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

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The town of Jacksonville and Duval County faculty district on Wednesday announced a brand new plan to keep kids protected within the classroom.

The school district hired a New York firm named Armoured One, which focuses on doorways and glass and claims it could actually decelerate or stop a shooter from getting right into a classroom.

Those are essential elements after police in Texas determined the door accessed by the gunman at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde was closed however not locked. Originally, state police mentioned a trainer left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the instructor actually closed the door, but it didn’t lock mechanically like it was purported to. The gunman shot and killed 19 students and two academics before he was killed by law enforcement.

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

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“We will first work collaboratively to establish where Armoured One assets can best compliment the coaching already supplied, including their sources to the training tools and sources the district already uses,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry stated Wednesday afternoon at a news conference at Metropolis Hall to announce the partnership.

Press the play button straight below to look at the entire news conference.

The safety glass and film that Armoured One invented can face up to a number of hits -- whether that’s bullets, someone ramming into the glass or using different objects or weapons -- without breaking, which could sluggish an attacker. The doorways it uses have steel framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One is also identified for providing lively shooter coaching and assessments. The company points particular person experiences for every building and recommends the very best tools to make use of for every facility it’s working with.

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Curry said he plans to find the funding for that training but additionally work with the company to carry out faculty security assessments. Armoured One CEO Tom Czyz said his team is aware of what to look for when it assesses a faculty’s vulnerability.

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

Duval County Public Colleges Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene and Duval County School Police Department Chief Greg Burton say safety and security are prime of thoughts on daily basis.

What I need to be frequent is that our households know that we're prepared every day. And that’s what we work in the direction of being a better college district as it pertains to safety and security,” Green stated.

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

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

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So far as the associated fee, it’s unclear right now, as the partnership is still being labored out.

Duval County voters permitted a half-cent sales tax in November 2020 with the particular objective of replacing getting older colleges, repairing a large backlog of upkeep points, and bolstering college safety.

Right now, 74 initiatives are in the design phase 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 beneath building.

Over its 15-year life, the gross sales tax is projected to generate $64.9 million for the precise function of upgrading college safety in DCPS colleges.

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

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

Every school has a safety plan and emergency response staff.

All faculty lecture rooms are locked when occupied by college students.

School plans are reviewed with employees every semester.

The district has a extremely trained college police division, giving all colleges direct access to school resource officers.

The district makes use of varied major safety monitoring methods including digicam surveillance and monitored controlled entry programs.

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

All schools conduct common evacuation drills (hearth drills).

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

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