Active Threats At Healthcare Facilities

“It’s been happening almost anywhere, but nobody was waiting for this. Who would have thought it would happen in a hospital?” 

Witness of the June 2017 Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center shooting by a physician/former employee of that hospital, which killed one individual and wounded six others.

• 75% of all workplace assaults occur against healthcare workers.

• These assaults are most frequently committed by patients and their visitors, and include behaviors such as making verbal threats, spitting, striking, kicking, biting, and throwing objects.

• Some assaults have involved shootings resulting in serious injury or death.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to inundate the nation, shortages of vital equipment and supplies, sick patient family members and community members experiencing heightened anxiety and fears, and catastrophically overburdened hospitals in the midst of the crisis, incidents involving healthcare are likely to be on the rise.

(The main hospital in the city of Bergamo is struggling to cope with the high influx of #coronavirus patients. Bergamo is the epicenter of the virus outbreak in Italy’s hardest-hit region, Lombardy. Courtesy of CGTN and youTube. Posted on Mar 21, 2020.)

Kiernan Group Holdings (KGH) understands the complex environment and significant security challenges that hospitals and healthcare facilities present.

Welcoming patients and their families to a place where they will receive medical treatment and care must be balanced by the need to create a secure and safe workplace for the Caregivers.

KGH leaders have expertise in establishing Workplace Violence Prevention (WVP) and Security strategies in the hospital and other clinical settings.

An Ordinary Day Can Turn Extraordinary In An Instant.

KGH’s focus is on identifying vulnerabilities and recommending mitigation and prevention strategies in high-risk areas including, but not limited to: Behavioral Health Units; Emergency Departments; Mother-Baby/Labor & Delivery; Hospital Entry Points; and Forensic Patient Security.

Targeted shootings at hospitals, though less frequent, have a devastating impact on everyone present in the hospital as well as the hospital’s reputation as a safe place to receive care.

(A medical resident, wounded during a deadly shooting rampage at Bronx Lebanon Hospital, has filed a lawsuit against the hospital and the gun shop that sold the weapon used by the shooter. In that lawsuit, Dr. Justin Timperio and his attorney accuse the hospital of “negligence” and allege it was an “ineffective security system” that allowed former employee Dr. Henry Bello to enter the facility using an old ID badge. Courtesy of Eyewitness News ABC7NY and YouTube. Posted on Mar 6, 2018.)

These shootings fall predominantly into four types of situations common to the hospital setting:

• Forensic/Prisoner Patients

• Patients/Family Members Disgruntled with Clinical Outcomes

• Domestic Situations Coming into the Workplace

• Terminated/Disgruntled Employees

The Forensic/Prisoner Patient presents the highest risk, since the Forensic perceives an opportunity to escape custody by overpowering the guards, making the staff highly vulnerable to the violent scene as it unfolds.

KGH offers awareness education and active engagement training in WVP.

(Woman says she hid next to bed in emergency room during shooting at Fayetteville hospital. Courtesy of CBS 17 and YouTube. Posted on Nov 6, 2019.)

Legislative Efforts

Hospital executives, physicians, and nurses are keenly aware of the growing violence in hospitals directed against the hospital staff.

Their professional organizations are driving new legislative initiatives.

KGH also conducts on-site assessments of hospital security measures and policies to meet Joint Commission performance standards and Reduce Risk of Liability, Civil Litigations and Penalties.

(Learn More about State Healthcare Workplace Violence Prevention Laws. Courtesy of Kiernan Group Holdings and YouTube. Posted on Dec 4, 2019.)

KGH educates clients on how to develop a preparedness mindset with a commonsense approach to safety, really at the intersection of fear and fact.

These training opportunities enable individuals with the confidence to know what to do and how to do it when disruption occurs, whether that is due to a natural disaster, or as a result of violence in the workplace. 

The shared awareness enables individuals to replace confusion with clarity, and act without hesitation should that ordinary day turn extraordinary. 

These client partnerships contribute to a culture of preparedness, engagement and overall wellness within organizations, not simply the annual training requirements that are mandatory, and from which, often little is retained.

Replace Confusion With Clarity – Preparedness Without Paranoia®

Please contact KGHY at info@gotpreparedness.com, call (571) 290-0260 or go to https://www.gotpreparedness.com/GTP_Now.asp.

Dr. Kathleen Kiernan, founder and CEO of KGH is a 29-year veteran of Federal Law Enforcement, previously serving as the Assistant Director for the Office of Strategic Intelligence and Information for the ATF where she was responsible for  an intelligence-led organizational strategy to mine and disseminate data related to explosives, firearms and illegal tobacco diversion, the traditional and non-traditional tools of terrorism.

