Armed group searches local ER

[LawDog]

Because the deputies (not full fledged Sherriffs, now)

What the heck are you talking about?

Because the deputies came out afterwards.

According to what I read in that article, the deputies were only called after the armed suspect left the ER.

Since the article states that deputies were actually physically present in another part of the ER when the invasion occured, if the ER staff had bothered to call 911 when the armed suspect first entered the ER, given that the armed suspect was taking the time for a search, the deputies would probably have caught him at the scene.

LawDog

 

[c_yeager]

My girlfriend works in a ER. The newer hospitals have panic buttons EVERYWHERE, and armed security on site.

Kevin

You must live in a really nice area. I can tell you that of all the hospitals in Seattle only one or two of them have armed security of any kind.

 

[Peet]

[BIG snip-snip]

Oh yes ...the baseball bats in some OR suites, they really are part of the surgeries done in them rooms.
Really. Just at the time I was not near one of them rooms. Some Drs and such saw a need that all rooms had one...and other areas too.

NOT WORK SAFE! You can cuss me out later, but "bat" triggered what few functional synapses I have left and this is the result...


mms://68.178.174.134/BigMan/BatDay.WMV

Found on: http://www.mikecaracciolo.com/videos/

 

[ceetee]

Yes.
Because the deputies (not full fledged Sherriffs, now)

mbs... There's only ONE Sheriff to a county. All those guys in uniforms that work for him? You know the ones that patrol the streets (and, apparently, hospital E.R.s)?

Those guys are all deputies.

It seems the problem here wasn't access to the deputies, but that the ER staff had no awareness of the situation, period. Not a hospital I want to be admitted to, BTW.

 

[444]

"Every hospital around here has armed security and a slew of law enforcement always on site."

What kind of an ER doesn't have one cop in there with a DUI, some kind of crime victim, or a prisoner ?
One of our local ERs has a police substation in it.
Plus, all of our local ERs have locked doors. You have to be let in. Actually, to get into an ER, you would probably have to go through at least two and usually three doors with keypad entry.

 

[Kevlarman]

Wow, this happened right in my town! And my mom (who is an RN there) didn't hear a thing about it from her co-workers.

 

[Sir Aardvark]

FYI:

It is a California State law that all ER's must have controlled acces to the patient care area - this means that the doors are ALWAYS locked and a keypad (or similar device) is necessary for entrance.

This law was passed after a couple of incidents where gang members would go to the hospital and finish shooting whoever it was they they did not shoot enough already.

I'm glad to see that this law worked as intended in stopping bad-guys with guns from going into the ER to finish their business.

 

[Aguila Blanca]

The five "swarmed the emergency room" shortly before 5 p.m., hospital spokeswoman Jackie Weder said.

"One had a pistol in his waistband, and they were searching for someone. They were looking at everybody in the ER," Weder said.

Not finding the subject of their search, the group left, "but one of the five came back, and a nurse said, 'Can I help you?' and then he spouted profanities to the nurse, who then called security," Weder said.

As security officers responded, sheriff's deputies already in the back rooms of the ER on other business responded as well, she said.

The deputies "were there immediately, and no patients were ever in danger," Weder said.

Let me see if I understand the chronology:

Bad guys enter ER ... one carrying gun.

Bad guys search ER looking for target.

Bad guys leave.

Bad guy returns.

Nurse calls security.

Security and deputies respond.

It appears that the bad guys had the run of the ER for an inderterminate period of time, unencumbered by interference on the part of staff, hospital security, or LEO. And Ms. Weder has the affrontery to state that no patients were ever in danger?

 

[highdesert]

Let me see if I understand the chronology:

Bad guys enter ER ... one carrying gun.

Bad guys search ER looking for target.

Bad guys leave.

Bad guy returns.

Nurse calls security.

Security and deputies respond.

It appears that the bad guys had the run of the ER for an inderterminate period of time, unencumbered by interference on the part of staff, hospital security, or LEO. And Ms. Weder has the affrontery to state that no patients were ever in danger?

Hawkmoon,

I think that chronology is right. I think the BG leaves / BG returns part may have just been them widening their search in/around the hospital. Sounds like patients were in danger to me.

I'm also surprised that the story doesn't seem to mention people bailing out of the ER. I realize that you can't always leave the ER before treatment, but I know I would be inclined to do so if my injuries weren't severe.

By the way, my wife delivered our baby there about 1 year ago, and the maternity ward had an impressive security system where each baby is ankle tagged and every door requires keypad entry. The doors won't let you out with a baby.

We were told the reason for this level of security is that gangmembers steal each others babies. Nice.

highdesert

 

[Coronach]

The chronology is probably slightly off due to less than stellar journalism skills. However, I think we can all agree that it really doesn't matter. If they had found their guy, there would probably have been a shooting, and it would not have mattered if they had called right away or called after the last casing hit the tiles.

Mike

 

[MillCreek]

By the way, my wife delivered our baby there about 1 year ago, and the maternity ward had an impressive security system where each baby is ankle tagged and every door requires keypad entry. The doors won't let you out with a baby.

We were told the reason for this level of security is that gangmembers steal each others babies. Nice.

I work in healthcare administration. Newborn abductions are every hospital's nightmare. I have never heard of an abduction by a 'gangbanger', and certainly not in the Seattle area. The data on these abductions indicate that the majority of them are done by young to middle-aged Caucasian females, usually childless, and often posing as a nurse, physician or other healthcare worker. They usually also have psychological or marital problems as well. Almost every nursery that I am aware of now uses an electronic sensor system similar to that used to foil shoplifters. And no, I will not go into details. Suffice it to say that if a newborn is transported without authority, alarms are triggered and various doors are automatically locked, sealing all personnel in on the floor. Add to this other access controls, photo ID required and the like.

 

[c_yeager]

I work in healthcare administration. Newborn abductions are every hospital's nightmare. I have never heard of an abduction by a 'gangbanger', and certainly not in the Seattle area. The data on these abductions indicate that the majority of them are done by young to middle-aged Caucasian females, usually childless, and often posing as a nurse, physician or other healthcare worker. They usually also have psychological or marital problems as well. Almost every nursery that I am aware of now uses an electronic sensor system similar to that used to foil shoplifters. And no, I will not go into details. Suffice it to say that if a newborn is transported without authority, alarms are triggered and various doors are automatically locked, sealing all personnel in on the floor. Add to this other access controls, photo ID required and the like.

+1

The only other type of "infant abduction" that is "common" (the occurance of hospital infant abductions is actually very low) is when mothers/fathers take home a child that is being held by CPS for a variety of reasons. Despite the rarity of abductions it is a liability nightmare so most L&D units are set up a little like minimum security prisons. I have never in my life even heard of a gang-related hospital infant abduction. It sounds like the sort of tale that gets passed around the nurses station.

I remember when you used to be able to go look at all the newborns while waiting for people to finish their surgery, now you cant even get on the unit.

 

[secamp32]

In NYC area

none of the hospitals have armed security. Most could be taken over by my 6 year old daughter with a water pistol. Most are open access meaning anybody can just walk in go where ever they like.