‘Prepared to respond:' Duval County law enforcement conducts active shooter training in Mayport
When law enforcement authorities said 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner opened fire on Florida State University's campus earlier this year, killing two and injuring several others, it served as a reminder just how close to home the threat of an active shooter is for schools across Florida and in Duval County.
'Those officers did a great job that day, but it's another reminder of how close to home these things happen and how quickly they can happen,' Duval County Public Schools Police Chief Jackson Short said Thursday morning. 'So it's important that we take them seriously and that we are prepared to respond.'
Thursday morning, for the fourth straight year, multiple law enforcement agencies across Duval County conducted active shooter drills in our area schools, to make sure they're prepared in times of crisis.
'They [were] tasked with not only locating the suspects, but also addressing them appropriately,' Chief Short explained. 'In addition, we [also had] students simulating victims that need different levels of first aid, so using concepts such as the rescue task force, which is a partnership between law enforcement and fire rescue, to get those trained medical personnel into the crisis site.'
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, DCPS Police Department, as well as Jacksonville, Neptune, and Atlantic beach police came together at Mayport Middle and Mayport Elementary Thursday morning, to coordinate the training exercise among beaches schools for the very first time.
'Those three beaches police departments, they work together constantly, they support each other constantly,' Chief Short said. 'Their borders touch each other and it's not uncommon for them to back each other up and back up the sheriff's office that patrols out here in Mayport. So we felt like this location was the perfect opportunity to bring all those agencies together.'
During the summer break, police are asking parents and students to familiarize themselves with the student training for active shooter scenarios. You can find a link to those training videos on the Duval County Public Schools website by clicking here.
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Jacksonville LGBTQ+ advocate ‘disgusted' by local Republican club Facebook post
LGBTQ+ advocates respond with outrage after a Facebook post from a local Republican group appeared to tie Pride Month to notorious criminals, including serial killers and sex offenders. The post, shared by the Mandarin Republican Club, included the caption: 'Happy Pride Month. So glad our Acosta Bridge was lit in their honor.' Below were images of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, convicted child molester Jerry Sandusky, and a Georgia couple convicted of sexually assaulting their children. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< Also included in the post was a photo of Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan with Andrew Gillum, a former Florida gubernatorial candidate who was involved in a sex scandal but never faced any criminal charges. LGBTQ+ community leader James Eddy called the post offensive and hateful. 'In this day and age, people on Facebook feel like they can put anything,' Eddy said. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] 'It's sad that it came from the Republican Party.' Eddy said he 'really was disgusted… the fact that you associate Pride—because they said 'Happy Pride' in it—with pictures of like Jeffrey Dahmer.' The post appeared to criticize a peaceful protest where supporters lit up the Acosta Bridge with flashlights. That protest was in response to a state ban on lighting public structures in specific colors, which LGBTQ+ advocates believe targets Pride celebrations. 'You know, when something is taken away, you try to fight against it,' Eddy added. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] After Action News Jax began asking questions, the post was deleted. The Duval County Republican Party responded with a statement: 'We did not push it out. We did not approve it. We did not sanction it.' Attempts to contact the head of the Mandarin Republican Club were unsuccessful. The mayor's office declined to comment. As of now, it is still unclear who within the Mandarin Republican Club was responsible for the post. Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Jacksonville Sheriff's Office responds to stranded boat at Hanna Park
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Marine Unit responded to a boat stranded on the shore at Hanna Park on May 24. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< Officers quickly recovered the boat from the beach and successfully pushed it back into the sea. 'A beached boat can cause a hazard for beachgoers, not to mention a big expense for the boat's owner. Our officers went the extra mile to make sure that wasn't the case,' the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] As a reminder, JSO advised people to never forget boating safety equipment, sunscreen, and water to stay hydrated. 'And when the fun is done, remember to fully secure your boat. We don't want to feature your vessel in our next video,' said JSO. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
45 pounds of marijuana seized by Columbia County deputy checking on sleeping driver
A Columbia County deputy doing a wellness check on a driver sleeping in his car on the side of the road ended with the seizure of over 45 pounds of marijuana. A concerned citizen called to report the sleeping man at about 8:14 a.m. Friday on the side of the road near the lanes of travel at US-441 near SE Happy Valley Glen, a Columbia County news release states. Deputies arrived and approached the vehicle to check the wellbeing of the driver and detected a strong odor of alcohol, the news release states. They also saw vomit on the car and the driver, the news release states. The driver was identified by a California driver's license as Andres Murillomota. He gave deputies verbal consent to search his vehicle, the news release states. ' ... Deputies located two suitcases inside,' the news release states. 'The combined content of these suitcases when opened revealed over 45 pounds of vacuum packed marijuana.' Murillomota is facing cannabis tracking charges. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
