CUMMING - Even while it was still in the initial test mode, the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office Reverse 911 system proved that it's going to be a valuable tool, Sheriff Ted Paxton said Wednesday.
Sheriff's Deputies responded early Tuesday afternoon to a suicide threat call in the Hamptons Subdivision. A resident had barricaded himself in his home and was threatening to shoot himself. That's when the Reverse 9-1-1 system was called into use.
As Sheriff's Office Negotiators talked with the subject, the Reverse 911 system was programmed to call every nearby home, advising residents of the ongoing situation and asking them to remain in their homes until the standoff was resolved.
In addition, the Sheriff's Office contacted the Board of Education and made arrangements to have the school busses for that area delayed. Parents of the children who were on those busses were also notified that their children were safe and would be delivered home as soon as the situation was over.
The standoff was resolved peacefully at 3:30 p.m. when the suspect surrendered to deputies and was taken into custody. As soon as the situation ended the Reverse 911 System immediately called every number that had previously been called and advised them that they could resume their normal activities.
"The Reverse 911 System worked exactly as we had planned," Sheriff Paxton said. "With it, we were able to keep the neighborhood informed about what was going on and, at the same time, arranged for the children to be safely secured away from a potentially hazardous situation."
Friday
April 4th, 2025
3:59PM
