City, DCPS proclaims partnership with firm specializing in safety doors, glass

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

The varsity district employed a New York firm named Armoured One, which focuses on doorways and glass and claims it can decelerate or forestall a shooter from getting right into a classroom.

Those are crucial components after police in Texas decided the door accessed by the gunman at Robb Elementary Faculty in Uvalde was closed however not locked. Originally, state police mentioned a teacher left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the instructor truly closed the door, however it didn’t lock automatically prefer it was speculated to. The gunman shot and killed 19 college students and two teachers before he was killed by legislation enforcement.

Armoured One, which was based after the Sandy Hook Elementary Faculty shooting, is made up of former navy and law enforcement agents who examine mass shooting attacks and consult on college safety measures.

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“We will first work collaboratively to establish the place Armoured One assets can greatest praise the coaching already supplied, including their sources to the coaching instruments and assets the district already uses,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry mentioned Wednesday afternoon at a news conference at Metropolis Hall to announce the partnership.

Press the play button directly below to look at your complete information conference.

The security glass and film that Armoured One invented can withstand several hits -- whether that’s bullets, somebody ramming into the glass or utilizing other objects or weapons -- without breaking, which might sluggish an attacker. The doors it makes use of have steel framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One can also be recognized for providing active shooter training and assessments. The company points individual stories for every constructing and recommends the very best tools to make use of for every facility it’s working with.

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Curry said he plans to seek out the funding for that coaching but in addition work with the company to carry out college safety assessments. Armoured One CEO Tom Czyz stated his group is aware of what to look for when it assesses a school’s vulnerability.

“They’re ways to slow down an attacker and pace up police response,” Czyz stated. “How can we sluggish him down -- and then velocity up the response that might stop him.”

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

What I wish to be common is that our families know that we're ready every day. And that’s what we work in direction of being a greater school district because it pertains to security and security,” Green stated.

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

Greene mentioned that the district’s best protection is its college students and employees. She stated she continues to encourage the school community to report something they see that’s suspicious.

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As far as the associated fee, it’s unclear right now, as 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 ageing faculties, repairing an enormous backlog of upkeep points, and bolstering school security.

Proper now, 74 initiatives are in the design part and 15 are below building.

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

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

More details about how that cash is planned to be spent in individual colleges could be discovered on the college district’s half-cent gross sales tax info dashboard.

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The following list of security measures is published on the college district’s web site:

Each school has a safety plan and emergency response team.

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

College plans are reviewed with workers each semester.

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

The district utilizes varied main safety monitoring strategies including digicam surveillance and monitored managed access methods.

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

All schools conduct common evacuation drills (hearth drills).

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

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