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

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The city of Jacksonville and Duval County faculty district on Wednesday announced a brand new plan to keep kids secure in the classroom.

The varsity district employed a New York company named Armoured One, which makes a speciality of doors and glass and claims it will probably decelerate or stop a shooter from getting right into a classroom.

These are essential factors after police in Texas determined the door accessed by the gunman at Robb Elementary College in Uvalde was closed but not locked. Initially, state police said a trainer left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the instructor actually closed the door, nevertheless it didn’t lock robotically like it was speculated to. The gunman shot and killed 19 college students and two lecturers earlier than he was killed by law enforcement.

Armoured One, which was based after the Sandy Hook Elementary College taking pictures, is made up of former military and legislation enforcement brokers who examine mass shooting assaults and consult on school security measures.

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“We'll first work collaboratively to determine the place Armoured One resources can finest praise the coaching already offered, adding their sources to the coaching tools and resources the district already makes use of,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry stated Wednesday afternoon at a news conference at Metropolis Hall to announce the partnership.

Press the play button straight beneath to watch all the information conference.

The security glass and film that Armoured One invented can stand up to a number of hits -- whether or not that’s bullets, somebody ramming into the glass or using different objects or weapons -- without breaking, which might slow an attacker. The doors it makes use of have metal framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One is also recognized for offering lively shooter training and assessments. The corporate points individual studies for each building and recommends the very best equipment to use for each facility it’s working with.

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Curry stated he plans to find the funding for that training but additionally work with the corporate to perform faculty security assessments. Armoured One CEO Tom Czyz mentioned his group knows what to look for when it assesses a college’s vulnerability.

“They’re methods to decelerate an attacker and velocity up police response,” Czyz stated. “How will we slow him down -- after which speed up the response that may stop him.”

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

What I want to be frequent is that our families know that we are prepared every day. And that’s what we work towards being a better school district as it pertains to security and safety,” Green said.

Burton said, “I would say the one phrase that summarizes the whole lot that we do is vigilance.”

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

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So far as the fee, 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 growing old colleges, repairing an enormous backlog of upkeep issues, and bolstering school safety.

Right now, 74 tasks are in the design section and 15 are beneath development.

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

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

Extra details about how that money is deliberate to be spent in particular person faculties may be discovered on the varsity district’s half-cent sales tax data dashboard.

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The following list of security measures is published on the varsity district’s website:

Each school has a safety plan and emergency response team.

All college classrooms are locked when occupied by students.

Faculty plans are reviewed with workers every semester.

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

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

All schools and district offices have a District Emergency Communications Community radio with direct access to high school police and district management. College Police have direct entry to JSO.

All colleges conduct common evacuation drills (fireplace drills).

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

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