On the evening of July 31, Fitzgibbon Hospital in Marshall received a bomb threat that prompted the facility to activate its emergency response protocols. The hospital was placed on lockdown while the situation was assessed, but officials reported that patient safety was not compromised.
Hospital administrators and Chief Information Technology Officer Tom Jones, who oversees Emergency Preparedness at Fitzgibbon, coordinated with local and state emergency responders to evaluate the credibility of the threat. Bomb detection dogs searched both the interior and perimeter of the hospital before it was determined safe.
Angy Littrell, President and CEO of Fitzgibbon Hospital, stated, “I want to thank everyone in our organization who worked closely with area emergency responders to resolve this concern. Fitzgibbon has protocols in place to handle such situations, although we hope we never have to use them. Leaders within our hospital were prepared for a possible evacuation of the hospital, but that was not necessary. Patient and staff safety is always our first priority.”
A suspect related to the incident is now in custody. Authorities advise checking local news sources for additional updates.
