New Apple iPad-powered technology replaces paper lists and helps security teams instantly recognize high-risk individuals at entry.
AUSTIN, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#AthenaSecurity–Despite rising violence in U.S. healthcare settings, many hospitals still rely on manual, paper-based systems to identify potentially dangerous individuals, creating serious gaps in both physical security and reporting data. To close this gap, Athena Security, Inc., has launched an automated BOLO (Be On the Lookout) / Person of Interest system engineered to instantly recognize high-risk individuals and deliver real-time alerts to hospital security teams.
“This is exactly the kind of innovation hospitals need in an era where threats can escalate in seconds,” says Lisa Falzone, Co-Founder and President of Athena Security. “Our BOLO / POI technology eliminates the vulnerabilities of outdated methods and gives security teams a real-time advantage that saves lives and reduces administrative burden.”
Hospitals depend heavily on documentation-heavy processes that slow response times and overwhelm security personnel. According to a 2025 overview of hospital security guard duties, officers are responsible for detailed incident reports and daily activity logs documenting patrols, visitor access, suspicious behavior, and unusual events—making documentation a routine and time-intensive part of every shift.
A 2022 peer-reviewed study on hospital workplace-violence reporting further found that many violent incidents go unreported or only partially reported because the process requires busy staff—including security and managers—to manually complete incident reports, resulting in inconsistent or incomplete safety data.
These gaps are especially concerning as threats continue to escalate. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that healthcare workers experience workplace violence at five times the rate of workers in all other industries, placing immense pressure on hospital security teams who must accurately identify high-risk individuals the moment they enter the facility.
Athena Security’s automated BOLO / Person of Interest technology directly addresses this challenge by replacing outdated paper logs, binders, and memory-based identification with real-time driver’s license scanning. Integrated seamlessly with Athena’s Visitor Management System (VMS), the solution enables hospitals to automatically flag dangerous or restricted individuals upon entry and immediately notify security teams, access control staff, and clinical leadership. The system performs real-time checks against both internal BOLO lists and relevant external databases, providing proactive visibility without disrupting normal visitor flow.
Athena’s BOLO / Person of Interest technology is consistent with U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Best Practice 15.4.5, which calls for implementing credentialing programs to manage building access and maintain accurate records of authorized individuals. By replacing manual data entry with driver’s license scanning, the system eliminates common human errors and creates accurate, digitized visitor records.
Key capabilities of Athena’s BOLO / POI system include:
- Instant identification of dangerous, banned, or restricted individuals
- Immediate creation and deployment of new BOLO alerts that are automatically pushed across all hospital locations
- Real-time alerts across the hospital’s security and operations ecosystem
- Automated, consistent documentation of POI events without manual reporting
- Contextual alerts that include officer-entered notes such as prior behavior or safety concerns, enabling more informed response decisions
- Faster response times during escalating threats
- Enhanced visitor management and access control across ED, maternity, behavioral health, and restricted clinical areas
- Offline functionality that allows BOLO searches and alerts to continue even if network connectivity is temporarily lost
“Paper lists and manual reporting simply cannot keep pace with modern threats,” states Chris Ciabarra, Co-Founder and CTO of Athena Security. “Violent incidents in hospitals are under-reported largely because teams are overwhelmed by documentation requirements. Automating identification, alerting, and documentation in real time gives hospitals a chance to respond in the way threats actually occur—suddenly and without warning.”
About Athena Security
Athena Security is a leading provider of AI-enabled physical security solutions. Founded by Revel Systems co-founders Lisa Falzone, Chris Ciabarra, and Michael Green, Athena Security was first to market with AI evasion detection and has since integrated AI Assisted X-ray, AthenaVision AR Alert Glasses and Telepresence Security Officers. Athena Security continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible and leads the industry in developing advanced weapons detection and security technology. Athena Security partners with organizations across industries to enhance their security posture and help protect individuals in schools, hospitals, retail and public spaces across the globe. Athena Security is headquartered in Austin, Texas, and San Francisco, California, with a remote office in Jacksonville, Florida. To learn more, visit www.Athena-Security.com.
Contacts
Anita S. Lane
Anita@athena-security.com
+1-866-592-3918
