Deputies called to Widefield school south of Colorado Springs after ‘malfunction’ in lockdown alarm system

WIDEFIELD, Colo. (KKTV) - The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office responded to a possible malfunctioning alarm at a local school Friday morning.

This happened around 8 a.m. Friday at the Watson Junior High School in Widefield.

A representative of District 3 told 11 News that the situation was not a real lockdown and was just a response to a possible malfunctioning alarm.

D-3 also said that as of 8:30 a.m. on Friday, their security team and El Paso Sheriff’s Office personnel are at the school talking with parents and students.

11 News reached out to the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office for details on their response to the situation.

“Every situation differs, however, we train our deputy sheriffs that the first responders will immediately make entry into the school to ensure safety for students and staff and to investigate the potential threat,” Lt. Mynatt wrote to 11 News. “If there is a threat, we train to immediately find it, isolate it, and stop it.”

Lt. Mynatt explained the first call came into the Communications Center at about 7:25 in the morning from a D-3 security officer at the school in reference to an alarm.

“The initial call indicated this alarm to be accidental, it did not indicate an active shooter,” Lt. Mynatt added.

Deputies and officers from the Fountain Police Department arrived on scene between 7:44 and 7:48 a.m. By 8:09 a.m. all rooms and the school were cleared, according to Lt. Mynatt, with no threat.

A spokesperson for Widefield District 3 said the district is proud of all their staff for following lockdown procedures correctly to ensure safety.

“The alarm malfunction happened as students were arriving at school, in the hallways checking their lockers, and going into their first period class,” Sam Briggs, the Communications Director for D-3, wrote to 11 News. “Our staff and students know the alarm sound and what to do when it goes off. It was a very fluid situation and everyone did what they were supposed to do.”

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