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

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

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

Those 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. Initially, state police stated a instructor left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the trainer truly closed the door, but it surely didn’t lock automatically prefer it was alleged to. The gunman shot and killed 19 students and two lecturers earlier than he was killed by legislation enforcement.

Armoured One, which was founded after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, is made up of former army and law enforcement agents who research mass capturing attacks and consult on faculty safety measures.

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“We will first work collaboratively to determine the place Armoured One assets can greatest praise the training already supplied, including their resources to the coaching instruments and resources the district already uses,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said Wednesday afternoon at a news convention at City Corridor to announce the partnership.

Press the play button directly under to watch your entire news conference.

The safety glass and film that Armoured One invented can withstand a number of hits -- whether or not that’s bullets, someone ramming into the glass or utilizing different objects or weapons -- without breaking, which could slow an attacker. The doorways it makes use of have metal framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One is also recognized for providing energetic shooter coaching and assessments. The company points particular person experiences for each constructing and recommends the best tools 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 corporate to perform college safety assessments. Armoured One CEO Tom Czyz said his staff is aware of what to look for when it assesses a college’s vulnerability.

“They’re methods to slow down an attacker and velocity up police response,” Czyz stated. “How will we sluggish him down -- and then velocity up the response that would cease him.”

Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene and Duval County Faculty Police Division Chief Greg Burton say security and safety are top of thoughts every day.

What I wish to be common is that our households know that we are ready each day. And that’s what we work in direction of being a greater school district as it relates to safety and security,” Inexperienced stated.

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

Greene stated that the district’s greatest defense is its students and employees. She said she continues to encourage the school neighborhood to report anything they see that’s suspicious.

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As far as the price, it’s unclear proper now, because the partnership is still being labored out.

Duval County voters authorized a half-cent sales tax in November 2020 with the specific objective of replacing ageing faculties, repairing a large backlog of maintenance issues, and bolstering college safety.

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

As of January 2022, the tax has generated greater than $118 million dollars, with greater than $5.7 million already spent or allotted to initiatives below development.

Over its 15-year life, the gross sales tax is projected to generate $64.9 million for the particular function of upgrading college security in DCPS schools.

Extra information about how that cash is deliberate to be spent in individual colleges might be found on the college district’s half-cent sales tax data dashboard.

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The following listing of security measures is printed on the school district’s web site:

Every faculty has a safety plan and emergency response crew.

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

College plans are reviewed with employees each semester.

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

The district makes use of numerous major safety monitoring methods including digital camera surveillance and monitored managed access techniques.

All colleges and district places of work have a District Emergency Communications Community radio with direct access to school police and district leadership. Faculty Police have direct entry to JSO.

All faculties conduct common evacuation drills (fireplace drills).

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

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