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

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

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

These are essential 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 said a instructor left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the instructor really closed the door, but it surely didn’t lock mechanically like it was supposed to. The gunman shot and killed 19 students and two teachers before he was killed by law enforcement.

Armoured One, which was founded after the Sandy Hook Elementary Faculty shooting, is made up of former navy and regulation enforcement brokers who examine mass taking pictures attacks and consult on faculty security measures.

Advert

“We will first work collaboratively to identify where Armoured One sources can greatest praise the training already provided, including their resources to the training tools and assets the district already uses,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry stated Wednesday afternoon at a information convention at Metropolis Corridor to announce the partnership.

Press the play button instantly below to watch the entire information convention.

The security glass and film that Armoured One invented can withstand several hits -- whether or not that’s bullets, somebody ramming into the glass or using other objects or weapons -- without breaking, which may gradual an attacker. The doorways it makes use of have metallic framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One can also be recognized for providing lively shooter training and assessments. The company points individual experiences for each constructing and recommends one of the best equipment to make use of for each facility it’s working with.

Ad

Curry mentioned he plans to search out the funding for that training but additionally work with the corporate to carry out school safety assessments. Armoured One CEO Tom Czyz said his group is aware of what to look for when it assesses a school’s vulnerability.

“They’re ways to decelerate an attacker and speed up police response,” Czyz mentioned. “How can we gradual him down -- and then velocity up the response that may cease him.”

Duval County Public Colleges Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene and Duval County Faculty Police Department Chief Greg Burton say safety and security are top of mind every single day.

What I want to be common is that our households know that we are prepared each and every day. And that’s what we work in direction of being a better school district as it relates to security and security,” Green said.

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

Greene stated that the district’s finest protection is its college students and workers. She mentioned she continues to encourage the college community to report anything they see that’s suspicious.

Advert

As far as the associated fee, it’s unclear right now, as the partnership is still being worked out.

Duval County voters permitted a half-cent sales tax in November 2020 with the particular function of changing getting older colleges, repairing a large backlog of maintenance points, and bolstering faculty security.

Proper now, 74 tasks are in the design section and 15 are beneath 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 projects below construction.

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

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

Ad

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

Every faculty has a safety plan and emergency response group.

All college classrooms are locked when occupied by students.

School plans are reviewed with employees every semester.

The district has a highly skilled college police division, giving all faculties direct entry to highschool resource officers.

The district utilizes varied major security monitoring methods including digicam surveillance and monitored controlled access programs.

All schools and district offices have a District Emergency Communications Network radio with direct access to highschool police and district management. Faculty Police have direct access to JSO.

All faculties conduct common evacuation drills (hearth drills).

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

Copyright 2022 by WJXT News4JAX - All rights reserved.