At approximately 4:00 p.m. today an unattended bag was noticed in an area of University of Utah Hospital. Emergency teams were notified and the Salt Lake Police Department Hazardous Devices Unit was activated. A bomb-sniffing dog alerted to the package so the area was secured and a hospital emergency code was issued. Hospital teams began the work of relocating patients in the affected area to more secure locations. At approximately 6:45p.m. a law enforcement X-ray device revealed the package was safe and an all clear was issued. The hospital is returning to normal operations and all patients and teams are safe. All transferred patients have now returned to their inpatient rooms and staff is now commencing with shift change.
“This issue, though urgent, was handled confidently and effectively by staff and by our law enforcement partners. We train for incidents like these routinely and this training really showed thoughout the evening because everyone knew their roles and worked together seamlessly. The safety of our patients and team members is our priority and they were front and center in all of our decision-making this evening. I’m relieved this resolved without incident and I’m incredibly grateful to our teams, to our law enforcement partners, and to all those involved in supporting our hospital this evening. I’d also like to thank our partner hospital systems who stood by, ready to assist us as needed. We continue to prove that we’re at our best during trying times,” said Dan Lundergan, University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics CEO.