City, DCPS declares partnership with firm specializing in safety doorways, glass

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

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

These are essential components after police in Texas decided the door accessed by the gunman at Robb Elementary College in Uvalde was closed but not locked. Originally, state police said a instructor left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the teacher truly closed the door, but it surely didn’t lock routinely prefer it was presupposed to. The gunman shot and killed 19 college students and two academics earlier than he was killed by regulation enforcement.

Armoured One, which was based after the Sandy Hook Elementary School capturing, is made up of former navy and legislation enforcement agents who research mass shooting assaults and seek the advice of on school safety measures.

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“We'll first work collaboratively to identify the place Armoured One resources can greatest compliment the training already offered, adding their sources to the coaching instruments and assets the district already makes use of,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said Wednesday afternoon at a information convention at Metropolis Hall to announce the partnership.

Press the play button immediately under to look at all the news convention.

The security glass and movie 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 may sluggish an attacker. The doors it makes use of have metallic framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One can also be identified for providing active shooter training and assessments. The corporate issues particular person studies for each building and recommends the perfect gear to make use of for every facility it’s working with.

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Curry said he plans to seek out the funding for that training but in addition work with the corporate to perform school safety assessments. Armoured One CEO Tom Czyz mentioned his team is aware of what to search for when it assesses a faculty’s vulnerability.

“They’re ways to decelerate an attacker and speed up police response,” Czyz said. “How do we slow him down -- after which speed up the response that would cease him.”

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

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

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

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

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So far as the associated fee, it’s unclear proper now, because the partnership continues to be being worked out.

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

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

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

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

More information about how that money is deliberate to be spent in particular person schools will be found on the college district’s half-cent gross sales tax data dashboard.

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The next record of safety measures is printed on the college district’s website:

Each school has a security plan and emergency response staff.

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

Faculty plans are reviewed with workers every semester.

The district has a highly trained faculty police division, giving all colleges direct entry to highschool resource officers.

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

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

All colleges conduct regular evacuation drills (fireplace drills).

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

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