Metropolis, DCPS declares partnership with firm specializing in security doors, glass

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

The school district hired a New York company named Armoured One, which makes a speciality of doors and glass and claims it may decelerate or forestall a shooter from getting into a classroom.

Those are crucial elements after police in Texas decided the door accessed by the gunman at Robb Elementary College in Uvalde was closed but not locked. Originally, state police mentioned a teacher left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the trainer truly closed the door, nevertheless it didn’t lock mechanically like it was supposed to. The gunman shot and killed 19 college students and two lecturers before he was killed by law enforcement.

Armoured One, which was founded after the Sandy Hook Elementary Faculty capturing, is made up of former military and regulation enforcement agents who research mass capturing assaults and seek the advice of on school security measures.

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

Press the play button instantly below to watch your entire information conference.

The safety glass and movie that Armoured One invented can withstand several hits -- whether that’s bullets, somebody ramming into the glass or using other objects or weapons -- with out breaking, which could sluggish an attacker. The doorways it makes use of have steel framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One can also be known for providing active shooter coaching and assessments. The company issues particular person studies for each constructing and recommends the very best gear to make use of for each facility it’s working with.

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Curry said he plans to find the funding for that training but also work with the company to perform faculty security assessments. Armoured One CEO Tom Czyz said his workforce knows what to look for when it assesses a school’s vulnerability.

“They’re taking a look at methods to decelerate an attacker and pace up police response,” Czyz stated. “How will we gradual him down -- after which speed up the response that would cease him.”

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

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

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

Greene stated that the district’s finest defense is its students and employees. She mentioned she continues to encourage the school community to report something they see that’s suspicious.

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

Duval County voters approved a half-cent sales tax in November 2020 with the precise objective of replacing growing older schools, repairing a massive backlog of maintenance issues, and bolstering college safety.

Proper now, 74 initiatives are in the design part and 15 are beneath 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 projects under construction.

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

Extra details about how that money is planned to be spent in particular person colleges might be discovered on the college district’s half-cent sales tax information dashboard.

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

Each faculty has a safety plan and emergency response workforce.

All school classrooms are locked when occupied by students.

School plans are reviewed with employees every semester.

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

The district makes use of numerous major safety monitoring methods together with digital camera surveillance and monitored controlled entry techniques.

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

All colleges conduct common evacuation drills (fire drills).

All schools conduct regular emergency and lockdown (“code red” and “code yellow”) drills.

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