Metropolis, DCPS broadcasts partnership with company specializing in safety doors, glass

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

The varsity district hired a New York company named Armoured One, which specializes in doorways and glass and claims it will possibly slow down or stop a shooter from getting into a classroom.

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

Armoured One, which was founded after the Sandy Hook Elementary Faculty capturing, is made up of former military and legislation enforcement agents who research mass capturing attacks and seek the advice of on college security measures.

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“We are going to first work collaboratively to establish where Armoured One sources can greatest compliment the training already provided, including their sources to the coaching instruments and sources the district already uses,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry mentioned Wednesday afternoon at a information conference at City Hall to announce the partnership.

Press the play button instantly under to watch all the news convention.

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

Armoured One can also be recognized for offering energetic shooter training and assessments. The company points individual reports for each constructing and recommends the best equipment 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 carry out school security assessments. Armoured One CEO Tom Czyz stated his staff is aware of what to look for when it assesses a school’s vulnerability.

“They’re taking a look at methods to slow down an attacker and pace up police response,” Czyz mentioned. “How can we sluggish him down -- and then velocity up the response that might stop him.”

Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene and Duval County School Police Division Chief Greg Burton say security and safety are prime of mind day-after-day.

What I want to be widespread is that our families know that we are prepared each and every day. And that’s what we work in the direction of being a better college district because it pertains to security and security,” Green stated.

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

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

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As far as the price, it’s unclear proper now, because the partnership continues to be being worked out.

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

Right now, 74 initiatives are within the design phase and 15 are under construction.

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

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

Extra details about how that money is planned to be spent in particular person faculties may be discovered on the varsity district’s half-cent gross sales tax info dashboard.

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The next record of security measures is printed on the college district’s web site:

Every college has a safety plan and emergency response group.

All college lecture rooms are locked when occupied by students.

Faculty plans are reviewed with staff every semester.

The district has a extremely skilled faculty police department, giving all schools direct entry to high school useful resource officers.

The district utilizes numerous major security monitoring strategies together with digicam surveillance and monitored managed entry methods.

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

All colleges conduct common evacuation drills (fire drills).

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

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