LEWISTOWN — Hospital staff at Central Montana Medical Center are being recognized for their professionalism after a "swatting" call disrupted operations last week, highlighting how such hoaxes strain critical resources.
On Thursday, March 12, a nurse at the Lewistown hospital received a call from an individual claiming he had assaulted a child and was holding his family hostage. The caller, reportedly under the influence of meth, threatened violence, prompting hospital staff and law enforcement to respond as if the threat were real.
Aneesa Coomer reports - watch the video here:
Cody Langbehn, CEO of Central Montana Medical Center, says, “It’s unfortunate that, of course, people need to do things like this that distract our clinicians away from caring for our patients.”
The nurse remained on the line for more than an hour while deputies with the Fergus County Sheriff’s Office coached her through the call, helping gather critical information and assess the credibility of the threat in real time.
Fergus County Sheriff Ryan Peterson says, “The nursing staff that was handling that situation did an outstanding job. The call came in, it's hard to understand if this person's real or if the situation is accurate. We actually thought it was locally a local threat, but then as the nurse peeled back the information, she was able to sift through, and this was relayed to us sitting next to her.”
During the call, the nurse was pulled away from her normal floor duties, requiring other staff to step in and maintain patient care.
Langbehn says, “That really pulled her out of taking care of our patients that day on the floor because she was one of our floor nurses. The rest of the nurses stepped in, really helped out and helped cover for her.”
The situation required coordination across several departments, with staff maintaining composure under high stress while law enforcement worked to validate the threat. Officials note that such incidents can disrupt hospital operations and divert resources from routine patient care, making quick thinking and teamwork essential.
Langbehn adds, “Our local law enforcement stepped in and really helped that nurse through a really difficult situation. And she did a great job. She was really commended by law enforcement for how she handled that. It was very difficult, difficult language and things that were used, so I can't say enough good things about our staff who handled it very professionally.”
At the same time, multiple law enforcement agencies coordinated a response to verify the threat and locate the address provided. Deputies were ultimately sent to a property in Bozeman, which turned out to be vacant.
Langbehn says, “I think any time you have an incident like this, you take it as an opportunity to learn from it. We have worked closely with our staff to just talk about what do you do…how they can involve other resources if they were to receive a similar type of phone call.”
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security warns that swatting is not victimless. Hoax calls like this delay response to actual emergencies, and can create dangerous situations for first responders and the public. Responding to false threats also consumes taxpayer dollars and puts unnecessary pressure on healthcare staff and emergency personnel.
From the US Department of Homeland Security:
Swatting is a malicious act that can involve placing false emergency calls to emergency responders, often reporting a (false) severe, ongoing crisis at a specific location. The goal of swatting is to provoke a significant law enforcement response, creating chaos and potentially resulting in violence. Swatting:
• Typically involves claims of violent crimes such as active shooters, bomb threats, or hostage situations.
• Can target individuals, businesses, government officials, schools, faith-based institutions, and evenfederal facilities.
• Is illegal and carries serious legal consequences for perpetrators.
Swatting, like doxing and phishing, often relies on open-source information and social engineering techniques to gather details about an individual or location. Swatters use deception tactics and different types of technology to manipulate law enforcement into responding to a fabricated emergency.
• Techniques used by swatters: Usually use Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services or spoofed phone numbers to conceal their identity.
• Fake reports: Calls and sometimes emails may include highly specific details, such as the individual’s name and address, to make the threat seem credible.
• Signs of swatting calls: Requests for an extreme response, inconsistent details, or calls coming from suspicious or untraceable sources can indicate a potential swatting attempt.
• Multi-location attacks: Some swatters provide law enforcement with multiple names and addresses, spreading resources thin and increasing confusion.
Swatting incidents are more than just a nuisance—they create serious risks to law enforcement officers, federal employees, and the public.
• Techniques divert critical resources: Swatting pulls officers away from real emergencies, potentially delaying response times for actual threats.
• Endangers innocent people: The confusion caused by a swatting call can result in unnecessary law enforcement confrontations or use of force against unsuspecting individuals.
• Creates mistrust in emergency response: Repeated false alarms may desensitize responders, reducing their ability to assess true threats effectively.
• Financial and operational costs: Responding to hoax emergencies wastes taxpayer money and drains resources.
