Who here works Hospital Security armed?

[Hospital Security Dude]

Hello all, I work at a local Hospital as a Security Officer, after being out of the security field for over 10 years and working armed, my experince has gotten me a job after I was laid off. This Hospital doesn't allow us to carry anything except rubber gloves....No ASP batons, OC, cuffs....nothing. Although the pay is great I hate being unarmed. Does anyone have an idea on how I can convince them this is a bad idea?

[Lawson]

Get shot.

Sometimes it seems like thats the only thing you can do to convince a client to pull their head out of their ass.

[N. A. Corbier]

No... Have a DOCTOR get shot. And note that your job is only to observe and report the shooting when they ask, "Why didn't you do something!"

[fatalflaw]

or combine both those great ideas and shoot the doctor yourself and say you'll keep doing it unless they "officially" arm you :P

[Echos13]

In the near by city they are armed at that hospital. But only because it's not to far from, er... lets say the less established areas. Most ER calls are shootings, gang fights and related. But they do get the usual clients there as well. It's a good hospital for the most part but the in-house S/O's have said it's kaos sometimes trying to get things done there. The larger GH here has a lot of S/O's. It's well staffed and they have alot of equipment at thier use. All unarmed, but 90% of them are former local PD.

[GCMC Security]

We have one armed officer that works 1800-0200 thurs through tuesday. I tell people that are the only hours we allow armed criminals if they come any other time they must come back later Also this is a wackenhut officer so that means a .38 and nothing else. Some of us that have worked LE and armed before carry cuffs with approval but rarely use them.

[kingsman]

do a google search of hospital shootings and email the response to the hospital administration.

[Mr. Security]

Crazy

I am not a proponent of armed security except at certain sites, one of them being hospitals. Recently, the company I work for got a hospital account from another O&R company. I can't understand the mentality of those in charge of security (hospital management) there. O&R companies are NOT the right choice for such sites. Why management believes that it's going to get better service from a different company that provides the same level of protection is beyond my comprehension.

I can see having BOTH unarmed and armed working together, but not just unarmed at a hospital that requires psych/drug abuse watch and intervention. Not to mention the drunk and disorderly individuals walking into the ER.

[Hospital Security Dude]

There was a sooting in the Emergency Room a few years ago where a Security Officer was shot and the shooter commited suicide in the restroom and still they did nothing except have an off duty Police officer sitting in the waiting room at 24.00 an hour and if asked for assistance would say "If I have to touch them , there going to jail" from what I was told...Ain't that some bull****!

[djg_1982]

I am an unarmed security officer for Affinity Medical Center in Massillon, OH. Our pharmacy was just robbed a week ago. The suspect supposedly had a gun. Security at our hospital only carries handcuffs. If the suspect did have a gun, the first person he would of shot would have been Security because we look like police officers. I think every hospital, big or small should have armed security officers. Most security officers are either part time police officers or retired police officers to begin with. Can't carry pepper spray due to the ventilation system (the whole hospital would be sprayed). Can't carry tasers because of a few people dieing from being shocked. But hey, who am I to say I am just a SECURTIY GUARD. Until someone really does get shot and killed maybe administration would open their eyes.

[Black Caesar]

I was an unarmed Public Service Officer (PSO) for a Hopsital Police Department. I woulnd't have worked there if it was just us unarmed PSOs though, for real.

Back when I was in the academy, I remember talking to a VA hospital policeman. Back then the Police at the Dallas Va hospital were armed only with batons and pepper spray. I was like "WTF". I mean, if any place needed aremd officers, it was the hospital that had a psych unit full of ex service members, many of whom were combatants.

A few years ago, i applied for a job with a hospital here in Dallas. They have unarmed security, but talk was they were going to a transistion police department. I was told at the interview that this was the plan, but it had been halted because "the president dosen't want guns in this hospital". Newsflash, people with guns WILL come in to the hospital, and it's usually a better idea to have your own guys with guns just in case lol...

[HotelSecurity]

Sometimes even a shooting spree doesn't open people's eyes. We had a gunman enter a college in September here in Montreal. He shot every one he passed as he walked in the front door, killing one student. The Contract Security Guards were unarmed. By chance the police happened to be at the school when the shooting started & quickly neutralized the suspect. Had they not been there more people would have been killed. It shows that sometimes guns are necessary yet I have not heard anyone suggest that the security should be armed.

[bigshotceo]

Oh, but you're forgetting the line that police tend to tell security guards (and non-police LEAs): you don't need guns, because if there's a situation where one would need to be armed simply disengage and call us.

[Andy Taylor]

Oh, but you're forgetting the line that police tend to tell security guards (and non-police LEAs): you don't need guns, because if there's a situation where one would need to be armed simply disengage and call us.

When I am told this my response is something along the lines "Unfortunately that is not always an option."

[publicsafetyred]

Can't carry tasers because of a few people dieing from being shocked.

People have died AFTER being taserd; no one has died BECAUSE of being tasered. In all cases of death after a taser deployment, taser has NOT been ruled the cause of death.