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

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Town of Jacksonville and Duval County school district on Wednesday announced a brand new plan to keep youngsters secure within the classroom.

The college district hired a New York company named Armoured One, which makes a speciality of doorways and glass and claims it will probably decelerate or stop a shooter from getting 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 mentioned a teacher left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the instructor really closed the door, but it surely didn’t lock automatically prefer it was purported to. The gunman shot and killed 19 students and two lecturers earlier than he was killed by law enforcement.

Armoured One, which was based after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, is made up of former navy and regulation enforcement agents who examine mass taking pictures assaults and seek the advice of on faculty security measures.

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“We will first work collaboratively to establish the place Armoured One sources can greatest compliment the training already offered, including their assets to the training instruments and sources the district already makes use of,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry stated Wednesday afternoon at a news conference at City Corridor to announce the partnership.

Press the play button directly under to watch the entire information conference.

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

Armoured One is also recognized for offering energetic shooter coaching and assessments. The corporate issues individual stories for every building and recommends the most effective gear to use for every facility it’s working with.

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Curry said he plans to find the funding for that training but in addition work with the corporate to perform faculty security assessments. Armoured One CEO Tom Czyz mentioned his staff knows what to search for when it assesses a college’s vulnerability.

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

Duval County Public Colleges Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene and Duval County College Police Department Chief Greg Burton say safety and security are top of thoughts each day.

What I want to be common is that our households know that we're ready every day. And that’s what we work towards being a better faculty district because it pertains to safety and safety,” Inexperienced stated.

Burton stated, “I'd say the one phrase that summarizes all the pieces that we do is vigilance.”

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

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

Duval County voters accepted a half-cent gross sales tax in November 2020 with the precise goal of replacing growing old colleges, repairing an enormous backlog of upkeep issues, and bolstering faculty safety.

Proper now, 74 initiatives are within the design phase and 15 are under 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 projects under building.

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

Extra details about how that cash is planned to be spent in individual faculties might be found on the school district’s half-cent sales tax info dashboard.

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The next listing of safety measures is published on the varsity district’s website:

Every school has a security plan and emergency response group.

All faculty classrooms are locked when occupied by students.

School plans are reviewed with staff every semester.

The district has a highly educated faculty police department, giving all schools direct entry to highschool resource officers.

The district utilizes varied major safety monitoring strategies including digital camera surveillance and monitored controlled entry methods.

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

All faculties conduct regular evacuation drills (fireplace drills).

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

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