 with the specific goal of replacing ageing faculties, repairing a massive backlog of upkeep issues, and bolstering faculty safety.

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

Over its 15-year life, the gross sales tax is projected to generate $64.9 million for the particular function of upgrading faculty security in DCPS faculties.

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

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The next listing of safety measures is printed on the varsity district’s web site:

Every faculty has a security plan and emergency response group.

All faculty classrooms are locked when occupied by students.

Faculty plans are reviewed with staff each semester.

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

The district utilizes numerous major security monitoring methods including digicam surveillance and monitored managed access methods.

All faculties and district offices have a District Emergency Communications Community radio with direct entry to highschool police and district leadership. College Police have direct access to JSO.

All colleges conduct regular evacuation drills (hearth drills).

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

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