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

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

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

These are essential elements 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 instructor truly closed the door, however it didn’t lock automatically like it was supposed to. The gunman shot and killed 19 college students and two teachers before he was killed by legislation enforcement.

Armoured One, which was founded after the Sandy Hook Elementary School taking pictures, is made up of former navy and legislation enforcement brokers who study mass shooting attacks and seek the advice of on college safety measures.

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“We will first work collaboratively to identify the place Armoured One sources can finest praise the training already offered, adding their sources to the training tools and sources the district already uses,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry mentioned Wednesday afternoon at a information convention at Metropolis Corridor to announce the partnership.

Press the play button directly under to observe your entire news conference.

The safety glass and movie that Armoured One invented can face up to several hits -- whether or not that’s bullets, someone ramming into the glass or utilizing different objects or weapons -- with out breaking, which may gradual an attacker. The doorways it makes use of have metallic framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One can be known for providing lively shooter coaching and assessments. The company points individual stories for each constructing and recommends the perfect gear to make use of for each 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 company to carry out school safety assessments. Armoured One CEO Tom Czyz stated his workforce knows what to search for when it assesses a faculty’s vulnerability.

“They’re methods to decelerate an attacker and speed up police response,” Czyz said. “How can we gradual him down -- after which speed up the response that might cease him.”

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

What I wish to be frequent is that our households know that we are ready every day. And that’s what we work in the direction of being a better college district because it pertains to safety and safety,” Green said.

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

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

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So far as the price, it’s unclear right now, as the partnership continues to be being worked out.

Duval County voters authorised a half-cent gross sales tax in November 2020 with the specific function of changing ageing schools, repairing a massive backlog of maintenance issues, and bolstering school security.

Proper now, 74 initiatives are in the design section and 15 are below construction.

As of January 2022, the tax has generated greater than $118 million dollars, with greater 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 objective of upgrading college security in DCPS schools.

More details about how that cash is planned to be spent in individual schools may be found on the varsity district’s half-cent gross sales tax info dashboard.

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The following checklist of safety measures is printed on the school district’s website:

Every faculty has a safety plan and emergency response team.

All faculty classrooms are locked when occupied by college students.

Faculty plans are reviewed with staff each semester.

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

The district makes use of various main safety monitoring strategies including camera surveillance and monitored managed entry methods.

All faculties and district workplaces have a District Emergency Communications Network radio with direct entry to high school police and district leadership. School Police have direct entry to JSO.

All faculties conduct regular evacuation drills (hearth drills).

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

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