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

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

The school district employed a New York firm named Armoured One, which specializes in doors and glass and claims it will probably decelerate or forestall a shooter from getting right into a classroom.

Those are essential factors after police in Texas determined the door accessed by the gunman at Robb Elementary College in Uvalde was closed however not locked. Originally, state police stated a instructor left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the instructor actually closed the door, but it surely didn’t lock routinely prefer it was supposed to. The gunman shot and killed 19 college students and two academics earlier than he was killed by legislation enforcement.

Armoured One, which was based after the Sandy Hook Elementary School capturing, is made up of former military and regulation enforcement agents who examine mass shooting assaults and seek the advice of on faculty security measures.

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“We'll first work collaboratively to establish where Armoured One resources can best compliment the training already supplied, adding their assets to the training tools and assets the district already uses,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry mentioned Wednesday afternoon at a information conference at City Hall to announce the partnership.

Press the play button immediately beneath to look at the whole news convention.

The safety glass and movie that Armoured One invented can withstand several 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 doorways it uses have metal framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One can also be recognized for providing active shooter training and assessments. The corporate points individual studies for each building and recommends the most effective gear to use for each facility it’s working with.

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

“They’re methods to slow down an attacker and pace up police response,” Czyz said. “How will we gradual him down -- after which speed up the response that will cease him.”

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

What I wish to be widespread is that our households know that we're ready each day. And that’s what we work towards being a better school district as it relates to safety and safety,” Inexperienced stated.

Burton stated, “I'd say the one phrase that summarizes every little thing that we do is vigilance.”

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

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So far as the cost, it’s unclear right now, because the partnership is still being worked out.

Duval County voters authorized a half-cent gross sales tax in November 2020 with the precise function of replacing getting old faculties, repairing an enormous backlog of upkeep points, and bolstering school security.

Right now, 74 initiatives are in the design section and 15 are below development.

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

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

Extra information about how that cash is deliberate to be spent in individual colleges can be found on the varsity district’s half-cent gross sales tax info dashboard.

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The following record of safety measures is published on the school district’s web site:

Every faculty has a safety plan and emergency response team.

All school classrooms are locked when occupied by students.

Faculty plans are reviewed with workers every semester.

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

The district utilizes various main safety monitoring strategies together with digital camera surveillance and monitored controlled entry techniques.

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

All colleges conduct common evacuation drills (fire drills).

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

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