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Are Weapons in Your Hospital Right Now?

Writer's picture: Dave CorbinDave Corbin
Guns, knives, and tasers! Oh my! Weapons are a persistent threat to the healthcare environment- especially in hospitals. Do we need to just accept this risk?
Weapons in hospital

The Weapons Threat to Hospitals

Like it or not, weapons are in your hospital every day. Guns, knives, pepper spray, tasers, and more. Scary right?


But 99.9% of people carrying them have no intention of using them in the hospital. They are carrying weapons for protection- especially in areas where crime victimization risk is higher.


But in a high-stress environment, having access to these weapons can prove extremely dangerous. The argument with a family member over the care of their loved one can turn deadly with the introduction of a knife.


Or the stress can cause someone to accidentally do something like leave a loaded handgun in a public bathroom. Personal note: I've seen this twice as a security director. Both times, the person who found the firearm reported it to security and they were recovered.


When I talk to my clients with metal or weapons detectors, I am shocked (but not surprised) at how many guns and other weapons they are taking off people. This is especially true when screening starts for the first time.


One client confiscated over 100 firearms in the first few months at just one entry point.


This astounding figure was achieved with with ample "weapons detector in use" signage from the garage to the entry point. People are still trying to walk in with firearms! The vast majority of all these firearms are legally carried.


This is a hospital that never did screening before. These firearms and the other weapons such as tasers, brass knuckles, knives and pepper spray were all flowing in this and other entrances every day. It's the reality for every hospital.


Options to address the weapons threat to hospitals


There's no perfect solution to address the weapons threat in healthcare. Even if you set up metal/weapons detectors at public entrances, someone could piggyback in through a side door or the loading dock to gain access. An employee can skirt the screening process. A determined attacker will find a way.


Here's a few strategies to consider along with some pros and cons of each.


Metal/Weapons Detectors

Are metal/weapons detectors a good strategy? Of course. But they are also expensive to own/lease and staff. And they're not foolproof. There's always a tradeoff between speed of screening and detection. The faster you go, the more you might miss.


Then there's the bag searches. Some hospitals skip the X-Ray machine for bags in favor of manual searches. The manual search is sometimes a peek in an open bag, other times it's more invasive. Don't believe the hype that some weapons detectors can accurately screen bags- especially larger ones.


If you can stand up and staff metal/weapons detectors at all of your public entrances, great. It's an important layer in your weapons threat mitigation strategy. But please get the bag searches right and don't forget that your other entrances potentially pose a risk.



Camera-Based Weapons Detection

Artificial intelligence and analytics can use existing security cameras to detect exposed firearms. If someone is holding a firearm in their hand and in view of a camera, it can trigger an alert.


One such option is ZeroEyes, which has a person at their centralized command center validate any incoming alerts before triggering notifications to security and police. The limitations here are that the firearm must be visible and other weapons are not being detected.


Searches

Ah yes- good old-fashioned patient searches. Searches should generally be based on identifiable risk criteria, such as homicidal or suicidal ideation, threats to harm, etc. or on standard procedures that apply to all patients (e.g.- psychiatric unit intake).


Searches can be performed with a metal detector wand and using pat-down techniques. They can be quite effective at locating weapons, but the key here is training. Without the right training and written policy and procedures on how to perform these tasks, weapons can still be missed. This is especially true if you are allowing the patient to stay in street clothes.


The other enemy of searches is complacency. A security officer or nurse just going through the motions could miss a well hidden or disguised weapon. Remaining vigilant is key.


Vigilance

Security and clinical staff must understand that weapons may be present on anyone in the healthcare environment- from patients to staff, visitors and trespassers. There should also be a see something, say something policy in place among employees to alert security to employees or others with weapons.


Threat Assessment and Management

When it comes to targeted violence, professional threat assessment and management can be a very effective way to identify persons who may intend to cause harm with or without firearms.


Larger hospitals and hospital systems are increasingly adopting such approaches, but medium and smaller size hospitals often don't have the resources or expertise to stand these teams up. This process also depends on people reporting behaviors of concern in a timely way.


Signage

Signage is a great way to let people know that you don't allow weapons in your facility. But if you go back to my example of the hospital with signage AND screening, you get an idea of how effective the signs are for keeping out weapons.


Signs are not going to stop weapons from coming into your facility. Just ask the TSA!


There you have it, six strategies for helping to prevent weapons from entering your hospital.







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