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

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

The college district hired a New York firm named Armoured One, which specializes in doorways and glass and claims it can decelerate or forestall a shooter from getting into a classroom.

These are crucial factors after police in Texas decided the door accessed by the gunman at Robb Elementary College in Uvalde was closed but not locked. Initially, state police said a teacher left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the instructor really closed the door, nevertheless it didn’t lock automatically prefer it was presupposed to. The gunman shot and killed 19 college students and two teachers earlier than he was killed by legislation enforcement.

Armoured One, which was based after the Sandy Hook Elementary Faculty shooting, is made up of former navy and regulation enforcement brokers who research mass shooting assaults and seek the advice of on school safety measures.

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“We are going to first work collaboratively to determine where Armoured One resources can finest praise the training already provided, including their sources to the coaching instruments and resources the district already makes use of,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry stated Wednesday afternoon at a information conference at City Corridor to announce the partnership.

Press the play button immediately under to look at the complete news convention.

The security glass and movie that Armoured One invented can withstand several hits -- whether or not that’s bullets, someone ramming into the glass or using different objects or weapons -- without breaking, which may sluggish an attacker. The doorways it makes use of have steel framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One can also be recognized for providing energetic shooter coaching and assessments. The corporate issues particular person experiences for every constructing and recommends the very best tools to use for each facility it’s working with.

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Curry mentioned he plans to find the funding for that training but additionally work with the corporate to carry out faculty security assessments. Armoured One CEO Tom Czyz stated his workforce is aware of what to search for when it assesses a college’s vulnerability.

“They’re taking a look at ways to slow down an attacker and speed up police response,” Czyz said. “How do we slow him down -- and then pace up the response that will cease him.”

Duval County Public Faculties Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene and Duval County College Police Department Chief Greg Burton say safety and security are top of thoughts on daily basis.

What I wish to be common is that our families know that we're prepared each day. And that’s what we work in the direction of being a greater school district as it relates to safety and safety,” Inexperienced stated.

Burton said, “I would say the one word that summarizes all the things that we do is vigilance.”

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

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As far as the associated fee, it’s unclear right now, as the partnership remains to be being labored out.

Duval County voters accredited a half-cent gross sales tax in November 2020 with the specific function of changing getting older colleges, repairing an enormous backlog of maintenance issues, and bolstering college security.

Right now, 74 initiatives are in the design phase and 15 are under development.

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

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

More information about how that money is planned to be spent in individual colleges might be found on the varsity district’s half-cent sales tax info dashboard.

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The next checklist of safety measures is revealed on the school district’s web site:

Each college has a safety plan and emergency response crew.

All faculty lecture rooms are locked when occupied by students.

College plans are reviewed with workers each semester.

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

The district utilizes various major security monitoring strategies together with digital camera surveillance and monitored managed access systems.

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

All colleges conduct regular evacuation drills (hearth drills).

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

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