City, DCPS pronounces partnership with company specializing in security doorways, glass

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

The varsity district hired a New York company named Armoured One, which focuses on doors and glass and claims it may possibly decelerate or forestall 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 stated a teacher left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the instructor actually closed the door, but it didn’t lock routinely like it was purported to. The gunman shot and killed 19 college students and two teachers earlier than he was killed by regulation enforcement.

Armoured One, which was based after the Sandy Hook Elementary College shooting, is made up of former navy and regulation enforcement agents who research mass shooting attacks and consult on college safety measures.

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“We are going to first work collaboratively to establish the place Armoured One resources can best praise the coaching already provided, adding their assets to the coaching tools and sources the district already makes use of,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry mentioned Wednesday afternoon at a news convention at Metropolis Hall to announce the partnership.

Press the play button directly under to look at the entire news convention.

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

Armoured One is also known for offering lively shooter training and assessments. The corporate points particular person experiences for each building and recommends the best gear to make use of for every facility it’s working with.

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Curry said he plans to seek out the funding for that coaching but also work with the company to perform faculty safety assessments. Armoured One CEO Tom Czyz mentioned his workforce knows what to search for when it assesses a college’s vulnerability.

“They’re ways to slow down an attacker and velocity up police response,” Czyz stated. “How do we slow him down -- and then pace up the response that would cease him.”

Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene and Duval County College Police Department Chief Greg Burton say safety and security are high of mind day by day.

What I need to be frequent is that our families know that we're prepared each and every day. And that’s what we work in direction of being a better faculty district because it relates to safety and safety,” Green stated.

Burton mentioned, “I would say the one word that summarizes every part that we do is vigilance.”

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

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So far as the price, it’s unclear proper now, as the partnership is still being worked out.

Duval County voters accredited a half-cent gross sales tax in November 2020 with the particular function of replacing growing old faculties, repairing a large backlog of maintenance points, and bolstering school safety.

Right now, 74 tasks are in the design part 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 projects underneath building.

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

More details about how that cash is planned to be spent in particular person faculties might be found on the college district’s half-cent sales tax data dashboard.

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The following checklist of security measures is printed on the college district’s website:

Every college has a safety plan and emergency response team.

All faculty school 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 highschool resource officers.

The district utilizes various major safety monitoring methods including digital camera surveillance and monitored managed entry programs.

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

All schools conduct common evacuation drills (fireplace drills).

All faculties conduct common emergency and lockdown (“code pink” and “code yellow”) drills.

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