Metropolis, DCPS proclaims partnership with company specializing in safety doors, glass

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

The college district employed a New York company named Armoured One, which makes a speciality of doors and glass and claims it may decelerate or stop 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 School in Uvalde was closed however not locked. Initially, state police stated a trainer left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the instructor really closed the door, but it didn’t lock routinely prefer it was presupposed to. The gunman shot and killed 19 students and two academics before he was killed by regulation enforcement.

Armoured One, which was based after the Sandy Hook Elementary Faculty capturing, is made up of former military and regulation enforcement brokers who research mass taking pictures assaults and consult on college security measures.

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“We will first work collaboratively to determine where Armoured One resources can greatest compliment the training already offered, including their resources to the coaching instruments and assets the district already uses,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry mentioned Wednesday afternoon at a news conference at City Corridor to announce the partnership.

Press the play button immediately below to look at all the information conference.

The safety glass and film 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 might sluggish an attacker. The doors it makes use of have steel framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One can be known for providing lively shooter coaching and assessments. The corporate points individual reports for every constructing and recommends one of the best tools 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 also work with the corporate to carry out school security assessments. Armoured One CEO Tom Czyz stated his staff knows what to look for when it assesses a college’s vulnerability.

“They’re looking at methods to slow down an attacker and velocity up police response,” Czyz mentioned. “How do we sluggish him down -- and then velocity up the response that will cease him.”

Duval County Public Faculties Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene and Duval County Faculty Police Division Chief Greg Burton say safety and security are high of mind daily.

What I need to be common is that our families know that we are prepared every day. And that’s what we work in direction of being a better college district because it pertains to safety and safety,” Green mentioned.

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

Greene said that the district’s best defense is its students and staff. She mentioned she continues to encourage the college neighborhood to report something they see that’s suspicious.

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

Duval County voters accepted a half-cent gross sales tax in November 2020 with the particular goal of replacing ageing faculties, repairing an enormous backlog of maintenance issues, and bolstering faculty security.

Proper now, 74 projects are in the design phase and 15 are beneath construction.

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

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

More details about how that money is deliberate to be spent in individual schools could be discovered on the varsity district’s half-cent gross sales tax data dashboard.

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The following checklist of safety measures is revealed on the varsity district’s website:

Each faculty has a security plan and emergency response staff.

All college school rooms are locked when occupied by students.

College plans are reviewed with employees each semester.

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

The district makes use of varied major safety monitoring methods together with camera surveillance and monitored managed access techniques.

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

All colleges conduct common evacuation drills (hearth drills).

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

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