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Accidental reverse 911 call prompts changes in York CountyYORK COUNTY, Sep 10, 2012 (The Herald (Rock Hill - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- A York County emergency operator's human error is blamed for a message that went out to at least 13,000 York County residents shortly after midnight Monday when deputies dispatched the county's reverse 911 call system to alert nearby neighbors of an armed man on the loose. Around 12:30 a.m., York County Public Safety Communications sent out a reverse 911 message intended to alert neighbors within a quarter-mile radius of the 1400 block of Old Friendship Road in Rock Hill of a domestic violence situation, according to a news release from Trent Faris, York County Sheriff's Office spokesman. One of the suspects, 27-year-old Brandon Golden, left the scene before deputies arrived, the release states. Deputies were informed that he may be armed with a knife. Deputies asked public safety communications to activate the reverse 911 call system because Golden was armed and on the run. The call was intended to alert those living in a quarter mile radius of the area. Instead, the night-shift operator accidentally selected a 14-mile radius for the reverse call, alerting residents as far as Rock Hill, Fort Mill and Tega Cay, the release states. "After further investigation, this mass call out was due to human error from a communications operator and not intended to go out to so many in the public," according to the release. The message, in its entirety, was: "Be on the lookout for a black male six foot tall 175 pounds wearing a white shirt and dark gray shorts. He is wanted in reference to an assault. He may be injured and armed with a knife. If seen do not approach and dial 911." It failed to tell residents that the call came from York County Public Safety Communications or convey the message in a way the public would understand, said Gary Loflin, York County Public Safety Communications director. Usually, the system will also issue follow-ups and alert residents if a wanted person is caught by authorities, Loflin said. The message would have reached 75,000 homes if officials had not stopped it by the time 13,000 calls were made, he said. Early Monday, officials dispatched a K9 tracking team and found Golden shortly after the call was released, Faris said. Deputies also noted that he had 4.4 grams of marijuana. He remains jailed at the York County Detention Center, charged with criminal domestic violence and possession of marijuana, and held on a $2,750 bond. In the release, York County Public Safety Communications officials apologized "for any inconvenience this error may have caused." The reverse 911 system, first launched in the county last October, has helped local authorities apprehend a CVS armed robbery suspect in Rock Hill and find a missing mentally-challenged child in Clover, Loflin said. "The system does exactly what it's designed to do, which is notify the public of critical situations," ranging from dangerous individuals to chemical spills to severe weather disasters, Loflin said. "This situation...was a mistake. Our staff simply selected an area for the notification process that was larger than it should have been." The operator, who Loflin said isn't a new employee but not a "longer-term" staff member either, also failed to make sure the message was clear to the general public. Instead, the person used terminology familiar to police and emergency officials, Loflin said. The program operates on a text-to-voice translation system, meaning employees type the message into a box that is recited audibly to residents who receive the call. By Monday morning, public safety officials had already installed new procedures, including: Requiring someone else to proofread and critique the message before it goes out. Requiring another staff member to check the radius that the message is going out. "It's always better to have two eyes on something," Loflin said. Now, "before one staff member can send the message out," another staff member has to review the information to make sure the message is clear and concise. When officials notify emergency operators that they want to dispatch the reverse 911 call, operators pull up a web-based program public safety officials subscribe to while looking at a map. If a deputy asks for a message to reach residents of a certain neighborhood in a quarter-mile radius, the operator will enter the address, click on the map and narrow down their focus area. The program then asks the operator how far they want the radius to be. In the case of a quarter-mile, the operator should type in, ".25 miles." Monday morning, the on-call operator typed in 14 miles instead of .25 miles, Loflin said. The program then displays to the operator how many phone calls would be made. Loflin said he's unsure why Monday's operator didn't see how many phone calls would have been made after they entered 14 miles. Loflin wouldn't release the name of the employee, or specify whether they would be back on duty Monday night. He said "appropriate" disciplinary action will be taken, but would not elaborate. "What I don't want to happen is people lose faith in the system," Loflin said. "The system works." Communication banks for the reverse system currently only taps into residential and commercial landline phone numbers. Residents can add their cell phones and email addresses to the list by accessing http://tinyurl.com/8e8phnq or searching for the emergency notification system on York County's government website. VIDEO: Behind the scenes at 911 call center ___ (c)2012 The Herald (Rock Hill, S.C.) 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