Dr. Kiernan is a recognized expert in critical incident management exercises for senior leaders across government and private sector organizations.

These include all facets of criminality and terrorism; Active Shooter/Active Threat; Insider Threat, unconventional threats impacting the warfighter; anomalous behavior detection; continuity of operations and crisis management and crisis communications.

Kiernan Group Holdings Takes Platinum in Third Consecutive ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program

Kiernan Group Holdings

• Best Homeland Security Education Program

• G.O.T. Preparedness?

• KGH’s Preparedness Without Paranoia® approach provides education and training for individuals to gain a heightened situational awareness and understanding of today’s multi-dimensional threat environment, recognize telltale signs of an evolving threat, and become empowered to take effective action without hesitation.

• Preparedness Without Paranoia® uses a common sense approach to preparedness from the classroom to the boardroom.

• From a business perspective, KGH offers metric-based training in compliance with national level standards and guidance, and a suite of audit-ready analytic tools for use by training managers and HR professionals.

• KGH was also recognized as a Platinum ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program Winner for two consecutive years, 2019 and 2018 respectively.

(Hear directly about the ‘Preparedness Without Paranoia’ (PWP) Education and Training Series from Dr. Kathleen Kiernan, CEO & Founder of Kiernan Group Holdings. Dr. Kiernan, a 29-year veteran of Federal Law Enforcement. Dr. Kiernan retired as Assistant Director for the Office of Strategic Intelligence and Information for the ATF. KGH developed PWP, an approach to individual engagement and education to increase confidence and decrease victimization in active threat environments. Courtesy of KGH and YouTube.)

Enter today to Compete in the 2020 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland SecurityAwards at https://americansecuritytoday.com/ast-awards/.

The Annual ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program is specifically designed to honor distinguished government and vendor solutions that deliver enhanced value, benefit and intelligence to end users in a variety of government, homeland security and public safety vertical markets.

The Annual ‘ASTORS’ Awards is the preeminent U.S. Homeland Security Awards Program highlighting the most cutting-edge and forward-thinking security solutions coming onto the market today, to ensure our readers have the information they need to stay ahead of the competition, and keep our Nation safe – one facility, street, and city at a time.

American Security Today is pleased to announce that Deann Criswell, the NYC Emergency Management Commissioner will deliver the keynote address at the 2020 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Presentation Luncheon Banquet in New York City.

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2020 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards at https://americansecuritytoday.com/ast-awards/.

Comprehensive List of Categories Include:

Access Control/ Identification	Personal/Protective Equipment	Law Enforcement Counter Terrorism
Perimeter Barrier/ Deterrent System	Interagency Interdiction Operation	Cloud Computing/Storage Solution
Facial/IRIS Recognition	Body Worn Video Product	Cyber Security
Video Surveillance/VMS	Mobile Technology	Anti-Malware
Audio Analytics	Disaster Preparedness	ID Management
Thermal/Infrared Camera	Mass Notification System	Fire & Safety
Metal/Weapon Detection	Rescue Operations	Critical Infrastructure
License Plate Recognition	Detection Products	And Many Others!

Don’t see a Direct Hit for your Product, Agency or Organization?

Submit your category recommendation for consideration to Michael Madsen, AST Publisher at: mmadsen@americansecuritytoday.com.

The 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program surpassed expectations with a record number of nominations received from industry leaders and government agencies, and drew over 200 attendees to the ‘ASTORS’ Awards Presentation Banquet – an exclusive gourmet luncheon and networking opportunity which filled to capacity, before having to turn away late registrants.

The event featured an impassioned and compelling keynote address by William J. Bratton, former police commissioner of the New York Police Department (NYPD) twice, the Boston Police Department (BPD), and former chief of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), as he walked attendees through 50 years of American policing history, the impacts on the communities, and the evolution of critical communication capabilities in our post 9/11 landscape.

Commissioner Bratton, one of the world’s most respected and trusted experts on risk and security issues and Executive Chairman of Teneo Risk a global advisory firm, was recognized as the ‘2019 ‘ASTORS’ Person of the Year’ for his Lifetime of Dedication and Extraordinary Leadership in Homeland Security and Public Safety.

Why the ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program?

American Security Today’s comprehensive Annual Homeland Security Awards Program is organized to recognize the most distinguished vendors of physical, IT, port security, law enforcement, and first responders, in acknowledgment of their outstanding efforts to ‘Keep our Nation Secure, One City at a Time.’

