Security threats and acts of workplace violence are on the rise in the healthcare industry. Healthcare workers account for nearly 75 percent of all nonfatal workplace violence injuries and illnesses, according to the 2018 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Hospital safety directors say that aggression against staff escalated as the pandemic intensified in 2020.
Safely protecting staff, patients and visitors is a top priority for healthcare facilities and their directors. Overseeing facilities, however, can present significant challenges when considering the constant coming and going of patients, visitors and staff. Securing facilities takes time and staff hours, and the challenge grows exponentially when considering the size and multiple points of entry of most healthcare facilities.
Detection plays a critical role in improving situational awareness and response times to potential threats and operational problems. Equipping healthcare security professionals with the technology they need to protect patients, staff and visitors is a vital part in reducing workplace violence and creating a safer environment. Now more than ever, healthcare facilities value technologies, such as concealed weapons detection (CWD) systems.
ERS Wireless, a trusted name across Indiana and Northern Kentucky for end-to-end wireless solutions for more than 75 years, recently worked with healthcare security agencies to deploy concealed weapons detection solutions at three major healthcare facilities. Hospitals in Fort Wayne, Marion and Evansville, Indiana are all recognizing the value of placing concealed weapons detection technology at their emergency room entry doors to prevent weapons from entering their facilities and mitigate threatening situations before they escalate.
The solution ERS Wireless implemented is Motorola Solutions’ Concealed Weapons Detection, powered by Evolv Technology. This touchless security screening process does not require wanding, emptying of bags or pockets. It simply scans people walking through the technology and alerts security with an alarm to the control center if a suspicious object is detected. This technology offers hospitals the ability to proactively keep hospitals safer by using advanced sensors, analytical cameras, and artificial intelligence to detect a wide range of concealed weapons and threats.
By integrating concealed weapons detection with Avigilon Control Center and video management software, security officers can see, understand, and act on threats with speed and accuracy - ultimately enhancing safety and security. These alerts can be integrated across security personnel’s two-way radios and other pre-programmed devices, enabling immediate action. Cameras simultaneously capture and record video of the person and location of the detected weapon for records management.
Concealed weapons detection is a simple, targeted solution that allows healthcare security teams to see real-time threats and act with speed and accuracy. With their new CWD systems, these hospital security teams can avert, defend and respond to threats faster than before.
To learn more about how ERS Wireless can help protect staff, patients and visitors at your healthcare facility, contact your local ERS Wireless professional.
