Metropolis, DCPS declares partnership with firm specializing in security doorways, glass

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The town of Jacksonville and Duval County faculty district on Wednesday announced a brand new plan to keep children safe within the classroom.

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

Those are crucial components after police in Texas decided the door accessed by the gunman at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde was closed however not locked. Originally, state police stated a instructor left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the instructor truly closed the door, but it surely didn’t lock robotically prefer it was presupposed to. The gunman shot and killed 19 students and two teachers before he was killed by law enforcement.

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

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“We are going to first work collaboratively to identify the place Armoured One resources can greatest praise the coaching already provided, adding their assets to the training tools and sources the district already makes use of,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said Wednesday afternoon at a news conference at City Hall to announce the partnership.

Press the play button directly under to observe the whole information convention.

The safety glass and movie that Armoured One invented can face up to a number of hits -- whether that’s bullets, someone ramming into the glass or using other objects or weapons -- with out breaking, which may slow an attacker. The doors it uses have steel framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One can also be known for providing energetic shooter training and assessments. The company issues individual experiences for every building and recommends one of the best equipment to use for every facility it’s working with.

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Curry stated he plans to search out the funding for that coaching but in addition work with the company to carry out college safety assessments. Armoured One CEO Tom Czyz mentioned his group is aware of what to search for when it assesses a school’s vulnerability.

“They’re taking a look at ways to slow down an attacker and speed up police response,” Czyz stated. “How do we sluggish him down -- and then speed up the response that would cease him.”

Duval County Public Faculties Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene and Duval County College Police Department Chief Greg Burton say safety and security are top of mind on daily basis.

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

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

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

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So far as the fee, it’s unclear proper now, because the partnership remains to be being worked out.

Duval County voters permitted a half-cent sales tax in November 2020 with the particular purpose of replacing getting old faculties, repairing a massive backlog of upkeep points, and bolstering college security.

Right now, 74 projects are in the design phase and 15 are under construction.

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

Over its 15-year life, the sales tax is projected to generate $64.9 million for the precise goal of upgrading school safety in DCPS schools.

Extra information about how that money is deliberate to be spent in particular person schools can be found on the college district’s half-cent sales tax information dashboard.

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The following checklist of safety measures is printed on the school district’s web site:

Every faculty has a security plan and emergency response group.

All college school rooms are locked when occupied by students.

College plans are reviewed with workers every semester.

The district has a highly trained school police division, giving all faculties direct entry to high school useful resource officers.

The district makes use of numerous main safety monitoring strategies together with camera surveillance and monitored controlled entry methods.

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

All faculties conduct common evacuation drills (fire drills).

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

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