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Drama in the ER


Tonight I had my very first experience with a bomb threat.

And if it never happens again, it will be too soon.

I grew up in a time when bomb threats were non-exisitent...where we didn't practice lock-downs and prepare for terror. So, when I heard tonight, that the hospital that I work at was surrounded by cops and that they weren't letting anyone in OR out, my heart started to race just a bit.

I just wanted out.

Call me a bad nurse...but I didn't want to be anywhere near that hospital. I wanted to be home. With my family. Not concerned about the possibility of someone wanting to either strike fear in the hearts of many people or, worse, someone wanting to injure a large amount of people.

We headed to some windows that over looked the street and sure enough...lot's of cops, no cars were being let near the road in front of the hospital, and we happened to see a cop in a big truck, get out and look under a bunch of cars.

Yikes.

I'd by lying if I said I wasn't scared.

I was. Even when they tried to reassure us that "it's more ER related". I didn't feel very reassured...since the ER is not all that far away from my unit.

I'd heard of bomb threats and lock downs...but somehow...when it's happening to someone else...it doesn't seem so scary.

A younger nurse I work with was totally non-chalant about it, "Oh, we had so many bomb threats in high school, I figure, if someone really wanted to blow us all up, they wouldn't call it in."

I kinda wish I had her attitude.

Anyway...all's well that ends well. After about an hour of lock-down and a "Code Search", in which we had to search our unit for a bomb (um, what exactly would a bomb look like?), we heard the "Code Search all Clear".

Music to my ears!

And then, they "mandated" me to go home...it was my turn, and I hafta say...it couldn't have come at a better time!!

Breathing a big ol' sigh of relief...



Comments

  1. OH My this is terrible and I am sorry you had to endure this =(

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  2. Talk about Scary!! I have had my handful of bomb threats made in school or around it too. Praise God it was only a threat and nothing more!

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  3. Oh man! Glad everything is okay! I'd be freaking out too!

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  4. Oh, that is scary! I would have wanted out immediately!

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  5. Glad everything is ok...I would have been FREEEEEEEAAAAAAKKKING OUT!!!

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  6. Oh my goodness! I would have reacted just like you! Yeah, you practice the drills, but gracious, it's a whole different thing to be surrounded with cops...much less searching for the bomb yourself! I'm glad you finally got to safely go home!

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  7. So very scary! I was in a school 40 minutes from my hometown supervising student teachers when 9/11 occurred. I had to somehow calmly return to the university campus and continue with my day and night before being able to go home at 9 p.m. I still remember like yesterday my two oldest daughters rushing to greet me at the door crying...even though they knew I was fine, they just needed to see me. I needed to see them too! So sorry you had to go through this. :(

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  8. I am so so glad everything turned out ok. That would be SO scary! I can imagine you suddenly thinknig about your kids, it would send me into a panic I am sure. I was a senior the year Columbine had it's shooting and we aren't too far from Columbine. The rest of the year we had all sorts of threats and it scared me to death. Glad you are safe at home with your babes!

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  9. That is so scary! I'd be beyond freaked out! Glad you made it home safely.

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  10. Oh my goodness...that seems so scary. Glad you are okay! We used to have them in middle school/high school a lot. Even though I knew they were fake, they were still scary!!

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  11. Wow that is scary! Although in a way, I agree with the younger nurse. I remember middle school and high school where we averaged 2-3 bomb threats per year. The first couple were terrifying, but come my senior year of high school, it was almost a joke (I know, terrible way of thinking--I can only imagine if they were real). Come to think about it, my freshman year of college was filled with bomb threats too...hmmm...

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  12. I'm relieved that everyone is safe. Bomb threats are scary! We also had them multiple times when I was in high school. After #3, it seemed they were becoming a way to get out of class...sad. Anyway, I hope you never have that experience again!

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  13. That would scare the crap out of me! It reminds me of 9/11... all I wanted to do was go get my little guy from day care & be w/him.

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  14. oh my word! I would have had to go to the geriatric ward and grabbed a depends diaper! I'd been SO scared I'd pee on myself! So glad everything was OK and you were able to go home to your babies!

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  15. I think I would be with your younger nurse friend! We had tons of threats in middle school and high school,and unfortunately I think it sort of desensitized me. I am glad you are ok!!

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  16. Well that makes for an interesting evening at work! I don't think I would want to have anything to do with one either. With the Grey's Anatomy that is airing tonight I told my hubby (who works ER) that I did not know if I needed to watch it since one of the hospitals he works in did have a doc shot about 2 years ago at work.

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  17. We had quite a few of these in grade school and we were always evacuated to the building next door. As a kid I loved those days because we got out of class. As an adult that understands what a bomb is and what it can do, it's not so exciting. I'm glad it all worked out in the end for you.

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  18. I think I would have been prescribing myself a Valium. We had bomb threats in high school too and I hated that they wouldn't let us out of the building. I graduated in '01 though so Columbine was big news at the time. I understood their reasoning but it still scared the crap outta me to have to stay.

    Glad everything turned out okay!

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  19. GOSH! I'm so glad you are okay, Mama M! That is scary!

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  20. It's crazy, there were a bunch of bomb threats all around my town this very same day. One at the hospital and one at Walmart, plus I heard there was a bomb threat in Union Square in San Francisco.....I'm wondering if there were more in other places.....could it really all be a coincidence? Or did a bunch of people all come together to scare the bejesus out of a bunch of other people? Glad nothing turned up and you got to go home, they didn't find anything at the bomb threats here in my town either.

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  21. Ok, I've worked at a hospital in the worst part of Minneapolis for 10 years and have never experienced a bomb threat (thank God!). I can't believe that you experienced on in your "little" city.

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  22. Wow I dont know what I would have done, scary. Who bombs an ER filled with sick people??? Stopping by from UBP http://postpartumillness.com/

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  23. Holy crap that would've scared me to death! What kind of person gets off on calling in a bomb threat to a HOSPITAL!? wow..glad all ended well!

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