City, DCPS pronounces partnership with company specializing in security doorways, glass

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

The varsity district employed a New York company named Armoured One, which focuses on doors and glass and claims it will probably decelerate or stop a shooter from getting into a classroom.

These are crucial elements after police in Texas determined the door accessed by the gunman at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde was closed however not locked. Originally, state police mentioned a teacher left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the trainer truly closed the door, however it didn’t lock mechanically like it was alleged to. The gunman shot and killed 19 college students and two academics before he was killed by legislation enforcement.

Armoured One, which was founded after the Sandy Hook Elementary College taking pictures, is made up of former military and law enforcement agents who research mass shooting attacks and consult on college safety measures.

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“We'll first work collaboratively to identify the place Armoured One assets can best compliment the coaching already supplied, including their sources to the training tools and sources the district already uses,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said Wednesday afternoon at a information convention at Metropolis Corridor to announce the partnership.

Press the play button instantly beneath to look at the complete information conference.

The security glass and film that Armoured One invented can stand up to a number of hits -- whether or not that’s bullets, somebody ramming into the glass or using different objects or weapons -- without breaking, which could sluggish an attacker. The doors it uses have steel framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One is also identified for providing energetic shooter training and assessments. The company points individual experiences for each building and recommends the very best gear to use for each facility it’s working with.

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Curry mentioned he plans to find the funding for that training but also work with the company to perform faculty safety assessments. Armoured One CEO Tom Czyz mentioned his crew knows what to search for when it assesses a faculty’s vulnerability.

“They’re ways to decelerate an attacker and velocity up police response,” Czyz mentioned. “How can 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 College Police Department Chief Greg Burton say safety and security are high of thoughts each day.

What I need to be frequent is that our families know that we are ready every day. And that’s what we work in the direction of being a greater faculty district because it pertains to safety and security,” Inexperienced said.

Burton mentioned, “I might say the one phrase that summarizes every part that we do is vigilance.”

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

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As far as the price, it’s unclear right now, because the partnership remains to be being worked out.

Duval County voters permitted a half-cent sales tax in November 2020 with the specific function of changing growing old schools, repairing an enormous backlog of upkeep points, and bolstering faculty safety.

Proper now, 74 projects are in the design section and 15 are underneath development.

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

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

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

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

Every faculty has a safety plan and emergency response staff.

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

College plans are reviewed with employees every semester.

The district has a extremely trained school police department, giving all colleges direct access to highschool resource officers.

The district makes use of various main security monitoring strategies together with digicam surveillance and monitored controlled entry techniques.

All schools and district places of work have a District Emergency Communications Network radio with direct entry to high school police and district leadership. Faculty Police have direct entry to JSO.

All colleges conduct regular evacuation drills (fire drills).

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

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