We have been notified of a security incident that occurred this weekend by a hospital security consulting firm we work with. The incident may be completely innocent, but it is an incident of significant concern.

As you know, I have warned periodically of the tempting target hospitals could be to terrorists.

Details:

At ***** Hospital, a security officer approached 2 men of apparent Middle Eastern descent who were videotaping inside the hospital. Security had them shut off the video recorder and asked them for ID. They responded that they did not have any ID. They then proceeded to go outside and get in their
vehicle and leave the property.

The car was a rental car, which is strongly suggestive evidence that the individuals lied about lack of ID.

Security cameras did obtain video footage of the individuals which was furnished to police.

Limits of the report:

The report does not indicate whether any attempt was made to detain the individuals or whether they offered any explanation of their activities, but the context of the report suggests that they did not. It is unknown whether the security officer was a private security officer or a sworn police officer on private security or public security duty.

Implications:

There are range of possibilities here, such as:

1. The two were tourists who were interested in hospital architecture, and who entered the country without passports or ID, but because of their obvious good character were allowed into the country and were rented a car anyway.

2. The two were employees of a plaintiff's lawyer who is or will be suing the hospital and lied to cover their true status.

3. Or, is there is a remote chance that these individuals were involved in "casing" the facility for illegal activities of some nature, ranging from theft to kidnapping to terrorism?

Action plans:

There is no one right answer to how hospitals should plan for and react in these situations. The important issue is that hospitals do need to consider these threats and their capabilities, and have a pre-planned approach to a security issue such as this.

This is not the first reported incident of individuals without ID's filming or posing as inspectors. This scenario deserves careful attention. Hospital security is a growing concern and should be a priority in routine and emergency operations planning.

Share information on risks:

I want to thank our security consultant friend for this information, and encourage you to let us know if you have similar or other security issues that others should be aware of.