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

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The city of Jacksonville and Duval County faculty district on Wednesday introduced a new plan to maintain youngsters protected within the classroom.

The college district employed a New York firm named Armoured One, which specializes in doorways and glass and claims it will probably decelerate or prevent a shooter from getting into a classroom.

These are essential components after police in Texas determined the door accessed by the gunman at Robb Elementary Faculty in Uvalde was closed but not locked. Originally, state police mentioned a teacher left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the trainer actually closed the door, however it didn’t lock automatically 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 based after the Sandy Hook Elementary Faculty capturing, is made up of former military and regulation enforcement brokers who research mass capturing attacks and seek the advice of on faculty security measures.

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

Press the play button immediately beneath to look at the whole information conference.

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

Armoured One is also identified for offering lively shooter coaching and assessments. The corporate issues particular person reviews for every constructing and recommends the very best gear to make use of for each facility it’s working with.

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Curry mentioned he plans to find the funding for that coaching but in addition work with the corporate to perform college security assessments. Armoured One CEO Tom Czyz mentioned his group is aware of what to look for when it assesses a faculty’s vulnerability.

“They’re ways to slow down an attacker and velocity up police response,” Czyz said. “How do we slow him down -- and then pace up the response that might cease him.”

Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene and Duval County College Police Department Chief Greg Burton say security and safety are high of thoughts every single day.

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

Burton stated, “I would say the one phrase that summarizes all the things that we do is vigilance.”

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

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So far as the price, it’s unclear proper now, as the partnership continues to be being worked out.

Duval County voters authorised a half-cent gross sales tax in November 2020 with the specific purpose of replacing ageing colleges, repairing an enormous backlog of maintenance points, and bolstering school safety.

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

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 underneath construction.

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

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

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The next checklist of safety measures is revealed on the school district’s web site:

Every college has a security plan and emergency response team.

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

School plans are reviewed with staff each semester.

The district has a extremely skilled college police department, giving all faculties direct access to highschool useful resource officers.

The district utilizes various main security monitoring strategies together with camera surveillance and monitored managed entry systems.

All faculties and district offices have a District Emergency Communications Community radio with direct entry to high school police and district management. School Police have direct access to JSO.

All faculties conduct regular evacuation drills (fireplace drills).

All schools conduct common emergency and lockdown (“code purple” and “code yellow”) drills.

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