City, DCPS proclaims partnership with company specializing in safety doorways, glass

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The town of Jacksonville and Duval County college district on Wednesday introduced a brand new plan to maintain children safe in the classroom.

The school district hired a New York firm named Armoured One, which makes a speciality of doorways and glass and claims it could slow down or prevent 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 School in Uvalde was closed however not locked. Initially, state police said a trainer left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the teacher really closed the door, however it didn’t lock automatically like it was supposed 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 Faculty shooting, is made up of former army and regulation enforcement agents who examine mass shooting assaults and consult on school safety measures.

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“We'll first work collaboratively to determine where Armoured One resources can best praise the training already provided, adding their resources to the training instruments and resources the district already makes use of,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry mentioned Wednesday afternoon at a information convention at Metropolis Corridor to announce the partnership.

Press the play button straight under to observe the entire news convention.

The security glass and film that Armoured One invented can stand up to a number of hits -- whether or not that’s bullets, somebody ramming into the glass or using other objects or weapons -- with out breaking, which might gradual an attacker. The doorways it uses have steel framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One can also be identified for offering active shooter training and assessments. The corporate issues particular person reviews for every building and recommends the very best gear to use for each facility it’s working with.

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Curry said he plans to search out the funding for that training but additionally work with the corporate to perform school safety assessments. Armoured One CEO Tom Czyz mentioned his staff knows what to search for when it assesses a college’s vulnerability.

“They’re taking a look at methods to decelerate an attacker and speed up police response,” Czyz mentioned. “How do we gradual him down -- and then speed up the response that might cease him.”

Duval County Public Faculties Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene and Duval County College Police Department Chief Greg Burton say security and safety are high of mind every day.

What I need to be frequent is that our families know that we are ready each day. And that’s what we work in the direction of being a better faculty district because it relates to security and safety,” Inexperienced said.

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

Greene stated that the district’s best defense is its college students and staff. She said she continues to encourage the college community 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 authorized a half-cent sales tax in November 2020 with the specific goal of changing getting older faculties, repairing an enormous backlog of upkeep points, and bolstering college safety.

Proper now, 74 initiatives are in the design phase and 15 are underneath building.

As of January 2022, the tax has generated greater than $118 million dollars, with greater than $5.7 million already spent or allocated to projects below development.

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

More details about how that money is planned to be spent in individual colleges may be discovered on the school district’s half-cent sales tax info dashboard.

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The next list of security measures is revealed on the college district’s web site:

Every faculty has a safety plan and emergency response crew.

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

School plans are reviewed with employees every semester.

The district has a extremely skilled school police department, giving all colleges direct access to high school useful resource officers.

The district makes use of varied main security monitoring methods together with digicam surveillance and monitored managed entry techniques.

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

All schools conduct regular evacuation drills (fireplace drills).

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

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