Faith Bannister | WVOW Radio
MADISON Boone Memorial Hospital detected a bomb threat Sunday night December 4.
Around 9 p.m. the hospital received a call stating that a bomb was located somewhere within the building.
Boone Memorial’s Chief External Affairs Officer and General Council Ray Harrell Jr. explained the events that took place following the alleged threat.
“Law enforcement was immediately contacted and Boone Memorial’s Bomb Threat Emergency Preparedness Procedures were initiated,” Harrell said. “As part of those protocols and to ensure the safety of patients and staff, the hospital was evacuated. All patients and staff were safely relocated to Boone Memorial’s Family Medical Clinic, where patients continued to receive medical care and treatment.”
Patients requiring a higher level of care were transferred to other hospitals in the region, according to Harrell.
The City of Madison Police Department, Boone County Sheriff’s Deputies, Madison Volunteer Fire Department, West Virginia State Police and multiple other agencies and first responders aided in creating a perimeter and securing the facility. The state police bomb squad with a K-9 unit, law enforcement and hospital personnel performed a thorough sweep of the premises.
Fortunately, no threats were located in the hospital. Patients and staff returned to the facility around 2 o’clock Monday morning.