On Tuesday morning, Choctawhatchee High School was placed on a brief lockdown around 8am due to the activation of a fire alarm.
According to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, Deputies discovered that an 18-year-old student pulled the fire alarm. The students later told deputies he pulled the alarm as a joke.
The student was charged with disturbing the peace by interfering with school functions and false alarm of fires.
In response to the morning’s events, Choctaw issued the following statement:
- “Students are reminded that falsely activating a fire alarm is not a joke or something that is done as a prank. It is criminal, creates unnecessary panic and fear, disrupts school function, and has the potential to divert first responders away from legitimate emergencies.”
“Thank you to our outstanding SRO team, the support of the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, the administrative team and every Choctaw staff member ensuring the safety of our entire student body,” wrote the school in a press realease. “We appreciate the ongoing support by our parents, families and community!”
“There is no place for this in our schools,” added Superintendent Marcus Chambers. “The disruption to the school day and the concern this action caused the students and staff was significant. Appropriate disciplinary action will be taken. Thank you to the staff at Choctaw and the School Resource Officer who reacted quickly to the false activation of the alarm and to the students for following established drill procedures.”
