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

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The city of Jacksonville and Duval County college district on Wednesday introduced a brand new plan to keep kids safe within the classroom.

The college district hired a New York firm named Armoured One, which focuses on doors and glass and claims it may well decelerate or stop a shooter from getting right into a classroom.

These are essential factors after police in Texas determined the door accessed by the gunman at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde was closed but not locked. Initially, state police stated a trainer left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the trainer really closed the door, but it didn’t lock routinely like it was purported to. The gunman shot and killed 19 college students and two lecturers before he was killed by law enforcement.

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

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“We'll first work collaboratively to establish the place Armoured One resources can best praise the training already supplied, adding their resources to the coaching tools and resources the district already makes use of,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said Wednesday afternoon at a information convention at Metropolis Hall to announce the partnership.

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

The security glass and movie that Armoured One invented can face up to several hits -- whether that’s bullets, somebody ramming into the glass or utilizing other objects or weapons -- with out breaking, which might gradual an attacker. The doors it uses have metallic framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One can also be known for offering lively shooter training and assessments. The corporate points particular person studies for each constructing and recommends the perfect tools to make use of for each facility it’s working with.

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Curry stated he plans to seek out the funding for that coaching but also work with the company to perform college safety assessments. Armoured One CEO Tom Czyz stated his team knows what to search for when it assesses a college’s vulnerability.

“They’re looking at methods to slow down an attacker and pace up police response,” Czyz said. “How will we sluggish him down -- and then velocity up the response that might stop him.”

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

What I want to be common is that our families know that we're ready each day. And that’s what we work in direction of being a better school district as it relates to security and safety,” Green stated.

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

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

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So far as the fee, it’s unclear right now, as the partnership continues to be being labored out.

Duval County voters accepted a half-cent sales tax in November 2020 with the specific objective of replacing aging colleges, repairing a massive backlog of maintenance issues, and bolstering school safety.

Proper now, 74 initiatives are in the design part and 15 are below building.

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

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

More information about how that cash is deliberate to be spent in individual faculties may be discovered on the varsity district’s half-cent sales tax information dashboard.

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The next list of security measures is published on the college district’s website:

Every faculty has a security plan and emergency response team.

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

College plans are reviewed with employees each semester.

The district has a highly educated college police division, giving all colleges direct access to high school resource officers.

The district makes use of varied main safety monitoring strategies together with digital camera surveillance and monitored controlled access methods.

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

All schools conduct common evacuation drills (fire drills).

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

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