Infant Security News
Dedicated
to Preventing Infant Abductions & Mother / Baby Mix-ups
|
Security Assessments International 2405 |
Routing: [ ]
Maternal – Child Care
[ ] Pediatrics [ ] Risk
Management [ ] Facility Services [ ] Security
VOLUME II NUMBER I January 2004
“Infant Security News” is SAI’s quarterly
newsletter dedicated to helping hospitals provide protection for their youngest
patients. Each edition of this free
newsletter will feature current infant security events in the news, and each
issue we’ll analyze an actual infant abduction case. Cases will be analyzed to determine how
security was defeated and recommended preventive measures.
Evaluation precedes improvements – “When to hire a Security Expert”
By JEFF ALDRIDGE, CPP
The following excerpt from “Access Control & Security Systems”
magazine is still pertinent today. Many
of the circumstances that led
His first order of business was to identify assets and liabilities. "I realized we needed an impartial evaluation of the hospital's current security status. To determine where I needed to go, I had to know where I had been," he says. Koontz hired Security Assessments International of Durham, N.C., to assess the hospital's security management program and recommend improvements.
In addition to the maternal child care unit’s birthing center security, the comprehensive survey assessed:
·
security
staffing
·
security
duties and responsibilities
·
physical
security measures
·
security
response
·
protocols,
policies and procedures
·
security
patrol
·
central
station monitoring
·
emergency
department security
·
pharmacy
security
·
parking
facilities
and, based on survey findings, a multi-year security management plan was implemented - including the following changes related to the maternal child care unit.
Staffing and training. A security supervisor position and two dispatcher positions were created. All safety/security officers now receive certified hospital safety and security education and training through the Professional Security Television Network. Each officer studies at his or her own pace and receives a certificate of completion at the end of the course. Dispatchers are certified through the central station monitor and alarm operations program provided through vendor-supplied training. Security employees' certification and Continuing education/in-service records are kept on file for JCAHO (Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations) documentation.
Duties and responsibilities. Security response time to calls was evaluated in interviews with employees and staff. A form was developed to help officers document calls for service. The new form shows the time a call is received, time dispatched, time arrived, time of completion and action taken. Data collected is used to monitor service quality and to evaluate performance.
Physical security. Security operations had been located in cramped quarters with no room for expansion. Redesign and replacement of old equipment yielded additional space without structural change or cost to the hospital. Traffic in security operations is now restricted to security personnel and telecommunications staff.
Protocols, Policies and Procedures. – A through
review of the existing protocols, policies and procedures resulted in a
revision of the Code Pink plan, increase in the frequency of drills and greater
emphasis on parental education.
CCTV. An old black-and-white tube camera system was replaced with a state-of-the-art color system to provide clearer pictures of persons, objects and events. A fiber-optic transmission system minimizes lightning problems. Perimeter cameras on top of the main hospital facilities building and on the outpatient surgery building provide unlimited surveillance of the parking lots and campus.
Birthing Center security has been enhanced by four American Dynamics color dome cameras (10X lenses) to monitor corridors and elevator access. Speed domes have been interfaced with the infant tracking system and feature variable-speed pan-and-tilts, housings and digital receivers with presets. The domes are monitored and controlled by security operations.
Electronic infant security. For additional security in the mother/baby unit, an Accutech Infant Security System uses radio frequency proximity technology to monitor people. Inside each sensor is a computer chip, lithium battery and two small ferrite-rod antennas to communicate via radio frequencies. Wands wired around doorways or hallways leading to exits or elevators tie into control panels at the nursing station and security office. The system is set up to lock affected doors when an Accutech sensor is detected before a door is opened. Once a sensor is detected, the door remains locked until the sensor leaves the area.
The system also controls the exit of infants through an elevator. Once a sensor is detected at an elevator, the doors are closed, and the call button is deactivated. The system will not prevent the elevator from reaching the floor by staff or visitors. But if the elevator doors are opened and a sensor is in the detection field, the doors will remain open, preventing the elevator from leaving the floor. The system will also activate the appropriate alarm devices, such as an alarm tone, CCTV or remote hospital security alert. The elevator and call button will remain deactivated until a staff member goes to the alarmed elevator and resets the system with the alarm reset keypad.
The Accutech transmit loop antenna is a run of wire discreetly placed over, under and around the area to be monitored to form a complete loop. Wiring is hidden behind a wall, or runs along door, elevator, or hallway moldings. A receive antenna is required at each monitored area. The receive aerial is an unobtrusive device placed near the transmit loop. It receives the sensors' coded identification signal and sends it to the Accutech controller. The control equipment - the heart of the system - is in an equipment room. Sensors are imbedded with a common code to eliminate false alarms, and they are equipped with a unique code that identifies individuals entering monitored zones. The computer-enhanced system not only locks doors and deactivates elevators, but also identifies which infant is being removed without authorization and activates an alarm at the nurses' station.
Constantly changing regulations such as OSHA, EPA and the environment of care standards mandated by the Joint Commission require healthcare practitioners to provide a safe environment for patients, visitors and staff. Hospitals are not havens from societal violence. Emergency departments across the nation have been the scenes of assaults and hostage situations at the hands of patients, relatives, visitors and gang members. Now, more than ever, hospitals must provide adequate security and good patient care.
