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

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

The varsity district hired a New York company named Armoured One, which focuses on doorways and glass and claims it will possibly slow down or prevent a shooter from getting right into a classroom.

Those are crucial elements after police in Texas decided the door accessed by the gunman at Robb Elementary Faculty in Uvalde was closed but not locked. Originally, state police said a instructor left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the instructor really closed the door, nevertheless it didn’t lock routinely prefer it was imagined to. The gunman shot and killed 19 students and two lecturers earlier than he was killed by law enforcement.

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

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

Press the play button directly below to observe your complete news convention.

The security glass and movie that Armoured One invented can withstand several hits -- whether or not that’s bullets, someone ramming into the glass or utilizing different objects or weapons -- without breaking, which could sluggish an attacker. The doorways it uses have metallic framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One can also be recognized for providing energetic shooter coaching and assessments. The corporate issues particular person experiences for every building and recommends the very best equipment to use for each facility it’s working with.

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Curry said he plans to find the funding for that coaching but also work with the company to carry out faculty security assessments. Armoured One CEO Tom Czyz said his team is aware of what to search for when it assesses a faculty’s vulnerability.

“They’re methods to decelerate an attacker and velocity up police response,” Czyz stated. “How will we gradual him down -- and then velocity up the response that may stop him.”

Duval County Public Faculties Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene and Duval County School Police Department Chief Greg Burton say safety and security are prime of thoughts daily.

What I want to be frequent is that our households know that we are prepared every day. And that’s what we work in the direction of being a better college district because it pertains to safety and safety,” Green said.

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

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

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So far as the associated fee, it’s unclear proper now, because the partnership is still being labored out.

Duval County voters authorized a half-cent gross sales tax in November 2020 with the specific function of changing growing old colleges, repairing a large backlog of maintenance points, and bolstering college security.

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

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

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

More information about how that money is planned to be spent in individual faculties can be found on the college district’s half-cent gross sales tax info dashboard.

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The following checklist of security measures is revealed on the varsity district’s website:

Every faculty has a security plan and emergency response crew.

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

School plans are reviewed with staff every semester.

The district has a highly skilled faculty police division, giving all schools direct entry to school resource officers.

The district makes use of varied main security monitoring methods including camera surveillance and monitored managed access systems.

All colleges and district offices have a District Emergency Communications Network radio with direct access to highschool police and district management. College Police have direct entry to JSO.

All schools conduct common evacuation drills (fire drills).

All schools conduct regular emergency and lockdown (“code red” and “code yellow”) drills.

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