City, DCPS proclaims partnership with company specializing in security doors, glass

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

The varsity district hired a New York company named Armoured One, which focuses on doors and glass and claims it can slow down or forestall a shooter from getting into a classroom.

Those are essential elements after police in Texas decided the door accessed by the gunman at Robb Elementary Faculty in Uvalde was closed however not locked. Initially, state police mentioned a trainer left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the instructor really closed the door, nevertheless it didn’t lock mechanically prefer it was speculated to. The gunman shot and killed 19 students and two lecturers earlier than he was killed by law enforcement.

Armoured One, which was based after the Sandy Hook Elementary College shooting, is made up of former military and legislation enforcement brokers who research mass capturing attacks and consult on faculty security measures.

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“We are going to first work collaboratively to identify where Armoured One resources can greatest compliment the training already supplied, including their resources to the training tools and assets the district already uses,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry mentioned Wednesday afternoon at a news conference at City Corridor to announce the partnership.

Press the play button straight under to watch the complete information convention.

The security glass and film that Armoured One invented can face up to several hits -- whether that’s bullets, somebody ramming into the glass or using different objects or weapons -- with out breaking, which could gradual an attacker. The doors it makes use of have metallic framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One can be known for providing lively shooter coaching and assessments. The corporate issues individual studies for every 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 search out the funding for that coaching but additionally work with the company to carry out faculty safety assessments. Armoured One CEO Tom Czyz mentioned his workforce knows what to look for when it assesses a school’s vulnerability.

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

Duval County Public Faculties Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene and Duval County College Police Division Chief Greg Burton say safety and security are prime of mind on daily basis.

What I need to be frequent is that our households know that we're ready each day. And that’s what we work in direction of being a greater college district as it relates to security and security,” Green stated.

Burton stated, “I would say the one phrase that summarizes the whole lot that we do is vigilance.”

Greene stated that the district’s greatest protection is its college students and employees. She said she continues to encourage the college neighborhood to report anything they see that’s suspicious.

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As far as the cost, it’s unclear proper now, as the partnership is still being labored out.

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

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

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

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

Extra information about how that cash is planned to be spent in individual schools will be discovered on the varsity district’s half-cent gross sales tax information dashboard.

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The following listing of safety measures is published on the college district’s web site:

Each school has a security plan and emergency response crew.

All school classrooms are locked when occupied by college students.

College plans are reviewed with employees every semester.

The district has a highly trained faculty police department, giving all schools direct entry to high school resource officers.

The district makes use of numerous major safety monitoring methods together with digicam surveillance and monitored controlled access methods.

All faculties and district places of work have a District Emergency Communications Community radio with direct access to high school police and district management. College Police have direct entry to JSO.

All colleges conduct common evacuation drills (fireplace drills).

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

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