City, DCPS declares partnership with company specializing in safety doors, glass

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

The varsity district hired a New York company named Armoured One, which specializes in doorways and glass and claims it could actually slow down or prevent a shooter from getting into a classroom.

These are crucial factors after police in Texas decided the door accessed by the gunman at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde was closed but not locked. Initially, state police stated a trainer left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the trainer actually closed the door, however it didn’t lock automatically prefer it was speculated to. The gunman shot and killed 19 college students and two lecturers earlier than he was killed by regulation enforcement.

Armoured One, which was based after the Sandy Hook Elementary College shooting, is made up of former military and legislation enforcement agents who examine mass shooting assaults and seek the advice of on school safety measures.

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“We are going to first work collaboratively to determine the place Armoured One resources can best praise the training already offered, adding their assets to the training instruments and sources 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 immediately under to look at the whole information conference.

The security glass and film that Armoured One invented can face up to a number of hits -- whether that’s bullets, somebody ramming into the glass or using other objects or weapons -- with out breaking, which could gradual an attacker. The doors it makes use of have steel framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One is also known for offering lively shooter training and assessments. The corporate issues individual reports for each constructing and recommends the most effective equipment to make use of for each facility it’s working with.

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Curry said he plans to seek out the funding for that training but additionally work with the company to perform college safety assessments. Armoured One CEO Tom Czyz said his staff knows what to look for when it assesses a school’s vulnerability.

“They’re looking at methods to decelerate an attacker and speed up police response,” Czyz mentioned. “How can we slow him down -- after which pace up the response that might cease him.”

Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene and Duval County School Police Department Chief Greg Burton say safety and security are top of mind day by day.

What I need to be frequent is that our families know that we are prepared every day. And that’s what we work towards being a greater college district because it relates to security and safety,” Inexperienced mentioned.

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

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

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

Duval County voters approved a half-cent gross sales tax in November 2020 with the precise purpose of changing growing older colleges, repairing a large backlog of upkeep issues, and bolstering school safety.

Right now, 74 initiatives are in the design section and 15 are under building.

As of January 2022, the tax has generated greater than $118 million dollars, with more than $5.7 million already spent or allocated to tasks under construction.

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

Extra information about how that money is planned to be spent in individual schools might be found on the school district’s half-cent gross sales tax information dashboard.

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The next listing of safety measures is printed on the school district’s website:

Every school has a security plan and emergency response crew.

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

College plans are reviewed with staff every semester.

The district has a highly trained faculty police department, giving all schools direct access to school useful resource officers.

The district makes use of various major safety monitoring methods together with digicam surveillance and monitored managed entry techniques.

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

All faculties conduct regular evacuation drills (fireplace drills).

All faculties conduct common emergency and lockdown (“code red” and “code yellow”) drills.

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