City, DCPS publicizes partnership with firm specializing in security doorways, glass

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

The varsity district employed a New York firm named Armoured One, which focuses on doors and glass and claims it could decelerate or stop a shooter from getting into a classroom.

These are essential factors after police in Texas decided the door accessed by the gunman at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde was closed however not locked. Initially, state police stated a trainer left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the trainer really closed the door, however it didn’t lock robotically prefer it was presupposed to. The gunman shot and killed 19 college students and two teachers earlier than he was killed by legislation enforcement.

Armoured One, which was founded after the Sandy Hook Elementary College capturing, is made up of former army and regulation enforcement brokers who research mass capturing assaults and consult on faculty safety measures.

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“We are going to first work collaboratively to establish the place Armoured One resources can greatest praise the coaching already supplied, adding their assets to the training instruments and resources the district already uses,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said Wednesday afternoon at a news convention at Metropolis Corridor to announce the partnership.

Press the play button straight under to observe the complete news conference.

The safety glass and movie that Armoured One invented can withstand several hits -- whether or not that’s bullets, someone ramming into the glass or utilizing other objects or weapons -- with out breaking, which could sluggish an attacker. The doors it uses have metal framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One can also be identified for offering lively shooter coaching and assessments. The company points particular person stories for each constructing and recommends the very best equipment to make use of for every facility it’s working with.

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

“They’re taking a look at methods to decelerate an attacker and speed up police response,” Czyz stated. “How can we gradual him down -- after which pace up the response that would stop him.”

Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene and Duval County School Police Department Chief Greg Burton say security and safety are prime of thoughts on daily basis.

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

Burton stated, “I'd say the one word that summarizes all the pieces that we do is vigilance.”

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

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So far as the cost, it’s unclear right now, because the partnership remains to be being labored out.

Duval County voters approved a half-cent gross sales tax in November 2020 with the particular function of replacing getting older schools, repairing a large backlog of upkeep points, and bolstering college security.

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

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

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

More details about how that cash is planned to be spent in particular person schools might be found on the college district’s half-cent gross sales tax data dashboard.

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The following checklist of safety measures is revealed on the college district’s web site:

Each school has a safety plan and emergency response group.

All college lecture rooms are locked when occupied by students.

Faculty plans are reviewed with staff each semester.

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

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

All faculties and district places of work have a District Emergency Communications Network radio with direct entry to highschool police and district leadership. School Police have direct access to JSO.

All colleges conduct common evacuation drills (hearth drills).

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

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