False alarm nets misdemeanors

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csantee@journalnet.com

POCATELLO -- Three students at Century High School were cited for pulling a fire alarm last Thursday in protest of a new district-wide attendance policy.

Police charged two boys, ages 15 and 14, with disrupting the educational process, a misdemeanor. A 15-year-old girl was cited for aiding in a misdemeanor. The 11 a.m. false alarm preceded a planned student walkout regarding the attendance policy. The alarm resulted in a school evacuation.

A cafeteria worker who was startled by the alarm reportedly fell and injured her wrist during the incident.

"You have that absolute right to voice your opinions on policies and stuff but you have to do it in the correct way, and hitting a false fire alarm was not the correct way," Pocatello Police Capt. Steve Findley said.

Shelley Allen, Pocatello/Chubbuck School District 25 spokeswoman, said the cafeteria worker did not require medical attention for her wrist.

Allen said the new attendance policy is stricter than the previous version. For example, under the current rules, students who are tardy several times can receive a truancy. Multiple truancies can land them and their parents in juvenile court.

Allen said that while she can't say much about specific student disciplinary cases, causing a false alarm is a serious matter and that the district will hold those involved accountable.

She said that such acts are taken more seriously than they were 20 or 30 years ago.

"I think in general we are holding our students more accountable for their behaviors," Allen said. "We expect respectfulness, orderliness and for them to follow our rules. We want a safe learning environment for our students."

Pocatello Police Capt. Rick Capell said that, given the emergencies that have enfolded in schools throughout the nation in recent years, pranks such as false fire alarms are completely unacceptable.

"Too many things have happened in too many places for us not to take alarms and danger signals seriously," Capell said. "When they do something like this, it really creates hazards for people."

Capell said that the students' punishments will be decided by a judge, but could include fines or even detention time if they have a previous criminal record.

By Casey Santee

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