Earlier today, South County Health was placed on lockdown following a reported threat communicated to the hospital switchboard involving potential explosives on the property and an individual reportedly armed with a firearm. South Kingstown Police responded immediately, arriving within approximately one minute of receiving the call.

As a precaution, incoming patients were temporarily diverted to other facilities. Patients, visitors, and staff already inside the hospital remained in place and followed lockdown procedures and instructions from security and law enforcement partners.

Throughout the incident, the safety of our patients, visitors, and staff remained our highest priority. Our teams followed established emergency protocols and worked closely with our public-safety partners. In total, approximately 75 law-enforcement officers, including K-9 units, and the bomb squad responded to secure the campus and conduct precautionary sweeps of the hospital.

After completing a thorough assessment and additional sweeps, South Kingstown Police determined that there was no active shooter or explosive device at the hospital, and the lockdown was lifted at 4:00 pm. 

While this was an unfortunate and unsettling event for our patients, staff, and community, it also demonstrated the strength of our preparedness. Our internal and external policies, procedures, communication protocols, and emergency-response processes worked as intended. The ongoing drills and exercises conducted by our teams throughout the year helped ensure that our staff was prepared to respond calmly and effectively during a rapidly evolving situation.

We are deeply grateful to our staff for their professionalism, composure, and commitment to the safety of our patients and one another. We also extend our sincere appreciation to the South Kingstown Police Department and all of our law-enforcement and public-safety partners for their immediate response and close coordination with our team.

Today reinforced the importance of preparedness, practice, and strong relationships with our community partners. We are proud of how our people and processes responded when they were needed most.

The law-enforcement investigation remains ongoing. We will provide additional information as it becomes available and appropriate to share.

Thank you to our patients, families, staff, and community for your patience, understanding, and support today.