Healthcare workers are accustomed to dealing with emergencies, but a growing security threat known as swatting presents a different kind of challenge.
Swatting occurs when someone deliberately makes a false report of a serious emergency, such as an active shooter, hostage situation, or armed individual, to trigger a large law-enforcement response. The FBI identifies hospitals, schools, places of worship, and other public locations as potential targets.
While reliable national data on hospital-specific swatting incidents is limited, evidence suggests the broader threat has grown. The International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety Foundation (IAHSSF) cites estimates that swatting incidents increased from about 400 in 2011 to more than 1,000 in 2019. In 2025, the FBI issued a nationwide warning about multiple recent swatting incidents.
Why Are Hospitals Vulnerable?
Hospitals are complex, 24-hour environments with large numbers of patients, visitors, and employees. A false report can quickly create confusion and potentially dangerous circumstances.
A swatting incident may:
- Trigger an armed law-enforcement response
- Disrupt patient care and hospital operations
- Require lockdowns or evacuations
- Put patients, nurses, and other employees at risk
- Divert emergency resources
- Cause significant emotional distress for staff
A 2025 incident at Loma Linda University Medical Center in California illustrates the potential impact. A false report of an armed individual prompted a major law-enforcement response and an evacuation before authorities determined the threat was a hoax.
What Should Nurses Know?
Nurses should never be expected to determine whether a reported threat is real or a swatting attempt. That responsibility belongs to hospital security and law enforcement.
However, nurses play a critical role in protecting patients during an emergency.
Know your hospital's emergency procedures. Be familiar with your facility's policies for active threats, lockdowns, evacuations, and shelter-in-place situations.
Take emergency alerts seriously. Even if a threat seems unusual or may be a hoax, follow your hospital's instructions until authorities determine otherwise.
Know your patients' needs. Nurses may need to protect patients who cannot independently evacuate, including patients requiring oxygen, ventilators, IV medications, or other critical care.
Report concerning behavior. Threats, suspicious activity, or threatening communications should be reported according to hospital policy.
Don't confront a suspected threat. Follow established security and emergency procedures and prioritize your own safety and the safety of your patients.
What Can Health Systems Do?
Swatting should be incorporated into hospitals' broader workplace violence and emergency preparedness plans.
Health systems can:
- Develop specific protocols for suspected swatting incidents
- Establish communication procedures with local law enforcement
- Train security personnel and frontline staff
- Conduct emergency drills that include false active-threat scenarios
- Maintain reliable emergency communication systems
- Review evacuation and shelter-in-place procedures for vulnerable patients
- Provide post-incident support for employees
The IAHSSF recommends that healthcare organizations prepare for swatting as part of their overall security and emergency-management programs.
Preparing for the Unexpected
Swatting is ultimately a reminder that hospital safety extends beyond traditional workplace violence and cybersecurity concerns. A false emergency call can have very real consequences for nurses, patients, families, and first responders.
Nurses don't need to become experts in identifying swatting. They do need to know their hospital's emergency procedures, understand their role in protecting patients, and be prepared to respond when a serious security threat is reported.
Hospitals may not be able to prevent every swatting attempt, but preparedness, communication, training, and coordination with law enforcement can help minimize the impact.
Sources
- International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety Foundation — Mitigating Swatting Events in the Healthcare Sector
- FBI — Threat Actors Use Swatting to Target Victims Nationwide
- OSHA — Workplace Violence in Healthcare
- National 911 Program — Public Safety Information on Swatting
- CBS News Los Angeles — Loma Linda University Medical Center Swatting Incident