City, DCPS publicizes partnership with firm specializing in security doorways, glass

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

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

These are crucial elements 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 trainer left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the teacher actually closed the door, but it didn’t lock robotically prefer it was supposed 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 taking pictures, is made up of former navy and law enforcement brokers 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 sources can greatest compliment the training already supplied, adding their assets to the training tools and assets the district already makes use of,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said Wednesday afternoon at a news conference at City Corridor to announce the partnership.

Press the play button instantly under to watch the complete news convention.

The safety glass and movie 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 doors it makes use of have metal framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One can be identified for offering lively shooter training and assessments. The company points particular person studies for every building and recommends one of the best gear to make use of for every facility it’s working with.

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

“They’re taking a look at ways to decelerate an attacker and pace up police response,” Czyz mentioned. “How will we slow him down -- and then pace up the response that would stop him.”

Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene and Duval County Faculty Police Division Chief Greg Burton say security and safety are prime of thoughts day-after-day.

What I want to be frequent is that our families know that we are prepared every day. And that’s what we work in direction of being a greater school district as it relates to security and security,” Inexperienced stated.

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

Greene said that the district’s finest protection is its students and staff. She said she continues to encourage the college group to report anything they see that’s suspicious.

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So far as the cost, it’s unclear proper now, as the partnership continues to be being labored out.

Duval County voters authorised a half-cent gross sales tax in November 2020 with the particular purpose of replacing ageing colleges, repairing a massive backlog of upkeep issues, and bolstering college security.

Right now, 74 initiatives are in the design phase and 15 are underneath construction.

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 construction.

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

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

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The next record of safety measures is printed on the college district’s web site:

Each school has a security plan and emergency response team.

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

Faculty plans are reviewed with staff every semester.

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

The district makes use of various major security monitoring methods together with digital camera surveillance and monitored controlled entry systems.

All faculties and district places of work have a District Emergency Communications Network radio with direct entry to highschool police and district management. School Police have direct entry to JSO.

All colleges conduct regular evacuation drills (fire drills).

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

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