City, DCPS broadcasts partnership with firm specializing in safety doorways, glass

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The city of Jacksonville and Duval County faculty district on Wednesday introduced a new plan to maintain kids protected within the classroom.

The college district employed a New York firm named Armoured One, which focuses on doorways and glass and claims it could actually slow down or stop 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 Faculty in Uvalde was closed but not locked. Originally, state police mentioned a teacher left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the teacher actually closed the door, but it didn’t lock mechanically prefer it was alleged to. The gunman shot and killed 19 college students and two teachers before he was killed by legislation enforcement.

Armoured One, which was based after the Sandy Hook Elementary Faculty capturing, is made up of former army and law enforcement agents who research mass taking pictures attacks and seek the advice of on faculty safety measures.

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“We'll first work collaboratively to identify where Armoured One sources can finest compliment the training already offered, including their resources to the coaching tools and sources the district already uses,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry stated Wednesday afternoon at a news conference at City Corridor to announce the partnership.

Press the play button immediately under to observe the complete news convention.

The safety glass and movie that Armoured One invented can face up to several hits -- whether or not that’s bullets, somebody ramming into the glass or utilizing different objects or weapons -- without breaking, which may slow an attacker. The doors it makes use of have metal framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One can also be identified for providing energetic shooter training and assessments. The company issues individual experiences for each constructing and recommends the most effective tools to use for every facility it’s working with.

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Curry said he plans to search out the funding for that coaching but also work with the company to perform faculty safety assessments. Armoured One CEO Tom Czyz stated his crew is aware of what to search for when it assesses a school’s vulnerability.

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

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

What I want to be frequent is that our families know that we are prepared each day. And that’s what we work towards being a greater college district because it pertains to security and safety,” Inexperienced mentioned.

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

Greene stated that the district’s greatest protection is its students and employees. 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, because the partnership continues to be being worked out.

Duval County voters authorised a half-cent gross sales tax in November 2020 with the particular goal of replacing growing old schools, repairing a massive backlog of upkeep points, and bolstering school security.

Proper now, 74 initiatives are within the design section 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 allotted to tasks beneath building.

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

Extra information about how that money is planned to be spent in individual schools may be found on the college district’s half-cent gross sales tax data dashboard.

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The next record of security measures is printed on the school district’s web site:

Every school has a security plan and emergency response crew.

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

School plans are reviewed with workers each semester.

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

The district makes use of varied main safety monitoring strategies including digital camera surveillance and monitored controlled entry methods.

All colleges and district offices have a District Emergency Communications Network radio with direct entry to highschool police and district leadership. Faculty Police have direct access to JSO.

All colleges conduct common evacuation drills (fireplace drills).

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

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