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

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Town of Jacksonville and Duval County school district on Wednesday announced a new plan to maintain kids safe in the classroom.

The varsity district hired a New York company named Armoured One, which specializes in doors and glass and claims it could decelerate or prevent a shooter from getting into a classroom.

These are crucial components after police in Texas determined the door accessed by the gunman at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde was closed however not locked. Initially, state police said a instructor left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the teacher actually closed the door, but it didn’t lock robotically like it was presupposed to. The gunman shot and killed 19 students and two lecturers before he was killed by law enforcement.

Armoured One, which was based after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, is made up of former army and regulation enforcement brokers who study mass taking pictures assaults and consult on college safety measures.

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“We'll first work collaboratively to establish the place Armoured One sources can finest compliment the training already provided, including their sources to the training tools and sources the district already makes use of,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said Wednesday afternoon at a news convention at Metropolis Corridor to announce the partnership.

Press the play button instantly beneath to watch all the information conference.

The security glass and movie that Armoured One invented can face up to several hits -- whether that’s bullets, someone ramming into the glass or utilizing different objects or weapons -- without breaking, which may gradual an attacker. The doors it uses have steel framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One can also be known for offering energetic shooter coaching and assessments. The company points individual stories for each constructing and recommends the most effective tools to use for each facility it’s working with.

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

“They’re methods to decelerate an attacker and velocity up police response,” Czyz mentioned. “How will we sluggish him down -- and then speed up the response that would stop him.”

Duval County Public Faculties Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene and Duval County Faculty Police Department Chief Greg Burton say security and safety are prime of thoughts daily.

What I want to be common is that our households know that we're ready every day. And that’s what we work in the direction of being a better college district because it pertains to security and safety,” Inexperienced stated.

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

Greene said that the district’s greatest defense is its students and staff. She said 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, because the partnership continues to be being labored out.

Duval County voters accepted a half-cent gross sales tax in November 2020 with the precise objective of replacing growing old schools, repairing an enormous backlog of upkeep points, and bolstering faculty security.

Right now, 74 initiatives are in the design section and 15 are below building.

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

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

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

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

Each college has a safety plan and emergency response staff.

All faculty lecture rooms are locked when occupied by students.

School plans are reviewed with workers every semester.

The district has a extremely educated college police division, giving all schools direct entry to high school useful resource officers.

The district utilizes numerous main security monitoring strategies including digital camera surveillance and monitored controlled access techniques.

All colleges and district workplaces have a District Emergency Communications Community radio with direct access to school police and district management. College Police have direct entry to JSO.

All schools conduct regular evacuation drills (hearth drills).

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

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