Security

None of the studied hospitals had serious ongoing security problems that compromised their immediate operation, although all hospitals perceived that they were inadequately protected. For most of the civil disturbance each hospital provided its own security. Most of the security personnel were not armed at the hospitals. However, the Martin Luther King/Drew Medical Center's Safety Police are licensed Peace Officers with the State of California under Section 830.31 of the California Penal Code. This provides them with the authority to bear arms. According to Edward Renford, Hospital Administrator, "Staff were properly armed as part of their normal attire during the entire ordeal (Renford, 1993). Security officers were able to manage incidents without using their weapons. For example, at Martin Luther King/Drew : Hospital Safety Police Officers peacefully managed 16 gang members who vowed retaliatory measures against the hospital should their member, a 22 year old female shot in the head, expire. Hospital security called the Los Angeles Police Department and the Lynwood Sheriff Department for law enforcement backup which was provided. The crowd dissipated after several hours (Renford, 1992b). Daniel Freeman Medical Center, and Martin Luther King/Drew Medical Center had police, sheriff, fire service command posts located within a quarter mile or so. All the hospitals studied experienced some disorder in their waiting room. Often security told the involved parties to move outside. In some cases this resulted in confrontations taking place in the parking lot. At Saint Francis Hospital emergency department an emergency security staff member was attacked, resulting in his clothes being tom and a minor injury to his leg (Keaveney, 1992). another time a patient's relative brandished a gun causing everyone to dive for cover before he was disarmed (Stein, 1992). Impromptu gang counseling occurred. For example, nurses at two of the hospitals helped to calm gang members by keeping them informed about what was happening to their wounded comrades and by serving as their ombudsman to the hospital. Daniel Freeman Medical Center assigned four multi-lingual social workers to the emergency department area to help maintain order. The California National Guard (CNG) sent a platoon to Saint Francis hospital at 1:00 AM on Friday morning. After the CNG arrived, equipment and food suppliers were willing to come in. Although the hospital was not threatened, a great sense of relief was felt since Guard soldiers were there. The hospital provided meals, bed, and bathroom facilities to them. None of the other hospitals received CNG protection. One issue that was not mentioned was security for injured prisoners brought in by the police. This group and other injured persons must be kept separated and guarded (Wait, 1967).

Medical Care for the Injured

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