Police will be at hospital today for dangerous person drill

MEDINA – The community shouldn’t be alarmed if they see a large presence of police at Medina Memorial Hospital today.

Orleans Community Health, parent organization of the hospital, is holding a “Dangerous Person” drill at Medina Memorial, preparing staff and law enforcement in case a gunman or somebody else threatens the site.

Medina residents and hospital visitors should expect a large police presence at the hospital today from about 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The hospital’s leadership staff also will be in a four-hour training on Tuesday with a certified instructor to prepare and respond to dangerous situations.

Hospital officials have been preparing for the drill for several months.

Wendy Jacobson, CEO and president of Orleans Community Health, said there has been an increase in “drug-seeking behavior” at hospitals, in general, with people showing up demanding prescription narcotics.

Medina Memorial and the Urgent Care site in Albion have both bolstered security. Medina Memorial wants staff and law enforcement to be prepared in case a dangerous person is on site.

A dangerous person could be someone seeking prescription narcotics, or perhaps a partner of a staff or patient with a restraining order.

The hospital in the past has been the site for large drills for hazardous materials and mass casualties, but never for a “dangerous person.”