City, DCPS declares partnership with company specializing in security doors, glass

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

The school district hired a New York firm named Armoured One, which specializes in doorways and glass and claims it could possibly slow down or prevent a shooter from getting right into a classroom.

These are essential factors 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 stated a instructor left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the trainer truly closed the door, but it surely didn’t lock mechanically prefer it was speculated to. The gunman shot and killed 19 students and two teachers before he was killed by law enforcement.

Armoured One, which was based after the Sandy Hook Elementary College capturing, is made up of former navy and legislation enforcement brokers who study mass shooting assaults and consult on faculty security measures.

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“We are going to first work collaboratively to identify where Armoured One sources can greatest compliment the training already provided, adding their sources to the training tools and resources the district already uses,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry mentioned Wednesday afternoon at a information conference at City Corridor to announce the partnership.

Press the play button straight under to observe your complete information conference.

The safety glass and film that Armoured One invented can stand up to several hits -- whether that’s bullets, someone ramming into the glass or using different objects or weapons -- without breaking, which may sluggish an attacker. The doors it uses have steel framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One can be identified for providing energetic shooter training and assessments. The corporate issues particular person stories for each constructing and recommends the most effective equipment to use for every facility it’s working with.

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Curry stated he plans to seek out the funding for that coaching but additionally work with the company to carry out faculty security assessments. Armoured One CEO Tom Czyz said his group is aware of what to look for when it assesses a college’s vulnerability.

“They’re methods to slow down an attacker and pace up police response,” Czyz mentioned. “How will we sluggish him down -- after which pace up the response that would stop him.”

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

What I want to be common is that our families know that we're prepared every day. And that’s what we work in direction of being a greater college district because it pertains to safety and safety,” Inexperienced stated.

Burton mentioned, “I might say the one phrase that summarizes all the pieces that we do is vigilance.”

Greene stated that the district’s finest protection is its students and staff. She said she continues to encourage the varsity group to report something they see that’s suspicious.

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So far as the price, it’s unclear proper now, as the partnership is still being worked out.

Duval County voters authorised a half-cent sales tax in November 2020 with the specific function of changing growing older colleges, repairing a massive backlog of upkeep issues, and bolstering faculty safety.

Proper now, 74 projects are in the design phase and 15 are beneath construction.

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 underneath building.

Over its 15-year life, the gross sales tax is projected to generate $64.9 million for the particular function of upgrading college security in DCPS schools.

Extra details about how that cash is deliberate to be spent in particular person faculties can be discovered on the varsity district’s half-cent gross sales tax info dashboard.

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The following record of security measures is published on the college district’s website:

Every school has a security plan and emergency response group.

All faculty school rooms are locked when occupied by students.

Faculty plans are reviewed with workers each semester.

The district has a highly skilled school police division, giving all schools direct access to highschool useful resource officers.

The district makes use of varied main safety monitoring methods including digicam surveillance and monitored controlled access programs.

All faculties and district offices have a District Emergency Communications Network radio with direct entry to school police and district leadership. School Police have direct access to JSO.

All schools conduct common evacuation drills (hearth drills).

All colleges conduct regular emergency and lockdown (“code pink” and “code yellow”) drills.

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