Metropolis, DCPS pronounces partnership with company specializing in security doors, glass

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The city of Jacksonville and Duval County school district on Wednesday introduced a new plan to keep kids protected in the classroom.

The college district hired a New York company named Armoured One, which focuses on doors and glass and claims it might probably decelerate or prevent a shooter from getting into a classroom.

These are essential components after police in Texas decided the door accessed by the gunman at Robb Elementary Faculty in Uvalde was closed but not locked. Initially, state police stated a instructor left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the trainer actually closed the door, however it didn’t lock routinely prefer it was alleged to. The gunman shot and killed 19 students and two teachers before he was killed by legislation enforcement.

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

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“We will first work collaboratively to identify the place Armoured One resources can greatest praise the coaching already supplied, adding their sources to the training tools and sources the district already makes use of,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry stated Wednesday afternoon at a information conference at City Hall to announce the partnership.

Press the play button immediately under to watch your entire information conference.

The security glass and movie that Armoured One invented can face up to several hits -- whether or not that’s bullets, someone ramming into the glass or using other objects or weapons -- without breaking, which might sluggish an attacker. The doors it uses have metallic framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One can be identified for offering energetic shooter coaching and assessments. The corporate issues individual reviews for every building and recommends one of the best tools to use for every facility it’s working with.

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Curry said he plans to search out the funding for that training but in addition work with the corporate to carry out faculty security assessments. Armoured One CEO Tom Czyz stated his crew knows what to look for when it assesses a school’s vulnerability.

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

Duval County Public Colleges Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene and Duval County School Police Division Chief Greg Burton say safety and security are top of mind on daily basis.

What I want to be common is that our families know that we're prepared each day. And that’s what we work towards being a better college district because it relates to security and security,” Inexperienced said.

Burton said, “I would say the one phrase that summarizes the whole lot that we do is vigilance.”

Greene said that the district’s finest defense is its college students and staff. She mentioned she continues to encourage the varsity group to report anything they see that’s suspicious.

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So far as the fee, it’s unclear right now, as the partnership is still being worked out.

Duval County voters accepted a half-cent gross sales tax in November 2020 with the specific goal of replacing aging faculties, repairing a large backlog of maintenance points, and bolstering college security.

Proper now, 74 projects are in the design part and 15 are below construction.

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

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.

Extra information about how that money is planned to be spent in particular person schools could be found on the varsity district’s half-cent sales tax info dashboard.

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The next list of security measures is revealed on the school district’s web site:

Each faculty has a security plan and emergency response crew.

All school classrooms are locked when occupied by students.

Faculty plans are reviewed with workers each semester.

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

The district makes use of various major security monitoring strategies together with camera surveillance and monitored managed access methods.

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

All colleges conduct common evacuation drills (fire drills).

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

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