City, DCPS announces partnership with firm specializing in security doors, glass

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The town of Jacksonville and Duval County college district on Wednesday introduced a new plan to keep youngsters protected in the classroom.

The varsity district hired a New York firm named Armoured One, which focuses on doorways and glass and claims it may well decelerate or forestall a shooter from getting right 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. Originally, state police stated a instructor left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the teacher actually closed the door, nevertheless it didn’t lock automatically prefer it was alleged to. The gunman shot and killed 19 college students and two teachers earlier than he was killed by law enforcement.

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

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“We are going to first work collaboratively to identify the place Armoured One sources can greatest compliment the training already supplied, adding their sources to the coaching instruments and resources the district already makes use of,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry mentioned Wednesday afternoon at a news convention at City Corridor to announce the partnership.

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

The security glass and movie that Armoured One invented can withstand a number of hits -- whether or not that’s bullets, someone ramming into the glass or using other objects or weapons -- with out breaking, which may slow an attacker. The doors it uses have metallic framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One can also be identified for offering active shooter coaching and assessments. The corporate issues individual reviews for each building 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 seek out the funding for that training but also work with the corporate to carry out school security assessments. Armoured One CEO Tom Czyz stated his group knows what to search for when it assesses a college’s vulnerability.

“They’re looking at ways to slow down an attacker and speed up police response,” Czyz stated. “How will we slow him down -- and then pace up the response that would cease him.”

Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene and Duval County School Police Division Chief Greg Burton say security and safety are prime of thoughts each day.

What I wish to be frequent is that our families know that we're prepared each day. And that’s what we work in direction of being a better school district because it relates to security and safety,” Inexperienced said.

Burton stated, “I might say the one word that summarizes every little thing that we do is vigilance.”

Greene said that the district’s best defense is its students and workers. She stated she continues to encourage the college community to report something they see that’s suspicious.

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So far as the fee, it’s unclear proper now, because the partnership continues to be being worked out.

Duval County voters approved a half-cent sales tax in November 2020 with the precise purpose of changing getting old colleges, repairing a massive backlog of upkeep issues, and bolstering faculty safety.

Right now, 74 tasks are in the design phase and 15 are underneath construction.

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

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

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

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The next list of security measures is printed on the college district’s web site:

Each school has a safety plan and emergency response workforce.

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

Faculty plans are reviewed with workers every semester.

The district has a extremely trained faculty police division, giving all faculties direct access to high school useful resource officers.

The district utilizes varied main safety monitoring methods together with camera surveillance and monitored managed access programs.

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

All schools conduct common evacuation drills (fire drills).

All faculties conduct regular emergency and lockdown (“code purple” and “code yellow”) drills.

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