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

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The city of Jacksonville and Duval County college district on Wednesday introduced a new plan to keep children protected in the classroom.

The college district employed a New York company named Armoured One, which makes a speciality of doorways and glass and claims it will possibly slow down or forestall a shooter from getting into a classroom.

These are crucial elements after police in Texas determined the door accessed by the gunman at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde was closed but not locked. Initially, state police stated a trainer left the door propped open. Investigators concluded the instructor really closed the door, nevertheless it didn’t lock routinely prefer it was supposed to. The gunman shot and killed 19 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 navy and legislation enforcement brokers who examine mass capturing assaults and seek the advice of on college safety measures.

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“We are going to first work collaboratively to establish the place Armoured One resources can best compliment the training already offered, including their assets to the training instruments and sources the district already uses,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said Wednesday afternoon at a news conference at Metropolis Hall to announce the partnership.

Press the play button straight below to look at the complete information conference.

The safety glass and movie that Armoured One invented can withstand several hits -- whether or not that’s bullets, someone ramming into the glass or using other objects or weapons -- without breaking, which could gradual an attacker. The doors it makes use of have metal framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One can also be recognized for offering active shooter coaching and assessments. The company points particular person experiences for each building and recommends the most effective equipment to make use of for every facility it’s working with.

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Curry stated he plans to search out the funding for that coaching but in addition work with the company to carry out faculty safety assessments. Armoured One CEO Tom Czyz said his workforce knows what to search for when it assesses a college’s vulnerability.

“They’re taking a look at ways to decelerate an attacker and pace up police response,” Czyz said. “How do we slow him down -- after which speed up the response that will stop him.”

Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene and Duval County Faculty Police Department Chief Greg Burton say safety and security are top of thoughts every day.

What I want to be widespread is that our households know that we're prepared each and every day. And that’s what we work towards being a better school district as it relates to safety and security,” Inexperienced said.

Burton said, “I'd say the one phrase that summarizes everything that we do is vigilance.”

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

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So far as the associated fee, it’s unclear right now, because the partnership is still being worked out.

Duval County voters permitted a half-cent sales tax in November 2020 with the precise function of replacing getting old faculties, repairing a large backlog of maintenance issues, and bolstering college security.

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

As of January 2022, the tax has generated more than $118 million dollars, with more than $5.7 million already spent or allotted to tasks under building.

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

More information about how that cash is planned to be spent in individual schools will be found on the school district’s half-cent gross sales tax information dashboard.

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

Each college has a security plan and emergency response crew.

All school classrooms are locked when occupied by students.

College plans are reviewed with employees every semester.

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

The district makes use of various major safety monitoring methods including digicam surveillance and monitored managed access programs.

All colleges and district places of work have a District Emergency Communications Community radio with direct entry to highschool police and district management. School Police have direct access to JSO.

All schools conduct regular evacuation drills (hearth drills).

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

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