carrying concealed at UPMC?

[kipper]

My mother is receiving a new kidney at UPMC on Monday, and because my Walther is like my American Express card (except I don't have an AE card), I never leave home without it.

Apparently, if you go in through the ER entrance, you have to go through a metal detector, and they'll confiscate all weapons, including pocket knives and nail clippers.

My questions:

1. Does UPMC prohibit private citizens who are lawfully carrying from entering with their firearms? It's been 2 years since I was there, so I don't know at this point.
2. If they don't, short of avoiding the ER entrance, or leaving it locked in a nano-vault in my car if I have to go in through the ER, do I have any recourse? I'm guessing they won't have secure lockers there to keep it, so it'll cause a huge issue.

Yes, I intend on carrying at the hospital if I can. Multiple reasons, but well, Oakland is definitely not the safest area is one.
Thanks!

[Emptymag]

1. I don't recall the policy, but I would think it safe to assume "Yes, they prohibit". It's a "weapon", and they don't give two hoots about your rights- it's their house - they make the rules.

2. Recourse? Like saying "Hey, I'm a good guy - you can ignore your policy for me, right?"
As far as I can recall, the security officers (not the same as the security guards - the officers get pissy if you call them "guards"), have a place to lock up valuables. It's been years since I worked there, but back then, they lockd stuff up in the security office. That may have changed.


Some other threads on UPMC:

http://forum.pafoa.org/general-2/634...-question.html

A bit older...
http://forum.pafoa.org/general-2/405...work-upmc.html

[kipper]

I searched their website and couldn't find anything, but I don't want to get there Monday morning and find out about it.

My question on recourse was more of a, "If they don't prohibit it, but the security officers want to confiscate it, can I fight it somehow?" Not then, but is it worth trying to fight it later?

[donm]

I searched their website and couldn't find anything, but I don't want to get there Monday morning and find out about it.

My question on recourse was more of a, "If they don't prohibit it, but the security officers want to confiscate it, can I fight it somehow?" Not then, but is it worth trying to fight it later?

Assuming you're going to CC, why would the security officers even know about it? If it's not posted, smile, say "good morning," walk on by and go about your business. I'm sure weapons are forbidden for their employees/students and someone will likely freak if they see it. So don't let that happen.

[Emptymag]

I did a quick Google search using "UPMC Weapons Policy".

I came up empty, but I did find this gem.
(Gotta LOVE the image they chose to go with it)


After reading that obviously "anti" slanted bit of "health info", what do you think their policy will be?

I honestly don't know how to answer your "confiscation" question.

[Azzy]

Some of their facilities are marked at the door. Some of their facilities are not marked at all, and I have never seen a metal detector.

[donm]

After reading that obviously "anti" slanted bit of "health info", what do you think their policy will be?

This was far less "anti" than anything I've seen from the medical establishment in a long, long time. Usually they say that if you have guns, especially if you have children, you are an irresponsible buffoon and should get rid of them and begin therapy immediately. A couple of the statistics are "iffy" (a lot of gang-bangers fit in the 14-and-under crowd), but I had expected the full onslaught of Brady misinformation. Most of the page is the standard safety rules that could have been plagiarized from the NRA web site. Nowhere do they say that it is foolish or irresponsible to keep a firearm in your home. I have no issue with this advice:

The first rule of firearm safety is as simple as it is important: Know why you have a weapon in the house, and act accordingly. That means keeping the weapon secured where no one can get at it who is not supposed to.

But I do agree that they wouldn't welcome firearms there.

[mpi]

don't use the emergency room entrance. they have metal detectors there because they don't want gang scum coming to the same er after shooting each other up in the streets and then shooting at each other in the er.

[DavidTM]

I go the the UPMC facility at least twice a year. I park in one of their parking garages and walk into the facility thru the parking garage door that is on any floor you park on.

There are no metal detectors or security guards there.

I don't see the problem. But if your going to Oakland during the day, your risk of being accosted by a bad guy is very low. There are about a million people out at any given time during the daylight hours. So, if your parking in a public lot, and walking on a well traveled sidewalk, I wouldn't give it a second thought.

It's not the North Side or Homewood-Brushton were talking about here.

Dave

[Irwin Inhabitant]

Last summer I spent a day at UPMC Mercy when our youngest grandkid was born. There was a "weapons prohibited" sign only at the ER entrance, no where else at that time. Security actually helped us by walking us to the closest entrance to maternity.

I wore a baggy dress shirt for concealment. I'm sure that some of the maternity ward nurses and doctors would have a $h!+ fit if they knew about it, even though it was not posted. I was all over there, waiting areas, cafeteria,etc., as well as our daughter's room.