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

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

The varsity district employed a New York company named Armoured One, which makes a speciality of doors and glass and claims it might slow down or forestall a shooter from getting into a classroom.

Those 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 stated a instructor left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the instructor actually closed the door, but it didn’t lock routinely prefer it was imagined to. The gunman shot and killed 19 students and two academics earlier than he was killed by regulation enforcement.

Armoured One, which was based after the Sandy Hook Elementary Faculty capturing, is made up of former navy and regulation enforcement agents who examine mass capturing assaults and seek the advice of on college security measures.

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“We will first work collaboratively to establish where Armoured One sources can best compliment the coaching already provided, adding their assets to the training tools and sources the district already makes use of,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry stated Wednesday afternoon at a news conference at City Corridor to announce the partnership.

Press the play button immediately under to observe the entire information conference.

The safety glass and film that Armoured One invented can stand up to a number of hits -- whether that’s bullets, somebody ramming into the glass or utilizing different objects or weapons -- with out breaking, which might sluggish an attacker. The doors it makes use of have metallic framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One can also be identified for providing energetic shooter training and assessments. The company points individual experiences for each building and recommends the best gear to make use of for each facility it’s working with.

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Curry mentioned he plans to seek out the funding for that training but additionally work with the company to perform college security assessments. Armoured One CEO Tom Czyz stated his crew is aware of what to look for when it assesses a college’s vulnerability.

“They’re looking at methods to slow down an attacker and speed up police response,” Czyz said. “How can we sluggish him down -- after which velocity up the response that will cease him.”

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

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

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

Greene stated that the district’s finest defense is its students and employees. 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 associated fee, it’s unclear proper now, as the partnership continues to be being labored out.

Duval County voters accepted a half-cent gross sales tax in November 2020 with the specific goal of changing growing older colleges, repairing a large backlog of maintenance points, and bolstering school safety.

Proper now, 74 initiatives are within the design section and 15 are below 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 projects underneath development.

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

Extra details about how that cash is planned to be spent in individual faculties might be discovered on the school district’s half-cent gross sales tax data dashboard.

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The next list of safety measures is revealed on the school district’s web site:

Every faculty has a safety plan and emergency response workforce.

All faculty lecture rooms are locked when occupied by students.

School plans are reviewed with workers each semester.

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

The district utilizes various main safety monitoring strategies including digital camera surveillance and monitored managed entry systems.

All faculties and district places of work have a District Emergency Communications Network radio with direct access to highschool police and district leadership. Faculty Police have direct entry to JSO.

All colleges conduct regular evacuation drills (fireplace drills).

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

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