Silver stickers designate safe rooms for employees at Hershey
Hershey Medical Center is enhancing employee safety and security by identifying and marking safe rooms where employees can go to escape violence.
The silver sticker initiative, developed by Dave Melhorn, director and chief of security, builds on the Department of Homeland Security and law enforcement’s “run, hide, fight” safety protocol often used in the during intruder breaches, mass attacks and active shooter incidents.
Safe rooms can be easily locked, secured or blocked from the inside to keep an intruder out. They include rooms that can only be entered with staff access cards or combinations. Melhorn’s team assesses each area and marks the door frame with a small, reflective, silver sticker 60 inches up from the floor.
“Staff need to know where they can hunker down to be safe,” Melhorn said. “I think this is a good idea, since the size of the Medical Center megastructure can easily be confusing for someone seeking a safe space or escape route.”
Brian Albrecht, nurse manager, Pediatric Surgical Care Unit, agrees. “The silver sticker initiative is another example of our organizations continued efforts at providing a safe environment for our staff,” he said. “Being able to quickly identify rooms where staff could go during a violent event helps our team members feel safe, and we all are appreciative of the increased level of protection this provides.”
Hershey Medical Center’s Department of Security is rolling out the safety initiative across the Penn State Health. The team is currently working with leaders in Penn State Health Children’s Hospital, and will move to Academic Practice Division sites during May. Throughout the remainder of the year, the security team will meet with all inpatient unit leaders to identify and mark safe rooms.
Leaders can schedule a 30- to 60-minute assessment walk-through by emailing the Department of Security. In advance of the walk-through, leaders should work with teams to identify their potential safe rooms.
The safety initiative will eventually be extended to the College of Medicine and other Hershey campus clinic offices.
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