CASE STUDY #1004 Hospital
Abduction
Victim Mother: 16
year old Hispanic female
Victim Baby: 2
day old Hispanic male
Location:
The abductor was able to locate an open nurse’s lounge
where she stole a set of scrubs and a white lab coat. Wearing the scrubs, along with the lab coat,
the abductor gained access into the Birthing Unit undetected. Just as nursing staff broke for lunch, the
abductor entered the mother’s room and stated she needed to take the baby back
to the nursery for a blood test. She
promised she would immediately return the baby boy after the test. Before the mother could voice any concern, the
abductor left her room absconding with the baby by entering an emergency egress
located directly across from the victim mother’s room. Going down the two-story stairwell only took
seconds. The victim mother learned from
the nurse that her baby was not supposed to be taken back to the nursery until
after feeding. Finally, realizing her
baby had been abducted, the victim mother gave the nurse a complete description
of the abductor. Security and police
were notified. After interviewing
nursing staff police learned that the abductor had registered as a visitor
three days before the kidnapping. It was
learned the abductor had impersonated a nurse and visited her sister-in-law on
the same unit three days earlier. The
information in the visitor’s log revealed the address of the abductor’s boy
friend. Police arrive at the boyfriend’s
house and found the abductor in a back bedroom with the victim baby. She had bought new baby cloths and had turned
the spare bedroom into a nursery. After
her arrest, it was learned that the 5’ 4” 160 pound abductor told her friends
and family members that she was pregnant and that her baby had been delivered
earlier at the hospital. She also
convinced her family that her baby had been kept at the hospital because of a
medical problem. The abductor was arrested
at her boyfriend’s house and the baby returned to his mother approximately 5
hours after the abduction.
Contributing Factors / Vulnerabilities (these will change from case to case)
|
· Nurse’s Lounge left unlocked |
· Abductor lied to family and friends |
|
·
|
·
* Lack of Parental
Education |
|
· Significant other involved (boy friend) |
· Abductor fakes pregnancy |
|
· Elaborate plan formulated by abductor |
· Emergency Egress not locked and alarmed (time delay) |
|
· Abductor was not challenged by nursing staff
|
· Abductor matched classic profile |
NOTE:
The visitor ‘s log played a significant role in
an early recovery of the mother’s baby.
* PARENTAL EDUCATION (should be
provided in writing, signed by the mother)
As a minimum the following
information should be provided to new mothers:
1. Who would
kidnap a baby and why
2. History /
Background of Infant Abductions
3.
Psychological Profile and Modus Operandi of the Abductor
4. What Parents
need to do to keep their baby safe while in the hospital
5. How the
hospital helps the mother keep her baby safe
6. What the
mother needs to do after discharge
7. Protecting
your baby after returning home
NOTE: Consult with a Healthcare Security
Professional with expertise in infant and pediatric security to assist you and
your staff in developing the most effective and cost efficient security program
for your facility. SAI has written an
educational pamphlet – “Infant
Security – How Parents Can Help” designed to assist hospitals in
educating new mothers and their families, and meet Joint Commission
requirements.
IN THE NEWS
Hospitals continue to reassure mothers-to-be by
stressing infant security measures.
Postpartum
unit welcomed, Posted
By Carol Reiter -
Read the article - http://www.mercedsun-star.com/news/newsview.asp?c=91156
View News 36 Video - http://207.207.6.50/rmfiles02/baby_tracking.ram
"
Kidnapped Newborn Found - Newark woman charged with
kidnapping newborn girl, Posted
– article by 6Action News – wpvi.com
Mother / Baby
Mix-Ups in the News
http://www.saione.com/mixups.htm
On-line resources
Vulnerability Assessments
http://www.saione.com/services_vulnerability.htm
Birthing Center Assessment Outline (Sample)
http://www.saione.com/sampleassessment.htm
Sentinel Event Policy and Procedures, Revised: July
2002 -
http://www.jcaho.org/accredited+organizations/behavioral+health+care/sentinel+events/se_pp.htm
Future Newsletter Topics
Components of a “Self-Assessment”
How to conduct a successful “Code
Pink”
Educating
Employees and Staff
“Pros
& Cons of an Infant Protection System”
Fallacy
of Foot Printing – are they a "thing of the past?”
Mother/Baby
Mix-ups “How to Prevent the Unthinkable”
How to select an Infant Security
Systems
Disclaimer
Advice
given in this "Newsletter" is general in nature, and subscribers
(readers of this material) should consult with professional counsel for specific
legal, ethical, or clinical advice.
The information provided in the SAI
Newsletters is for educational purposes only and should not be
considered 'legal' advice. Websites listed are for reference only
and are provided for subscribers (readers of the material) to have an
opportunity to read the original documents in total. Please consult your
legal counsel or Compliance Officer for clarification of laws and rules related
to your State when applicable.
SAI is
not affiliated with the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare
Organizations.
SAI - ©January 2004