City, DCPS publicizes partnership with company specializing in safety doorways, glass

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The town of Jacksonville and Duval County college district on Wednesday announced a new plan to maintain kids safe in the classroom.

The varsity district employed a New York company named Armoured One, which specializes in doors and glass and claims it may possibly decelerate or forestall a shooter from getting right into a classroom.

Those are essential factors after police in Texas determined the door accessed by the gunman at Robb Elementary College in Uvalde was closed however not locked. Initially, state police stated a instructor left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the teacher actually closed the door, nevertheless it didn’t lock mechanically prefer it was purported to. The gunman shot and killed 19 students and two lecturers before he was killed by law enforcement.

Armoured One, which was based after the Sandy Hook Elementary Faculty capturing, is made up of former navy and regulation enforcement agents who examine mass shooting assaults and consult on faculty security measures.

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“We'll first work collaboratively to establish the place Armoured One assets can finest compliment the coaching already offered, including their assets to the training tools and assets the district already uses,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said Wednesday afternoon at a news conference at Metropolis Corridor to announce the partnership.

Press the play button directly below to watch the entire information conference.

The safety glass and movie that Armoured One invented can withstand a number of hits -- whether or not that’s bullets, somebody ramming into the glass or utilizing other objects or weapons -- with out breaking, which might sluggish an attacker. The doors it uses have metallic framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One can also be identified for offering active shooter coaching and assessments. The corporate issues individual reports for each building and recommends one of the best gear to make use of for each facility it’s working with.

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

“They’re methods to decelerate an attacker and speed up police response,” Czyz mentioned. “How will we gradual him down -- after which velocity up the response that will cease him.”

Duval County Public Colleges Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene and Duval County College Police Division Chief Greg Burton say safety and security are prime of mind daily.

What I wish to be frequent is that our families know that we are prepared each day. And that’s what we work in the direction of being a better college district as it relates to safety and safety,” Green mentioned.

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

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

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As far as the price, it’s unclear right now, because the partnership is still being labored out.

Duval County voters approved a half-cent gross sales tax in November 2020 with the specific function of changing ageing colleges, repairing a large backlog of upkeep points, and bolstering school security.

Right now, 74 projects are in the design phase and 15 are beneath 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 projects below building.

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

Extra information about how that cash is deliberate to be spent in particular person schools may be found on the varsity district’s half-cent sales tax info dashboard.

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

Every college has a security plan and emergency response staff.

All college classrooms are locked when occupied by students.

School plans are reviewed with staff every semester.

The district has a highly skilled faculty police department, giving all schools direct entry to school useful resource officers.

The district makes use of various main safety monitoring strategies including digital camera surveillance and monitored controlled access programs.

All colleges and district offices have a District Emergency Communications Community radio with direct access to highschool police and district leadership. School Police have direct entry to JSO.

All colleges conduct regular evacuation drills (fireplace drills).

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

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