Metropolis, DCPS proclaims partnership with company specializing in security doorways, glass

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

The school district hired a New York firm named Armoured One, which specializes in doors and glass and claims it could decelerate or forestall a shooter from getting right into a classroom.

These are essential elements after police in Texas decided the door accessed by the gunman at Robb Elementary College in Uvalde was closed however not locked. Initially, state police mentioned a teacher left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the trainer truly closed the door, but it didn’t lock automatically like it was supposed to. The gunman shot and killed 19 students and two lecturers earlier than he was killed by regulation enforcement.

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

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“We'll first work collaboratively to identify the place Armoured One assets can finest praise the training already supplied, adding their resources to the coaching tools and assets the district already makes use of,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry stated Wednesday afternoon at a information convention at Metropolis Corridor to announce the partnership.

Press the play button straight under to look at your complete information conference.

The safety glass and movie that Armoured One invented can withstand a number of hits -- whether that’s bullets, somebody ramming into the glass or using different objects or weapons -- without breaking, which may sluggish an attacker. The doorways it makes use of have metallic framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One is also recognized for offering active shooter coaching and assessments. The corporate issues individual studies for every constructing and recommends the perfect gear to make use of for each facility it’s working with.

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Curry stated he plans to seek out the funding for that coaching but also work with the company to perform faculty safety assessments. Armoured One CEO Tom Czyz mentioned his group knows 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 mentioned. “How will we slow him down -- and then velocity up the response that may cease him.”

Duval County Public Colleges Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene and Duval County School Police Department Chief Greg Burton say safety and security are prime of thoughts every single day.

What I wish to be frequent is that our families know that we're prepared each day. And that’s what we work in direction of being a better college district because it pertains to security and safety,” Inexperienced mentioned.

Burton said, “I'd say the one word that summarizes all the pieces that we do is vigilance.”

Greene stated that the district’s best defense is its college students and employees. She stated she continues to encourage the school neighborhood to report something they see that’s suspicious.

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As far as the fee, it’s unclear proper now, as the partnership remains to be being labored out.

Duval County voters approved a half-cent gross sales tax in November 2020 with the specific function of changing getting older faculties, repairing an enormous backlog of upkeep issues, and bolstering faculty security.

Proper now, 74 initiatives are in the design part and 15 are beneath development.

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 construction.

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

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 info dashboard.

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The next checklist of safety measures is published on the college district’s web site:

Each faculty has a security plan and emergency response workforce.

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

College plans are reviewed with workers each semester.

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

The district makes use of varied major safety monitoring strategies together with digital camera surveillance and monitored managed entry techniques.

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

All schools conduct common evacuation drills (hearth drills).

All colleges conduct common emergency and lockdown (“code pink” and “code yellow”) drills.

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