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

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The town of Jacksonville and Duval County college district on Wednesday announced a brand new plan to maintain kids protected in the classroom.

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

Those are crucial factors after police in Texas decided the door accessed by the gunman at Robb Elementary Faculty in Uvalde was closed however not locked. Originally, state police stated a trainer left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the trainer really closed the door, but it didn’t lock mechanically like it was purported to. The gunman shot and killed 19 college students and two academics before he was killed by legislation enforcement.

Armoured One, which was founded after the Sandy Hook Elementary College capturing, is made up of former military and regulation enforcement agents who research mass capturing attacks and consult on school safety measures.

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“We'll first work collaboratively to determine where Armoured One sources can best praise the training already provided, including their sources to the training 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.

Press the play button immediately under to watch your complete news conference.

The safety glass and film that Armoured One invented can withstand a number of hits -- whether that’s bullets, somebody ramming into the glass or utilizing different objects or weapons -- with out breaking, which could sluggish an attacker. The doors it uses have metallic framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One can also be known for offering energetic shooter training and assessments. The company points particular person stories for every building and recommends the perfect equipment to make use of for every facility it’s working with.

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Curry said he plans to search out the funding for that training but additionally work with the corporate to perform college security assessments. Armoured One CEO Tom Czyz stated his team is aware of 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 mentioned. “How do we sluggish him down -- after which speed up the response that will cease him.”

Duval County Public Colleges Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene and Duval County Faculty Police Department 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 and every day. And that’s what we work towards being a greater college district because it pertains to security and safety,” Green mentioned.

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

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

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So far as the associated fee, it’s unclear proper now, as the partnership remains to be being labored out.

Duval County voters authorized a half-cent sales tax in November 2020 with the specific function of replacing growing older schools, repairing a massive backlog of maintenance points, and bolstering school safety.

Right now, 74 projects are within the design phase 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 projects underneath building.

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

More information about how that cash is planned to be spent in individual faculties may be found on the varsity district’s half-cent gross sales tax info dashboard.

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The following list of safety measures is printed on the school district’s web site:

Each college has a safety plan and emergency response workforce.

All college classrooms are locked when occupied by college students.

Faculty plans are reviewed with workers each semester.

The district has a extremely skilled school police department, giving all colleges direct access to highschool resource officers.

The district makes use of varied main security monitoring strategies including digital camera surveillance and monitored managed access systems.

All schools and district workplaces have a District Emergency Communications Network radio with direct entry to high school police and district leadership. Faculty Police have direct access to JSO.

All schools conduct common evacuation drills (fireplace drills).

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

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