BERLIN, Vt. (WCAX) – People headed to the emergency department at the Central Vermont Medical Center will need to follow new security procedures.
They will have to go through a metal detector, and they will need to bring all their belongings in clear bags that will be available at the entrance.
The UVM Health Network says it’s to help fight violence and improve safety in the emergency department.
CMC says in the first 10 days since the security was added, they found multiple guns and dozens of knives. Officials say in most cases, the weapons were not meant as a threat but they say the increased measures are to make everyone feel safer.
“It’s just an unfortunate consequence, I guess, of where our society is at now that this is needed. But the fact is that it really is desperately needed. We need to have a zero tolerance for lethal weapons showing up in our places of healing,” said Dr. Ben Smith, the medical director at CVMC.
Security won’t stop people who are having an emergency.
Items found during the screening are not confiscated, they are secured in lockers until the owners leave.