Contact: Alice Warchol
Alice.Warchol@CHKD.org or (757) 668-9049
All Visitors Will Be Screened for Weapons Beginning July 17
NORFOLK, Va. – To protect our patients, families, and staff, CHKD is now using a new weapons detection system at its main hospital at 601 Children’s Lane in Norfolk. Although bringing weapons inside the hospital has been forbidden for many years, visitors will notice a new screening process that uses a walk-through system in the hospital’s main lobby as well as the emergency department.
Weapons that are not allowed in the hospital include firearms, knives, tasers, and pepper spray. During the weapons screening process for all visitors, visitors will be given the opportunity to return identified weapons to their vehicles. Visitors unable or unwilling to return weapons to their vehicles, will be able to dispose of them safely through a process managed by our security team, or, in the case of firearms, to work with our security team following a defined protocol that complies with all applicable laws and regulations.
We apologize for any confusion caused by our initial description of our weapons screening process.
The weapons screening upgrade is in response to a nationwide increase in workplace violence throughout health facilities and active threat events in hospitals.