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

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Town of Jacksonville and Duval County school district on Wednesday announced a new plan to maintain youngsters protected in the classroom.

The college district hired a New York company named Armoured One, which makes a speciality of doors and glass and claims it might probably slow down or stop a shooter from getting into a classroom.

Those are essential components 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 truly closed the door, nevertheless it didn’t lock automatically like it was presupposed to. The gunman shot and killed 19 students and two lecturers before he was killed by law enforcement.

Armoured One, which was founded after the Sandy Hook Elementary Faculty capturing, is made up of former navy and legislation enforcement agents who research mass capturing attacks and seek the advice of on school security measures.

Advert

“We will first work collaboratively to identify where Armoured One resources can greatest praise the training already provided, adding their resources to the coaching instruments and assets the district already uses,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry stated Wednesday afternoon at a news convention at City Hall to announce the partnership.

Press the play button directly under to watch the whole news convention.

The security glass and film that Armoured One invented can stand up to several hits -- whether that’s bullets, somebody ramming into the glass or utilizing different objects or weapons -- with out breaking, which may sluggish an attacker. The doors it makes use of have metal framing, latch bolts and deadbolts.

Armoured One can be recognized for offering active shooter training and assessments. The corporate issues individual experiences for each constructing and recommends the perfect tools to make use of for every facility it’s working with.

Ad

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

“They’re ways to decelerate an attacker and pace up police response,” Czyz said. “How can we gradual him down -- after which velocity up the response that might cease him.”

Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene and Duval County Faculty Police Division Chief Greg Burton say security and safety are high of mind every single day.

What I wish to be frequent is that our households know that we're ready each day. And that’s what we work in the direction of being a better college district as it relates to safety and security,” Green stated.

Burton said, “I might say the one phrase that summarizes every little thing that we do is vigilance.”

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

Advert

As far as the cost, it’s unclear right now, as the partnership is still being labored out.

Duval County voters accredited a half-cent gross sales tax in November 2020 with the specific purpose of replacing aging colleges, repairing an enormous backlog of maintenance issues, and bolstering faculty safety.

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

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

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

Advert

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

Each faculty has a security plan and emergency response team.

All school classrooms are locked when occupied by college students.

School plans are reviewed with workers each semester.

The district has a extremely skilled faculty police division, giving all schools direct entry to school resource officers.

The district utilizes varied main safety monitoring methods including camera surveillance and monitored managed access methods.

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

All colleges conduct common evacuation drills (hearth drills).

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

Copyright 2022 by WJXT News4JAX - All rights reserved.