Armed Guards Among Security Improvements at New Hampshire Hospital

Less than two weeks after a deadly shooting, improvements to security have been made at New Hampshire Hospital.

A report prepared by state Safety Commissioner Robert Quinn said that fencing has already been installed to block the entire front entry way at the hospital on the ground of the State Office Complex in Concord.

"At my direction, Commissioner Quinn conducted an assessment of current security protocols and presented recommendations to move forward not just at New Hampshire Hospital, but at all our state facilities," Governor Chris Sununu said in a statement.

Another change is that unarmed security officers are no longer being utilized outside the hospital. Three armed security guards will be on duty at all times around the clock. Security officers will soon be allowed to carry firearms throughout the building. Hospital policy currently does not allow security officers to be armed.

In addition, the pay of State Office Complex Police Force has been moved to the law enforcement pay scale in order to be more competitive with other law enforcement roles to attract more candidates.

Communications will be improved to alert staff to critical situations and video surveillance in place will be reviewed and improved.

The governor said many state employees were shaken by the November 17 incident. Their safety is the state's number one priority, Sununu said.

"Providing a safe working environment is a job that is never done, however we are moving forward with all of the Department’s recommendations and will continue to assess additional necessary steps moving forward on an ongoing basis."

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via X (Twitter) @DanAlexanderNH