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

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Town of Jacksonville and Duval County school district on Wednesday introduced a brand new plan to keep kids safe in the classroom.

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

These are crucial elements after police in Texas determined the door accessed by the gunman at Robb Elementary Faculty in Uvalde was closed however not locked. Originally, state police stated a instructor left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the instructor really closed the door, however it didn’t lock mechanically prefer it was speculated to. The gunman shot and killed 19 college students and two lecturers earlier than he was killed by legislation enforcement.

Armoured One, which was founded after the Sandy Hook Elementary Faculty shooting, is made up of former army and regulation enforcement brokers who examine mass taking pictures attacks and consult on college safety measures.

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“We are going to first work collaboratively to identify where Armoured One assets can best praise the training already provided, adding their sources to the coaching instruments and assets the district already uses,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry mentioned Wednesday afternoon at a news conference at Metropolis Corridor to announce the partnership.

Press the play button immediately beneath to watch all the information convention.

The security glass and movie that Armoured One invented can withstand several hits -- whether that’s bullets, someone ramming into the glass or using other objects or weapons -- without breaking, which may slow an attacker. The doors it uses have metallic framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One can also be identified for providing energetic shooter coaching and assessments. The corporate points individual studies for each constructing and recommends the perfect equipment to make use of for every facility it’s working with.

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Curry stated he plans to search out the funding for that coaching but in addition work with the company to perform school security assessments. Armoured One CEO Tom Czyz said his team knows what to search for when it assesses a college’s vulnerability.

“They’re methods to decelerate an attacker and speed up police response,” Czyz mentioned. “How can we sluggish him down -- and then pace up the response that would cease him.”

Duval County Public Faculties Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene and Duval County College Police Department Chief Greg Burton say security and safety are top of mind each day.

What I wish to be widespread is that our families know that we're ready every day. And that’s what we work towards being a greater faculty district as it relates to security and safety,” Green stated.

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

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

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So far as the fee, it’s unclear right now, because the partnership continues to be being labored out.

Duval County voters accredited a half-cent sales tax in November 2020 with the precise goal of replacing growing older schools, repairing an enormous backlog of maintenance issues, and bolstering faculty safety.

Right now, 74 initiatives are within the design phase and 15 are underneath 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 construction.

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

More details about how that money is deliberate to be spent in particular person colleges will be discovered on the varsity district’s half-cent gross sales tax information dashboard.

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

Each faculty has a security plan and emergency response staff.

All school school rooms are locked when occupied by college students.

School plans are reviewed with staff every semester.

The district has a highly trained faculty police department, giving all schools direct access to highschool useful resource officers.

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

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

All colleges conduct regular evacuation drills (hearth drills).

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

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