The names in this story have been changed to protect those involved. 

Security is essential - I actually had to use the secret, emergency buzzer under the desk. 

It was a regular day, answering phones and running the front office as usual. I was sitting at my desk, which faced the entrance of the building, a large glass wall with a glass door. The lobby was separated from the rest of the office by my desk, which was a wall desk, connected to a door to the rest of the office.

The lobby was empty, and the office was calm. Suddenly, an old client, Meg, abruptly entered the office with another woman. Meg didn’t have a great reputation, and we weren’t expecting her. 

As soon as Meg entered the lobby, I knew something was off. She seemed disheveled and disgruntled, as though she hadn’t slept the night before. Although she did not have an appointment, I kindly greeted her and tried to help her, hoping she needed something simple I could handle. 

I realized that Meg was not in a normal state of mind when she promptly demanded to speak with the owner of the firm, Rob. I kindly refused Meg’s request and explained that Rob was busy, in a meeting. However, Meg did not care- she had an agenda to fulfill- to speak to Rob. Meg’s friend seemed rather sober, but she was strangely following Meg’s lead and encouraging her to fulfill the agenda. Meg was clearly not sober, yet she claimed the woman accompanying her was her sponsor. 

After denying Meg’s request, she and her friend started making threats, “You’re gonna’ be sorry,” “You’re gonna be black and blue,” “This glass can’t stop a bullet,” etc. These threats didn’t phase me. I showed no emotion and stayed calm, which seemed to aggravate the women even further. They tried to burst through my door, but I used my body to block the door from opening, preventing the aggravated women from intruding. At this moment, I knew we needed to add a lock to the door. 

Blocking the door was fairly easy, and I remained calm, until a coworker came to help and notified Rob of the situation unfolding up front. 

Rob came up front, gave me the “code word” and invited Meg and her friend into his office, even though he was in the middle of a meeting. The code word was a phrase we coined which meant “emergency- press the panic button.” That code word may have sounded strange to outsiders, but it was our lifeline. Having a pre-established signal made it possible to act quickly and quietly without escalating the tension. 

I pressed the button without hesitation. In that moment, I was grateful we had panic buttons, which is something many offices overlook. Installing them had seemed like a formality at the time, but that small piece of preparation made all the difference.

After pressing the panic button, I followed the crowd to Rob’s office. Rob’s office was packed- it was Rob, Meg, Meg’s friend, the person Rob was meeting with, me, and another other co-worker- all packed in one, small office. 

Rob and Meg knew each other fairly well, as Meg had been a client of Rob for over a decade. Meg had a history of using drugs and alcohol. Rob was aware of this and took advantage of Meg’s state of mind to “handle” the situation. 

Meg was screaming and rambling about things that didn’t make sense - she was out of it. Rob let Meg keep talking and venting, saying things like, “What else happened,” “And then what?” “Is that right?” Seemingly enjoying himself with the answers Meg was providing, falling into Rob’s trap - stalling Meg. This went on for about twenty minutes. 

Rob stalled Meg long enough for the cops to arrive. The cops were able to deescalate the situation, convince Meg to avoid jail time, and escort her from the premises with about ten minutes of conversation. No handcuffs needed. 

It was such a relief to have the situation resolved without anyone getting hurt. I am also thankful that prior to the incident, we implemented security procedures to address intruders. The next day, we didn’t just breathe a sigh of relief, we took action. We added a deadbolt and a ‘Keep this door locked’ sign, reinforcing that proactive security is not optional, it’s essential.

In moments like that, panic only fuels chaos. Staying calm gave me control, and it bought us time. Watching Rob and the police de-escalate the situation reminded me that calmness isn’t weakness, it’s a strategy.

This experience was a powerful reminder that preparation and composure can make all the difference. Office security measures like panic buttons and code words aren’t just formalities, they’re lifelines. And when tensions rise, staying calm and focused can be the difference between chaos and control.

In our profession, we often protect others, but days like this remind us that protecting ourselves and our workspace is just as vital.

If you'd like to share your real life story, please reach out to us at [email protected]. 

 By Travis Floyd

LST-Legal Staff Training