City, DCPS declares partnership with firm specializing in safety doors, glass

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

The school district hired a New York firm named Armoured One, which specializes in doors and glass and claims it may slow down or forestall a shooter from getting into a classroom.

Those are essential components after police in Texas decided the door accessed by the gunman at Robb Elementary College in Uvalde was closed however not locked. Initially, state police said a teacher left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the teacher actually closed the door, but it didn’t lock mechanically prefer it was imagined to. The gunman shot and killed 19 students and two academics before he was killed by law enforcement.

Armoured One, which was founded after the Sandy Hook Elementary Faculty capturing, is made up of former army and legislation enforcement agents who examine mass taking pictures attacks and consult on school security measures.

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“We'll first work collaboratively to determine the place Armoured One assets can finest compliment the training already offered, adding their resources to the training tools and sources the district already makes use of,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry mentioned Wednesday afternoon at a information convention at City Hall to announce the partnership.

Press the play button straight beneath to watch the whole news convention.

The safety glass and movie that Armoured One invented can withstand several hits -- whether that’s bullets, someone ramming into the glass or utilizing different objects or weapons -- with out breaking, which may gradual an attacker. The doors it uses have steel framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One can be identified for offering active shooter training and assessments. The corporate points particular person studies for every building and recommends one of the best equipment to make use of for every facility it’s working with.

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

“They’re looking at methods to slow down an attacker and speed up police response,” Czyz mentioned. “How can we gradual him down -- and then velocity up the response that will stop him.”

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

What I need to be widespread is that our households know that we're prepared each and every day. And that’s what we work in direction of being a better school district because it relates to safety and security,” Inexperienced mentioned.

Burton stated, “I would say the one phrase that summarizes every little thing that we do is vigilance.”

Greene said that the district’s best defense is its college 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 remains to be being labored out.

Duval County voters accredited a half-cent gross sales tax in November 2020 with the specific function of replacing getting old faculties, repairing a large backlog of maintenance issues, and bolstering school security.

Right now, 74 tasks are within the design part and 15 are underneath development.

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

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

More details about how that money is deliberate to be spent in individual colleges may be found on the varsity district’s half-cent sales tax info dashboard.

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The following record of security measures is printed on the school district’s website:

Each school has a security plan and emergency response staff.

All college classrooms are locked when occupied by students.

College plans are reviewed with staff every semester.

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

The district utilizes various main security monitoring strategies including camera surveillance and monitored controlled access programs.

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

All faculties conduct regular evacuation drills (fireplace drills).

All faculties conduct common emergency and lockdown (“code pink” and “code yellow”) drills.

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