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

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The city of Jacksonville and Duval County faculty district on Wednesday announced a new plan to maintain youngsters safe in the classroom.

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

These are essential components after police in Texas determined the door accessed by the gunman at Robb Elementary College in Uvalde was closed but not locked. Originally, state police mentioned a trainer left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the teacher truly closed the door, however it didn’t lock automatically like it was speculated to. The gunman shot and killed 19 college students and two academics earlier than he was killed by regulation enforcement.

Armoured One, which was founded after the Sandy Hook Elementary College shooting, is made up of former military and legislation enforcement brokers who study mass shooting attacks and seek the advice of on faculty safety measures.

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

Press the play button immediately beneath to watch your complete information convention.

The security glass and movie that Armoured One invented can stand up to several hits -- whether that’s bullets, someone ramming into the glass or utilizing different objects or weapons -- with out breaking, which could gradual an attacker. The doors it uses have metallic framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One is also recognized for providing energetic shooter coaching and assessments. The corporate issues particular person studies for every constructing and recommends the best gear to use for every 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 company to carry out faculty security assessments. Armoured One CEO Tom Czyz said his workforce knows what to look for when it assesses a faculty’s vulnerability.

“They’re methods to slow down an attacker and velocity up police response,” Czyz mentioned. “How can we gradual him down -- and then speed up the response that might cease him.”

Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene and Duval County Faculty Police Department Chief Greg Burton say security and safety are high of thoughts on daily basis.

What I want to be frequent is that our families know that we're prepared each day. And that’s what we work in direction of being a greater college district as it relates to security and security,” Inexperienced said.

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

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

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So far as the cost, it’s unclear right now, because the partnership remains to be being labored out.

Duval County voters accepted a half-cent sales tax in November 2020 with the specific goal of replacing getting old colleges, repairing a massive backlog of maintenance issues, and bolstering school safety.

Proper now, 74 tasks are within the design section and 15 are under 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 underneath construction.

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

More information about how that cash is planned to be spent in individual colleges could be found on the school district’s half-cent sales tax data dashboard.

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The next listing of safety measures is revealed on the varsity district’s web site:

Each school has a safety plan and emergency response staff.

All college classrooms are locked when occupied by students.

College plans are reviewed with employees every semester.

The district has a extremely skilled school police division, giving all faculties direct entry to highschool useful resource officers.

The district makes use of varied major security monitoring strategies including camera surveillance and monitored controlled entry techniques.

All colleges and district workplaces have a District Emergency Communications Community radio with direct access to school police and district management. Faculty Police have direct access to JSO.

All schools conduct regular evacuation drills (fireplace drills).

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

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