Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon will be the second hospital in New Hampshire to outfit its security officers with a “nonlethal device” that can record interactions with unruly patients or visitors, shine a laser pointer on them and even hit them with a stream of pepper gel, according to an article on the Valley News website.
The handheld devices come equipped with a camera, audio recorder, siren, strobe light, laser spotter and pepper gel to defuse high-stress situations.
“(It’s) a defensive tool, one that should be used rarely. But it adds something to be able to respond to a high-level situation,” according to a hospital official.
The facility's security officers are currently limited to verbal and hands-on de-escalation methods, and are only armed with handcuffs.
Strategies to Eradicate Biofilm Containing C. Auris
Man Attacks Nurses, Police Officer at Jefferson Hospital
Freeman Health System Breaks Ground on New Full-Service Hospital
All Eyes on Gen Z as They Enter the Workforce
Cleveland Clinic Starts Fundraising Effort for New Hospital in West Palm Beach