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

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The town of Jacksonville and Duval County college district on Wednesday announced a new plan to keep youngsters secure in the classroom.

The school district employed a New York company named Armoured One, which makes a speciality of doors and glass and claims it will possibly decelerate or stop a shooter from getting right into a classroom.

Those are essential components after police in Texas decided the door accessed by the gunman at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde was closed but not locked. Originally, state police mentioned a trainer left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the teacher really closed the door, but it didn’t lock mechanically prefer it was speculated to. The gunman shot and killed 19 college students and two teachers earlier than he was killed by law enforcement.

Armoured One, which was based after the Sandy Hook Elementary College shooting, is made up of former military and regulation enforcement brokers who research mass shooting assaults and consult on school safety measures.

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“We are going to first work collaboratively to establish where Armoured One assets can greatest praise the training already offered, including their sources to the coaching instruments and resources the district already uses,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry mentioned Wednesday afternoon at a information conference at Metropolis Corridor to announce the partnership.

Press the play button immediately below to watch the complete news conference.

The security 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 using other objects or weapons -- with out breaking, which may gradual an attacker. The doorways it uses have steel framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One is also identified for offering lively shooter coaching and assessments. The company points individual stories for each constructing and recommends the most effective gear to use for each facility it’s working with.

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

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

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

What I wish to be widespread is that our households know that we're ready every day. And that’s what we work in the direction of being a better faculty district as it pertains to security and safety,” Inexperienced mentioned.

Burton said, “I would say the one word that summarizes every part that we do is vigilance.”

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

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

Duval County voters approved a half-cent gross sales tax in November 2020 with the particular function of replacing growing old faculties, repairing a large backlog of upkeep issues, and bolstering school security.

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

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

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

More details about how that money is deliberate to be spent in particular person schools will be found on the varsity district’s half-cent sales tax info dashboard.

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The following checklist of safety measures is published on the college district’s web site:

Each school has a safety plan and emergency response team.

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

Faculty plans are reviewed with employees each semester.

The district has a extremely trained college police department, giving all schools direct entry to highschool resource officers.

The district makes use of various major security monitoring methods including digicam surveillance and monitored managed entry methods.

All faculties and district workplaces have a District Emergency Communications Community radio with direct access to school police and district leadership. Faculty Police have direct access to JSO.

All colleges conduct regular evacuation drills (fireplace drills).

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

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