City, DCPS publicizes partnership with company specializing in safety doors, glass

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Town of Jacksonville and Duval County school district on Wednesday introduced a new plan to keep children protected within the classroom.

The varsity district hired a New York firm named Armoured One, which specializes in doorways and glass and claims it might slow down or prevent a shooter from getting into a classroom.

Those are essential elements after police in Texas determined the door accessed by the gunman at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde was closed however not locked. Initially, state police said a teacher left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the teacher really closed the door, but it didn’t lock routinely prefer it was purported to. The gunman shot and killed 19 college students and two teachers earlier than he was killed by law enforcement.

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

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“We'll first work collaboratively to establish where Armoured One resources can greatest praise the coaching already offered, adding their resources to the coaching instruments and resources the district already makes use of,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry mentioned Wednesday afternoon at a information convention at Metropolis Corridor to announce the partnership.

Press the play button immediately under to watch the complete news conference.

The security glass and film that Armoured One invented can face up to several hits -- whether that’s bullets, someone 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 can be identified for providing active shooter coaching and assessments. The company issues particular person stories for each constructing and recommends the most effective tools to use for every 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 company to carry out college security assessments. Armoured One CEO Tom Czyz stated his team knows what to search for when it assesses a school’s vulnerability.

“They’re looking at methods to decelerate an attacker and pace up police response,” Czyz stated. “How do we gradual him down -- after which pace up the response that might cease him.”

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

What I want to be frequent is that our households 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 safety and security,” Green said.

Burton said, “I'd say the one word that summarizes the whole lot that we do is vigilance.”

Greene said that the district’s finest protection is its students and staff. She said she continues to encourage the varsity neighborhood to report something they see that’s suspicious.

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

Duval County voters authorized a half-cent gross sales tax in November 2020 with the particular purpose of changing ageing colleges, repairing an enormous backlog of upkeep points, and bolstering faculty safety.

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

As of January 2022, the tax has generated greater than $118 million dollars, with greater than $5.7 million already spent or allotted to tasks underneath development.

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

Extra details about how that cash is deliberate to be spent in individual faculties might be discovered on the school district’s half-cent gross sales tax data dashboard.

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The following record of security measures is revealed on the college district’s website:

Every faculty has a safety plan and emergency response staff.

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

Faculty plans are reviewed with staff each semester.

The district has a extremely skilled college police division, giving all schools direct entry to school resource officers.

The district makes use of various major security monitoring methods together with digital camera surveillance and monitored managed entry programs.

All faculties and district places of work have a District Emergency Communications Network radio with direct entry to school police and district leadership. Faculty Police have direct entry to JSO.

All faculties conduct common evacuation drills (fireplace drills).

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

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