Metropolis, DCPS publicizes partnership with firm specializing in safety doorways, glass

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

The college district hired a New York firm named Armoured One, which makes a speciality of doors and glass and claims it could actually slow down or prevent a shooter from getting right into a classroom.

Those are essential components after police in Texas decided the door accessed by the gunman at Robb Elementary Faculty in Uvalde was closed but not locked. Originally, state police said a trainer left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the trainer actually closed the door, nevertheless it didn’t lock robotically prefer it was presupposed to. The gunman shot and killed 19 students and two teachers before he was killed by regulation enforcement.

Armoured One, which was founded after the Sandy Hook Elementary College capturing, is made up of former army and law enforcement brokers who study mass taking pictures assaults and seek the advice of on college security measures.

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“We will first work collaboratively to identify the place Armoured One assets can greatest compliment the coaching already supplied, including their resources to the coaching tools and assets the district already uses,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry stated Wednesday afternoon at a information conference at City Corridor to announce the partnership.

Press the play button immediately below to watch the entire news conference.

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

Armoured One is also known for providing lively shooter coaching and assessments. The corporate issues individual stories for each constructing and recommends the most effective equipment to use for each facility it’s working with.

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

“They’re looking at ways to decelerate an attacker and velocity up police response,” Czyz mentioned. “How will we gradual him down -- and then speed up the response that might stop him.”

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

What I wish to be frequent is that our households know that we are ready each and every day. And that’s what we work in the direction of being a better school district as it relates to security and safety,” Inexperienced stated.

Burton mentioned, “I might say the one phrase that summarizes every part that we do is vigilance.”

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

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

Duval County voters accredited a half-cent gross sales tax in November 2020 with the specific purpose of replacing ageing colleges, repairing a massive backlog of upkeep points, and bolstering college safety.

Right now, 74 tasks are within the design section and 15 are underneath construction.

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

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

More information about how that money is planned to be spent in individual schools might be discovered on the college district’s half-cent sales tax data dashboard.

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The following record of safety measures is revealed on the school district’s website:

Every school has a safety plan and emergency response crew.

All school classrooms are locked when occupied by students.

College plans are reviewed with staff each semester.

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

The district utilizes numerous major security monitoring methods together with digicam surveillance and monitored controlled access techniques.

All colleges and district places of work have a District Emergency Communications Community radio with direct access to school police and district management. Faculty Police have direct entry to JSO.

All faculties conduct regular evacuation drills (fire drills).

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

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