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

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

The varsity district hired a New York company named Armoured One, which makes a speciality of doors and glass and claims it could actually decelerate or stop a shooter from getting into a classroom.

Those are essential elements after police in Texas decided the door accessed by the gunman at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde was closed however not locked. Initially, state police stated a teacher left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the instructor truly closed the door, nevertheless it didn’t lock routinely like it was alleged to. The gunman shot and killed 19 students and two academics before he was killed by legislation enforcement.

Armoured One, which was founded after the Sandy Hook Elementary School taking pictures, is made up of former military and law enforcement agents who examine mass capturing attacks and consult on college safety measures.

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“We will first work collaboratively to establish the place Armoured One resources can greatest praise the training already provided, including their resources to the training tools and resources the district already makes use of,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said Wednesday afternoon at a news convention at City Hall to announce the partnership.

Press the play button immediately beneath to watch all the news convention.

The security glass and film that Armoured One invented can face up to a number of hits -- whether or not that’s bullets, somebody ramming into the glass or using different objects or weapons -- without breaking, which may sluggish an attacker. The doorways it uses have steel framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One can be known for providing energetic shooter training and assessments. The company issues individual experiences for every building and recommends the perfect gear to make use of for each facility it’s working with.

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Curry said he plans to search out the funding for that coaching but in addition work with the company to carry out faculty 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 taking a look at ways to decelerate an attacker and speed up police response,” Czyz said. “How can we slow him down -- and then speed up the response that would stop him.”

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

What I want to be widespread is that our households know that we are prepared every day. And that’s what we work in the direction of being a better faculty district as it pertains to security and safety,” Inexperienced stated.

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

Greene mentioned that the district’s finest defense is its college students and employees. She said she continues to encourage the college group to report something they see that’s suspicious.

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So far as the price, it’s unclear proper now, because the partnership remains to be being labored out.

Duval County voters approved a half-cent gross sales tax in November 2020 with the precise function of replacing getting older colleges, repairing a large backlog of upkeep issues, and bolstering faculty safety.

Proper now, 74 projects are in the design phase and 15 are under building.

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

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

More information about how that money is planned to be spent in individual colleges can be found on the college district’s half-cent gross sales tax data dashboard.

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The next checklist of security measures is printed on the college district’s website:

Each school has a safety plan and emergency response group.

All school lecture rooms are locked when occupied by college students.

School plans are reviewed with employees every semester.

The district has a extremely trained college police division, giving all faculties direct access to school resource officers.

The district makes use of various major safety monitoring methods including camera surveillance and monitored managed entry techniques.

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

All colleges conduct common evacuation drills (fire drills).

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

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