City, DCPS pronounces partnership with firm specializing in security doors, glass

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

The college district employed a New York company named Armoured One, which specializes in doors and glass and claims it could possibly decelerate or prevent a shooter from getting right into a classroom.

Those are crucial elements 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 instructor left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the teacher truly closed the door, but it didn’t lock automatically like it was alleged to. The gunman shot and killed 19 college students and two academics before he was killed by legislation enforcement.

Armoured One, which was founded after the Sandy Hook Elementary College taking pictures, is made up of former navy and law enforcement brokers who examine mass capturing attacks and seek the advice of on school security measures.

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“We'll first work collaboratively to determine where Armoured One assets can best praise the training already supplied, adding their assets to the coaching tools and sources 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 instantly below to watch the complete news conference.

The safety glass and movie that Armoured One invented can face up to a number of hits -- whether that’s bullets, somebody ramming into the glass or using different objects or weapons -- with out breaking, which may slow an attacker. The doors it uses have metal framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One can also be known for providing active shooter training and assessments. The corporate points individual stories for every constructing and recommends the very best gear to use for every facility it’s working with.

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Curry mentioned he plans to find the funding for that coaching but additionally work with the company to perform college security assessments. Armoured One CEO Tom Czyz mentioned his workforce knows what to search for when it assesses a school’s vulnerability.

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

Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene and Duval County College Police Division Chief Greg Burton say security and safety are high of thoughts every day.

What I wish to be frequent is that our families know that we are prepared each and every day. And that’s what we work in direction of being a greater school district as it relates to security and security,” Inexperienced stated.

Burton mentioned, “I'd say the one word that summarizes everything that we do is vigilance.”

Greene said that the district’s greatest defense 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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So far as the fee, it’s unclear proper now, because the partnership remains to be being labored out.

Duval County voters accepted a half-cent sales tax in November 2020 with the particular goal of changing getting old faculties, repairing a massive backlog of maintenance points, and bolstering faculty safety.

Right now, 74 initiatives are within the design part and 15 are beneath building.

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

Over its 15-year life, the sales tax is projected to generate $64.9 million for the particular goal of upgrading college safety in DCPS colleges.

Extra information about how that cash is planned to be spent in individual faculties will be discovered on the varsity district’s half-cent sales tax info dashboard.

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The following record of security measures is revealed on the varsity district’s website:

Every school has a safety plan and emergency response staff.

All faculty classrooms are locked when occupied by college students.

School plans are reviewed with employees every semester.

The district has a extremely educated faculty police division, giving all schools direct entry to high school resource officers.

The district makes use of various major security monitoring strategies including digicam surveillance and monitored controlled access methods.

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

All faculties conduct regular evacuation drills (fire drills).

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

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