Public Safety (Security) Officer - Armed

Advocate Health

4d•$23 - $34

About The Position

The Public Safety (Security) Officer provides armed security services with a customer-service approach, emphasizing professionalism, fairness, compassion, and compliance with department policies, procedures, and training. The officer maintains a professional and approachable presence, patrols interior and exterior areas, identifies safety and security risks, assists patients, visitors, and teammates, and helps maintain a safe and welcoming environment. Duties include traffic and crowd control, monitoring visitors, questioning unauthorized persons, and maintaining department uniforms and equipment. The officer prevents, responds to, and investigates workplace violence and other incidents, including calls involving combative or threatening people. The role is a primary resource for de-escalation and may involve use of force when necessary, including a conducted energy weapon and handcuffing. The officer responds to emergencies and crisis situations, physically intervenes in accordance with training when there is potential for injury, and supports preparedness for events such as infant or child abductions, fires, and active threats. The officer investigates incidents on Advocate Health property, completes accurate and timely reports, escalates complaints, and conducts liaison rounding and security-awareness education. The role coordinates with law enforcement and first-responder agencies and oversees law-enforcement prisoner patient guards for policy compliance and safety. The officer maintains required training in communications, de-escalation, hemorrhage control, CPR, clinical restraints, conducted energy weapons, firearms, and other department-issued equipment. The position also involves community-oriented patrols, interview and interrogation tactics, parking enforcement, valet assistance, and vehicular assistance. This is a part-time armed position with various shifts. The role requires a high school diploma or GED, typically one year of relevant experience, required jurisdiction-specific licenses and credentials, and the ability to meet physical, screening, and training requirements. The officer must be able to carry an authorized firearm while on duty.

Requirements

High school graduate or GED.
Typically one year of experience in security, related public safety, or customer service, including responding to emergent situations and identifying and resolving risks to patients, visitors, teammates, or property.
Obtain the International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety Security Officer Healthcare Certification (CHSO) within two years of appointment; recertification is not required.
Hold an Armed Guard License issued by North Carolina Private Protective Services, for North Carolina teammates, and maintain it through training and competency assessments.
For Illinois teammates, hold a Firearm Owners Identification Card (FOID) issued by the Illinois State Police, meet state licensing requirements, and obtain a Firearm Control Card (FCC) for Proprietary Personnel within 90 days of hire.
For Wisconsin teammates, hold a Concealed Carry Weapon (CCW) license issued by the Department of Justice.
Hold a valid driver’s license issued by the Division of Motor Vehicle.
Become certified in conducted energy weapon (e.g., TASER) use within 90 days of hire and periodically thereafter.
For Illinois teammates, complete the State of Illinois 40-hour armed course with semi-automatic pistol endorsement.
Be willing to carry a department-authorized firearm while on duty.
For Illinois teammates, annually achieve at least 70% on the State of Illinois Mandatory Annual Active Duty and Retired Officer Handgun Qualification Course of Fire, unassisted; probationary officers must complete range qualification within the 90-day probationary period and attend the first qualification date within that period.
Demonstrate emotional intelligence, empathy, and compassion in responding to teammate, visitor, and patient incidents.
Demonstrate a commitment to patient-centered safety and the ability to collaborate respectfully with medical staff, peers, and external law enforcement as appropriate.
Remain calm under pressure and help maintain a safe, welcoming, and therapeutic environment.
Exercise mature judgment and sound reasoning while remaining courteous and tactful, including when interacting with verbally aggressive people.
Quickly assess dangerous situations and take appropriate action.
Demonstrate verbal and written communication skills and communicate clearly by radio and telephone.
Use a computer to document work, including Microsoft Word, Excel, web navigation, and database entry.
Be able to defend oneself or others and physically restrain a person when de-escalation fails and the circumstances described in the job posting warrant restraint.
Hear radio and telephone communications at both high and low decibel levels and communicate by radio and telephone with clear diction without impediments.
Successfully pass a background investigation, drug screen, pre-placement physical, and post-offer psychological screening assessment; screening may recur periodically.
Meet the role’s physical requirements, including sitting, standing, walking, driving, lifting up to 35 pounds occasionally, pushing or pulling with 35 pounds of force, operating a firearm independently, and walking facility and grounds areas.
Have 20/20 vision in both eyes, or vision correctable to 20/20 with corrective lenses in both eyes.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of behavioral threat assessment.
Knowledge of use-of-force review.
Awareness of crime prevention through environmental design.
Ability to present material and facilitate meetings.

Responsibilities

Provide security services with professionalism, fairness, compassion, and a customer-service approach while following department policies, procedures, and training.
Maintain a professional, approachable, service-oriented demeanor; remain alert and ethical; enforce safety and security rules; and keep the department uniform and equipment in good repair.
Conduct interior and exterior patrols, inspections for vulnerabilities and hazards, fire-condition checks, Interim Life Safety Measures audits, patient valuables management, and contraband searches.
Assist patients, visitors, and teammates with information, directions, and physical help; control traffic; monitor visitor conduct; and question unauthorized persons.
Prevent, respond to, and investigate workplace violence, service calls, and incidents involving combative or threatening patients, visitors, or teammates.
Use de-escalation as a primary response and, when necessary, use force in accordance with training, including a conducted energy weapon and handcuffing.
Plan for, prevent, practice, and respond to emergencies such as lost or abducted infants or children, fires, and active threats.
Respond immediately to emergencies and crises, physically intervening in accordance with training when situations present a potential for injury.
Investigate incidents on Advocate Health property, complete timely and accurate reports, escalate complaints to appropriate leaders, and provide supporting documentation.
Conduct liaison rounds to build partnerships with departments and units and provide security-awareness education to teammates.
Liaise with federal, state, and local law enforcement and first-responder agencies; coordinate, brief, and monitor law-enforcement prisoner patient guards for policy compliance and safety.
Maintain current department training standards in radio communications, verbal de-escalation, hemorrhage control, CPR, clinical restraints, conducted energy weapons, and department-issued equipment.
Assist with exterior traffic and crowd control, parking enforcement, valet parking, and vehicular assistance.
Use interview and interrogation tactics to gather information about incidents.
Conduct patrols using a community-oriented approach.

Benefits

Paid Time Off programs.
Medical, dental, vision, life, and short- and long-term disability benefits, subject to eligibility.
Flexible Spending Accounts for eligible health-care and dependent-care expenses.
Adoption assistance and paid parental leave, subject to eligibility.
Defined contribution retirement plans with employer match and other financial wellness programs.
Educational Assistance Program.
Premium pay such as shift and on-call pay, depending on the teammate’s job.
Incentive pay for select positions.
Opportunity for annual increases based on performance.
Career development programs.