Metropolis, DCPS pronounces partnership with company specializing in security doors, glass

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The town of Jacksonville and Duval County school district on Wednesday introduced a new plan to maintain kids secure in the classroom.

The college district employed a New York company named Armoured One, which focuses on doors and glass and claims it could decelerate or forestall a shooter from getting right into a classroom.

These are crucial 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 instructor really closed the door, but it didn’t lock mechanically prefer it was presupposed to. The gunman shot and killed 19 college students and two academics before he was killed by law enforcement.

Armoured One, which was based after the Sandy Hook Elementary College taking pictures, is made up of former army and legislation enforcement agents who research mass taking pictures assaults and seek the advice of on school safety measures.

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

Press the play button straight beneath to observe the entire information conference.

The safety glass and movie that Armoured One invented can withstand a number of hits -- whether that’s bullets, somebody ramming into the glass or utilizing other objects or weapons -- without breaking, which might gradual an attacker. The doors it uses have steel framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One can be recognized for offering energetic shooter coaching and assessments. The corporate issues individual studies for every building and recommends the very best tools to use for every facility it’s working with.

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Curry said he plans to find the funding for that training but also work with the company to carry out faculty security assessments. Armoured One CEO Tom Czyz stated his team is aware of what to look for when it assesses a faculty’s vulnerability.

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

Duval County Public Faculties Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene and Duval County Faculty Police Division Chief Greg Burton say security and safety are high of mind day by day.

What I wish to be frequent is that our families know that we're prepared each and every day. And that’s what we work towards being a better college district as it pertains to security and security,” Inexperienced said.

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

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

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

Duval County voters approved a half-cent sales tax in November 2020 with the precise function of changing growing old colleges, repairing a large backlog of upkeep issues, and bolstering school safety.

Right now, 74 projects are in the design part and 15 are below 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 beneath development.

Over its 15-year life, the gross sales tax is projected to generate $64.9 million for the specific objective of upgrading faculty security in DCPS colleges.

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

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The next record of safety measures is published on the varsity district’s web site:

Every faculty has a safety plan and emergency response group.

All school lecture rooms are locked when occupied by college students.

College plans are reviewed with staff every semester.

The district has a extremely educated college police department, giving all colleges direct access to school useful resource officers.

The district makes use of varied major safety monitoring strategies together with camera surveillance and monitored managed entry techniques.

All faculties and district offices have a District Emergency Communications Community radio with direct entry to school police and district leadership. College Police have direct entry to JSO.

All schools conduct regular evacuation drills (fire drills).

All colleges conduct common emergency and lockdown (“code purple” and “code yellow”) drills.

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