Metropolis, DCPS pronounces partnership with firm specializing in safety doorways, glass

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

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

These are crucial factors after police in Texas determined the door accessed by the gunman at Robb Elementary Faculty in Uvalde was closed however not locked. Initially, state police said a instructor left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the instructor really closed the door, however it didn’t lock routinely like it was purported to. The gunman shot and killed 19 students and two academics before he was killed by legislation enforcement.

Armoured One, which was founded after the Sandy Hook Elementary College capturing, is made up of former military and law enforcement agents who study mass capturing attacks and consult on faculty safety measures.

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“We will first work collaboratively to identify the place Armoured One sources can best praise the training already offered, including their sources to the training tools and assets the district already makes use of,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry mentioned Wednesday afternoon at a news conference at Metropolis Corridor to announce the partnership.

Press the play button instantly below to watch all the news conference.

The security glass and film that Armoured One invented can face up to several hits -- whether 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 metal framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One can be identified for offering active shooter coaching and assessments. The company issues particular person stories for each constructing and recommends the most effective gear to use for every facility it’s working with.

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Curry said he plans to seek out the funding for that training but also work with the corporate to carry out college security assessments. Armoured One CEO Tom Czyz mentioned his group knows what to search for when it assesses a school’s vulnerability.

“They’re looking at methods to decelerate an attacker and velocity up police response,” Czyz stated. “How do we slow him down -- and then velocity up the response that might stop him.”

Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene and Duval County College Police Division Chief Greg Burton say safety and security are top of thoughts every single day.

What I wish to be frequent is that our families know that we are ready every day. And that’s what we work in the direction of being a better school district because it pertains to security and security,” Inexperienced said.

Burton stated, “I might say the one word that summarizes all the pieces that we do is vigilance.”

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

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

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

Proper now, 74 initiatives are within the design part and 15 are underneath building.

As of January 2022, the tax has generated more than $118 million dollars, with more than $5.7 million already spent or allocated to tasks below development.

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

Extra information about how that cash is planned to be spent in individual faculties might be found on the varsity district’s half-cent sales tax information dashboard.

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

Each faculty has a safety plan and emergency response staff.

All faculty classrooms are locked when occupied by students.

Faculty plans are reviewed with employees each semester.

The district has a extremely educated college police department, giving all schools direct access to high school resource officers.

The district utilizes numerous major safety monitoring methods including camera surveillance and monitored controlled access programs.

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

All schools conduct common evacuation drills (fire drills).

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

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