Metropolis, DCPS publicizes partnership with firm specializing in safety doors, glass

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

The college district employed a New York company named Armoured One, which makes a speciality of doors and glass and claims it could possibly slow down or prevent a shooter from getting into a classroom.

Those are essential components 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 instructor left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the instructor really closed the door, but it didn’t lock routinely like it was speculated to. The gunman shot and killed 19 college students and two lecturers earlier than he was killed by regulation enforcement.

Armoured One, which was founded after the Sandy Hook Elementary College taking pictures, is made up of former military and legislation enforcement agents who research mass taking pictures assaults and seek the advice of on college safety measures.

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“We are going to first work collaboratively to determine the place Armoured One assets can best compliment the coaching already provided, including their sources to the coaching tools and sources the district already uses,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry mentioned Wednesday afternoon at a information conference at Metropolis Corridor to announce the partnership.

Press the play button straight below to watch your entire information convention.

The safety glass and movie that Armoured One invented can face up to a number of hits -- whether or not that’s bullets, somebody ramming into the glass or utilizing different objects or weapons -- without breaking, which may sluggish an attacker. The doorways it uses have steel framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One is also known for offering active shooter training and assessments. The company issues particular person studies for each constructing and recommends one of the best equipment to use for each facility it’s working with.

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

“They’re looking at ways to slow down an attacker and speed up police response,” Czyz said. “How will we slow him down -- and then velocity up the response that may stop him.”

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

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

Burton stated, “I would say the one word that summarizes everything that we do is vigilance.”

Greene said that the district’s best protection is its students and employees. She said she continues to encourage the varsity community to report anything they see that’s suspicious.

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So far as the associated fee, it’s unclear proper now, because the partnership continues to be being worked out.

Duval County voters accepted a half-cent gross sales tax in November 2020 with the specific objective of replacing aging schools, repairing a large backlog of maintenance issues, and bolstering college security.

Proper now, 74 tasks are in the design section 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 allotted to tasks below building.

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

More details about how that money is planned to be spent in particular person colleges can be found on the college district’s half-cent gross sales tax info dashboard.

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The following listing of safety measures is published on the school district’s web site:

Each college has a safety plan and emergency response workforce.

All college classrooms are locked when occupied by college students.

School plans are reviewed with staff each semester.

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

The district makes use of various major safety monitoring strategies together with camera surveillance and monitored managed entry methods.

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

All schools conduct regular evacuation drills (fire drills).

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

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