City, DCPS announces partnership with firm specializing in safety doors, glass

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

The college district employed a New York company named Armoured One, which focuses on doors and glass and claims it will probably decelerate or prevent a shooter from getting right into a classroom.

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

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

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“We'll first work collaboratively to identify where Armoured One assets can best praise the coaching already offered, including their assets to the coaching instruments and sources the district already uses,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said Wednesday afternoon at a information conference at City Hall to announce the partnership.

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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 could slow an attacker. The doors it uses have steel framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One can be identified for offering energetic shooter coaching and assessments. The company issues particular person reviews for every constructing and recommends one of the best gear to make use of for every facility it’s working with.

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

“They’re methods to slow down an attacker and velocity up police response,” Czyz mentioned. “How can we gradual him down -- after which speed up the response that may cease him.”

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

What I want to be common is that our families know that we are prepared each day. And that’s what we work in the direction of being a better faculty district as it relates to safety and security,” Green stated.

Burton stated, “I'd say the one word that summarizes every little thing that we do is vigilance.”

Greene mentioned that the district’s greatest protection is its college students and staff. She mentioned she continues to encourage the school neighborhood to report something they see that’s suspicious.

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As far as the associated fee, it’s unclear proper now, because the partnership continues to be being labored out.

Duval County voters approved a half-cent gross sales tax in November 2020 with the particular objective of replacing growing older faculties, repairing a massive backlog of upkeep issues, and bolstering college safety.

Right now, 74 tasks are in the design phase and 15 are below building.

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

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

Extra details about how that cash is planned to be spent in individual colleges could be discovered on the college district’s half-cent gross sales tax information dashboard.

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

Each school has a security plan and emergency response group.

All faculty lecture rooms are locked when occupied by students.

School plans are reviewed with workers each semester.

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

The district makes use of various main security monitoring strategies including digicam surveillance and monitored controlled access methods.

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

All colleges conduct common evacuation drills (fire drills).

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

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