Sanford Health Adds Metal Detectors to Increase Emergency Room Security

Sanford Health is beefing up security as new metal detectors are being installed at Sanford’s emergency rooms in Sioux Falls, Bismark, Fargo, and Bemidji in the coming days and weeks.

The Fargo location is the first in the Sanford system to install metal detectors. It’s called Evolv Express, and the focus is to detect concealed weapons.

Patients and visitors won’t be required to empty change, keys and phones out of their pockets. The system will allow security guards to know where the concealed weapon is located.

“There was no catalyst, there wasn’t an incident that propelled us to go forward with this. This was just part of our overall plan to make our environments more safe for our staff and patients,” explained Jason Nelson, Sanford Health’s Director of Facilities. “It’s also a deterrent. We have people that walk up and see that there is a system in place and they turn around and leave. So that’s a good thing.”

Sanford Fargo installed it about a month ago. The hospital chose the emergency room door over the main entrance because the facility is a level one trauma center which in turn can lead to violent crimes – including gang members.

The idea is to put another metal detector like this one at the main entrance in the near future.