January 26, 2007

Safe and sound at the Backup Childcare Center

Caring for children ages 15 months through 12 years old, the staff at the MGH Backup Childcare Center are accustomed to dealing with the natural curiosity of their charges. Recently, however, the inquisitive nature of one young boy at the center surprised even veteran staff members and brought security officers running in an incident that highlights the MGH's ability to quickly respond to emergency situations.

On that day, the 22-month-old child had spotted a red button on a wall in the center and pressed it, wondering what it did. The appealing red button turned out to be one of the more than 900 panic buttons installed across the MGH main campus and its satellite locations. Once the alarm was sounded, dispatchers at the MGH Police and Security Department sent security officers to the center and attempted to call the location, but they did not receive a response as the staff were busy with the children. When the officers arrived at the center, the staff were surprised to learn what had happened. The next day, Police and Security received a handmade card "written" by the young boy in which he apologized for making the officers worry and thanked them for responding so quickly to keep him and the other children safe.

Although the incident at the Backup Childcare Center had a happy ending, it is important for all MGHers to understand how to use the hospital's panic buttons in an emergency situation. Panic buttons are located in areas that are easily accessible to employees and are intended for use only in emergency situations such as dealing with an intruder, a bomb threat or a suspicious package. They should not be used to contact Police and Security for routine requests. Once activated, the alarm is sent to a monitored console in the Police and Security Communications Center. A dispatcher then sends security officers to the alarm site and calls the location to verify the alarm and obtain additional information. Alarms are inaudible to prevent the possible escalation of a tense situation.

For more information about panic buttons, contact Robert Leahy at rleahy@partners.org or (617) 724-5531.