City, DCPS announces partnership with firm specializing in safety doors, glass

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

The varsity district hired a New York firm named Armoured One, which focuses on doorways and glass and claims it might probably decelerate or stop 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 but not locked. Initially, state police said a trainer left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the instructor really closed the door, but it surely didn’t lock automatically prefer it was alleged to. The gunman shot and killed 19 students and two teachers before he was killed by regulation enforcement.

Armoured One, which was based after the Sandy Hook Elementary School taking pictures, is made up of former army and law enforcement agents who study mass taking pictures attacks and seek the advice of on faculty safety measures.

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“We will first work collaboratively to establish where Armoured One resources can best compliment the training already supplied, including their sources to the training instruments and assets the district already uses,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry stated Wednesday afternoon at a news conference at City Corridor to announce the partnership.

Press the play button straight under to observe the whole news convention.

The safety glass and film that Armoured One invented can face up to several hits -- whether or not that’s bullets, someone ramming into the glass or utilizing different objects or weapons -- with out breaking, which might slow an attacker. The doorways it uses have steel framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One can also be known for offering energetic shooter training and assessments. The corporate points particular person reports for each building and recommends one of the best tools to use for each facility it’s working with.

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Curry mentioned he plans to search out the funding for that training but also work with the corporate to perform college safety assessments. Armoured One CEO Tom Czyz mentioned his workforce is aware of what to look for when it assesses a faculty’s vulnerability.

“They’re methods to slow down an attacker and pace up police response,” Czyz stated. “How do we gradual him down -- after which speed up the response that will stop him.”

Duval County Public Faculties Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene and Duval County School Police Department Chief Greg Burton say security and safety are top of thoughts every day.

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

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

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

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

Duval County voters accredited a half-cent sales tax in November 2020 with the particular objective of replacing aging schools, repairing a large backlog of maintenance issues, and bolstering school safety.

Right now, 74 tasks are in the design part and 15 are below construction.

As of January 2022, the tax has generated more than $118 million dollars, with greater than $5.7 million already spent or allotted to initiatives underneath development.

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

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

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

Every college has a safety plan and emergency response team.

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

School plans are reviewed with workers each semester.

The district has a highly educated college police department, giving all colleges direct access to high school useful resource officers.

The district makes use of various main security monitoring methods together with camera surveillance and monitored managed entry techniques.

All faculties and district places of work have a District Emergency Communications Community radio with direct access to high school police and district leadership. College Police have direct access to JSO.

All faculties conduct common evacuation drills (fireplace drills).

All faculties conduct regular emergency and lockdown (“code purple” and “code yellow”) drills.

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