Terminology, Direct Contact Key to Correct Info

An incident involving a violent student at a Livingston County (Mich.) middle school has prompted school officials to revise their procedures for dialing 911 so dispatchers have better information for making dispatch decisions. School officials say a special needs student became violent, and staffers responded to the classroom to handle the incident. An office worker dialed 911 to report an “out-of-control sixth-grader,” and two deputies were dispatched, both at a distance and responding routinely. Knowing classes would soon change, a school staffer facing down the violent student decided to issue a “lock-down” order, which prompted a second and third 911 call. During the third call, an office secretary sarcastic and upset about the long response time, considering a “lock down,” an order usually used for shootings or other serious, campus-wide situations . Deputies arrived about 25 minutes after the first 911 call and handled the situation. School officials say they will now have only involved staff dial 911, so dispatchers have first-hand information. Staffers will also more carefully use the term “lock down,” and use a “stay put” order for less serious incidents. Read more about the incident and listen to the third 911 call here.