Enhanced Non-Lethal Security Blog

    Assaults in Healthcare: Epidemic or Status Quo?

    Posted by Eric Myers on Mar 21, 2016

    If you work in the healthcare profession and face the day-to-day challenges that are unique to the industry, you may be slightly offended by this blog's title. Implying that assaults and violence could be considered "status quo" or acceptable in a field that is dedicated to helping others seems absurd on the surface. The problem, however, is that a majority of nurses have been assaulted on the job and it is well-known that incidents of assault on hospital staff are under-reported. Statistics can fluctuate greatly in terms of the percentage of nurses who report being assaulted, but I've never seen any research that puts the number below 50%.

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    Topics: Healthcare Violence

    A Non-Lethal Option to Deter School Violence

    Posted by Eric Myers on Mar 2, 2016

     

    Schools are becoming an increasingly dangerous place not only for students, but for staff, School Resource Officers, and security guards that work on campus. Violence can happen at any school in any city, large or small. It's a pretty regular occurrence to see stories of school violence on the local news from coast-to-coast.

    • In San Diego, Fox 5 News reported a school district police officer was injured and five students were taken to the hospital after a reported brawl at a high school.
    • The Press of Atlantic City (New Jersey) reported several students were arrested following two days of fights at a high school. Two security guards were injured and the school had to be placed on lockdown.

    These aren't isolated incidents; violence in schools is becoming the norm. According to the Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2014 study, more than 1,420,900 nonfatal victimizations of 12-18 year-old students occurred at school. When considering the typical school year, that's nearly 8,000 incidents PER DAY in schools throughout the United States. To protect students and faculty, it's important for security guards to have the right equipment to help deter or de-escalate an incident before it escalates. 

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    1 Pro V2 + 1 Calm Security Officer = 0 Hands-on Conflict

    Posted by Eric Myers on Jan 7, 2016

     

    I was fortunate to see and hear the captured video and audio from the Pro V2 with my own eyes and ears.

    It is a rare event for any of us who work at Guardian 8 because most clients deploy the Pro V2 in their hospitals, schools, or in the field and don't consider contacting us to share stories about how the Pro V2 is helping to deter and de-escalate real-world incidents.

    In this situation, however, a healthcare client contacted us to inquire about a service request. It turned out that I was in the area and able to personally visit the hospital to handle the request. The director of security and I struck up a conversation about how the Pro V2 was changing his officers' approach to handling situations. Like many healthcare facilities, this sites' officers were used to going hands-on when verbal commands failed. The security director told me that he wanted to show me an incident that happened just days before. As he pulled up the audio and video that was recovered from the Pro V2, he explained how this incident would have resulted in a hands-on encounter with the officers and that someone would have likely been hurt. He mentioned that the subject was intoxicated and being disruptive in the emergency room waiting area. When initially contacted by security, he began moving toward the officers as if he was "looking for a fight."

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    Interesting Read

    Posted by Eric Myers on Dec 28, 2015

     

    I received a link to a Security Magazine article from a colleague who simply said, "Interesting read" in the subject header of the email. Naturally, my curiosity caused me to click on the link. Perhaps it's the same thing that caused you to start reading this blog post.

    In my situation, I was glad that I clicked the link.

    The article was well-written (I've come to expect this from the folks at Security Magazine). It featured the summary of a webinar about whether or not to arm security officers in hospitals. What caught my eye, however, was the disparity between the term "armed" and the alternative (nothing). Implied in the article is the idea that "armed" only means lethal force and that the alternative is to “Take a zero incidence philosophy; or consider a mix of policies such as having a licensed police officer on site, particularly within the ER; and develop strong 911 ties.”

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    Topics: Healthcare Security, Healthcare Violence, non-lethal tools, Officer Safety

    Star Wars Premier is an Opportunity for Long-Term Innovation

    Posted by Eric Myers on Dec 17, 2015

     

    With mere hours to go before the official premier of the new Star Wars movie, it's hard not to get caught up in the hype. You see the merchandise everywhere and so many companies are adding a touch of Star Wars to their marketing messages. Here in Phoenix, even in the Arizona Department of Transportation has embraced The Force by displaying Star Wars-themed safety messages on digital freeway signage. While I give them points for creativity, the momentum and excitement of this cultural "event" has actually brought some serious conversations to the surface. News stations all across the country are talking about security in light of the huge crowds that will show up at theaters everywhere to watch the new Star Wars installment.

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    This Doesn't Have to Happen

    Posted by Eric Myers on Dec 9, 2015

     

    Another news story surfaced this week that casts a skeptical light on the security industry. Once again, it calls into question the proper tools that should be considered to support the men and women who are hired to observe, report, and sometimes intervene in the curve balls that life tends to throw our way.

    In this particular situation, a security officer who was assigned to patrol a convention center in Louisiana came across a transient individual breaking out glass and trying to enter a restricted area. The security officer appropriately called the police and then notified the subject that police were on their way. From what we know at this point, the security officer was merely observing, reporting, and notifying the individual that law enforcement was responding. In other words, his action were appropriate and what would be expected from a dutiful private security officer.

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