Over 200 distinguished guests representing Federal, State and Local Governments, and Industry Leading Corporate Firms, gathered from across North America, Europe and the Middle East to be honored among their peers in their respective fields which included: 

• The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
• National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)
• United States Marine Corps
• The Federal Protective Service (FPS)
• Argonne National Laboratory (ANL)
• United States Postal Inspection Service
• DHS S&T 
• United States Marshals Service (USMS)
• The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey Police (PAPD)
• The Department of Justice (DOJ)
• The New York State Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services (NYS DHSES)
• United States Border Patrol
• AlertMedia, Ameristar Perimeter Security, Attivo Networks, Automatic Systems, Bellevue University, BriefCam, Canon U.S.A., CornellCookson, Drone Aviation, FLIR Systems, Hanwha Techwin, HID Global, IPVideo Corp., Konica Minolta Business Solutions, LenelS2, ManTech, Regroup Mass Notifications, SafeLogic, SolarWinds, Senstar, ShotSpotter, Smiths Detection, TCOM LP, Trackforce, Verint, and More!

Why American Security Today?

The traditional security marketplace has long been covered by a host of publications putting forward the old school basics to what is Today – a fast changing security landscape.

The traditional security marketplace has long been covered by a host of publications putting forward the old school basics to what is Today – a fast changing security landscape.

American Security Today is uniquely focused on the broader Homeland Security & Public Safety marketplace with over 75,000 readers at the Federal, State and local levels of government as well as firms allied to government.

American Security Today brings forward a fresh compelling look and read with our customized digital publications that hold readers eyes throughout the story with cutting edge editorial that provides solutions to their challenges.

Harness the Power of the Web – with our 100% Mobile Friendly Publications

The AST Digital Publications is distributed to over 75,000 qualified government and homeland security professionals in federal, state and local levels.

‘PROTECTING OUR NATION, ONE CITY AT A TIME’

AST Reaches both Private & Public Experts, essential to meeting these new challenges.

Today’s new generation of public safety and security experts need real-time knowledge to deal with domestic and international terrorism, lone wolf attacks, unprecedented urban violence, shifts in society, culture and media bias – making it increasingly difficult for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, First Responders, Military and Private Security Professionals to implement coordinated security measures to ensure national security and improve public safety.

These experts are from Government at the federal, state and local level as well as from private firms allied to government.

AST provides a full plate of topics in our AST Monthly Magazine Editions, AST Website and AST Daily News Alerts, covering 23 Vital Sectors such as Access Control, Perimeter Protection, Video Surveillance/Analytics, Airport Security, Border Security, CBRNE Detection, Border Security, Ports, Cybersecurity, Networking Security, Encryption, Law Enforcement, First Responders, Campus Security, Security Services, Corporate Facilities, and Emergency Response among others.

AST has Expanded readership into integral Critical Infrastructure audiences such as Protection of Nuclear Facilities, Water Plants & Dams, Bridges & Tunnels, and other potential targets of terrorism.

Other areas of concern include Transportation Hubs, Public Assemblies, Government Facilities, Sporting & Concert Stadiums, our Nation’s Schools & Universities, and Commercial Business Destinations – all enticing targets due to the large number of persons and resources clustered together.

To learn more about the 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Award Winners solutions, please go to the 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Championship Edition Fully Interactive Magazine – the Best Products of 2019 ‘A Year in Review’.

The ‘ASTORS’ Champion Edition is published annually and includes a review of the ‘ASTORS’ Award Winning products and programs, highlighting key details on many of the winning firms products and services, includes video interviews and more.

It is your Go-To source throughout the year for ‘The Best of 2019 Products and Services‘ endorsed by American Security Today, and can satisfy your agency’s and organization’s most pressing Homeland Security and Public Safety needs.

From Physical Security (Access Control, Critical Infrastructure, Perimeter Protection and Video Surveillance Cameras and Video Management Systems), to IT Security (Cybersecurity, Encryption, Data Storage, Anti-Malware and Networking Security – Just to name a few), the 2019 ‘ASTORS’ CHAMPIONS EDITION will have what you need to Detect, Delay, Respond to, and Mitgate today’s real-time threats in our constantly evolving security landscape.

It also includes featured guest editorial pieces from some of the security industry’s most respected leaders, and recognized firms in the 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program.

Kiernan Group Holdings (KGH) is an intelligence, law-enforcement and national security consulting, training and problem-solving firm that provides tailored solutions to today’s most complex challenges.

Please contact KGHY at info@gotpreparedness.com, call (571) 290-0260 or go to https://www.gotpreparedness.com/GTP_Now.asp.

For information about advertising opportunities with American Security Today, please contact Michael Madsen, AST Publisher at mmadsen@americansecuritytoday.com.

AST strives to meet a 3 STAR trustworthiness rating, based on the following criteria:

• Provides named sources
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Learn More…

Workplace Violence Prevention Training: Is It Worth the Gamble?