Metropolis, DCPS broadcasts partnership with firm specializing in safety doors, glass

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

The college district hired a New York company named Armoured One, which specializes in doors and glass and claims it could decelerate or forestall a shooter from getting into a classroom.

Those are essential elements after police in Texas decided the door accessed by the gunman at Robb Elementary College in Uvalde was closed but not locked. Originally, state police stated a trainer left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the instructor actually closed the door, but it surely didn’t lock robotically prefer it was imagined to. The gunman shot and killed 19 students and two lecturers before he was killed by regulation enforcement.

Armoured One, which was founded after the Sandy Hook Elementary College shooting, is made up of former navy and law enforcement brokers who study mass taking pictures assaults and seek the advice of on school safety measures.

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“We are going to first work collaboratively to determine where Armoured One resources can finest praise the training already supplied, adding their sources to the coaching instruments and assets the district already uses,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry stated Wednesday afternoon at a news convention at Metropolis Corridor to announce the partnership.

Press the play button directly under to look at the entire news convention.

The security glass and film that Armoured One invented can withstand a number of hits -- whether that’s bullets, someone ramming into the glass or using different objects or weapons -- with out breaking, which might gradual an attacker. The doorways it uses have metallic framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One is also known for providing active shooter coaching and assessments. The corporate issues particular person experiences for every building and recommends the most effective equipment to make use of for each facility it’s working with.

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Curry mentioned he plans to search out the funding for that coaching but in addition work with the company to carry out school security 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 ways to slow down an attacker and pace up police response,” Czyz mentioned. “How can we gradual him down -- and then velocity up the response that will stop him.”

Duval County Public Faculties Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene and Duval County Faculty Police Department Chief Greg Burton say security and safety are top of mind each day.

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

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

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

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As far as the price, it’s unclear right now, as the partnership is still being labored out.

Duval County voters authorised a half-cent sales tax in November 2020 with the particular goal of replacing ageing faculties, repairing an enormous backlog of maintenance issues, and bolstering faculty safety.

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

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

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

More details about how that money is deliberate to be spent in individual faculties will be discovered on the college district’s half-cent gross sales tax information dashboard.

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The following checklist of security measures is printed on the college district’s web site:

Every college has a security plan and emergency response crew.

All faculty lecture rooms are locked when occupied by college students.

School plans are reviewed with employees each semester.

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

The district utilizes varied main safety monitoring strategies together with digicam surveillance and monitored managed access systems.

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

All faculties conduct common evacuation drills (fire drills).

All faculties conduct regular emergency and lockdown (“code crimson” and “code yellow”) drills.

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