McCurtain Memorial Hospital in Idabel, Okla. — a community that has been under a microscope since the release of recordings from a county meeting allegedly revealed racist and threatening statements — was evacuated after the second bomb threat called to the hospital in the last two weeks.
On April 27, McCurtain Memorial "received a bomb threat from an unidentified individual who called into the hospital's registration department and stated there was a bomb inside of the hospital. Our registration team took immediate action to inform administration and immediately followed protocol to institute an emergency evacuation of the property and contact law enforcement," according to a news release prepared by CEO Brian Whitfield on the hospital's Facebook page.
Mr. Whitfield said patients were evacuated to an offsite location, and staff joined patients at the designated evacuation site. Staff remained with patients while law enforcement searched and cleared the hospital.
Within an hour, the hospital was cleared and patients, as well as staff, returned to the facility, he said.
This was the second bomb threat called to the hospital in the last two weeks. The previous bomb threat, which also resulted in an evacuation, occurred April 18.
That bomb threat came a day after the hospital went on lockdown while protesting occurred during an emergency meeting among officials at the McCurtain County Commissioners Office in Idabel. People were protesting over a secret recording by The McCurtain Gazette-News of officials in McCurtain County. The recording featured an official talking about hanging Black people and other officials discussing hiring hit men for two reporters, the newspaper said, according to The New York Times. The alleged discussion took place after the March 6 meeting of the county board of commissioners.
It is not known if the bomb threats have any connection to the allegations by the Gazette-News.
Mr. Whitfield called on whomever is behind these calls to consider the effect this has had on people.
"McCurtain Memorial Hospital is a small, rural hospital and our resources are limited," he said. "These disruptions in service to our community has a significant impact on us financially and also results in unavailable services to patients seeking outpatient services like lab, radiology and therapy.
"So many suffer as the result of such selfish acts and attempts to disrupt. We will recover and we will rise above these challenges but please, consider the impact on our patients and this community."
Mr. Whitfield said he is instituting "very stiff security measures and that will include a hard lockdown at the hospital that will remain in effect until further notice." These measures include a metal detector that was delivered to the hospital April 27. Additionally, employees and visitors must enter and exit through the emergency room waiting area entrance, and no bags, purses, backpacks or other carrying cases are allowed inside the hospital.
The FBI and other law enforcement are investigating the threats, Mr. Whitfield said in the statement.
Read more about the security measures in Mr. Whitfield's full release.