Metropolis, DCPS proclaims partnership with firm specializing in security doorways, glass

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

The school district employed a New York firm named Armoured One, which focuses on doors and glass and claims it might slow down or prevent a shooter from getting right into a classroom.

Those are essential factors after police in Texas determined the door accessed by the gunman at Robb Elementary Faculty in Uvalde was closed however not locked. Originally, state police stated a trainer left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the teacher truly closed the door, but it didn’t lock robotically like it was supposed to. The gunman shot and killed 19 students and two academics earlier than he was killed by law enforcement.

Armoured One, which was based after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, is made up of former army and regulation enforcement agents who research mass taking pictures attacks and consult on faculty security measures.

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“We are going to first work collaboratively to establish the place Armoured One resources can greatest compliment the coaching already supplied, including their assets to the training instruments and sources the district already makes use of,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry stated Wednesday afternoon at a information convention at Metropolis Corridor to announce the partnership.

Press the play button immediately under to look at the entire information conference.

The safety glass and film that Armoured One invented can stand up to a number of hits -- whether or not that’s bullets, someone ramming into the glass or utilizing different 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 offering energetic shooter coaching and assessments. The company points particular person experiences for every constructing and recommends the perfect equipment to make use of for each facility it’s working with.

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Curry mentioned he plans to find the funding for that coaching but in addition work with the corporate to perform school safety assessments. Armoured One CEO Tom Czyz said his team knows what to look for when it assesses a faculty’s vulnerability.

“They’re looking at ways to decelerate an attacker and speed up police response,” Czyz said. “How can we sluggish him down -- after which speed up the response that might stop him.”

Duval County Public Colleges Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene and Duval County Faculty Police Department Chief Greg Burton say security and safety are top of mind every single day.

What I need to be widespread is that our families know that we're prepared each day. And that’s what we work in direction of being a better school district as it relates to security and safety,” Green mentioned.

Burton mentioned, “I'd say the one phrase that summarizes every part that we do is vigilance.”

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

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So far as the price, it’s unclear right now, as the partnership remains to be being worked out.

Duval County voters authorised a half-cent sales tax in November 2020 with the particular purpose of replacing ageing faculties, repairing a massive backlog of maintenance issues, and bolstering faculty safety.

Proper now, 74 tasks are within the design section and 15 are beneath development.

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

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

More information about how that cash is planned to be spent in particular person schools can be discovered on the college district’s half-cent sales tax information dashboard.

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The following checklist of security measures is printed on the varsity district’s web site:

Every school has a safety plan and emergency response staff.

All faculty lecture rooms are locked when occupied by students.

School plans are reviewed with workers each semester.

The district has a highly skilled faculty police division, giving all schools direct access to highschool useful resource officers.

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

All schools and district places of work have a District Emergency Communications Community radio with direct access to highschool police and district leadership. School Police have direct entry to JSO.

All schools conduct common evacuation drills (fireplace drills).

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

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