Public Safety (Security) Lead Officer - Armed

Responsibilities

• Provides security services with a customer-service approach, focusing on professionalism, fairness, and compassion even in challenging circumstances and in accordance with policies, procedures, and training.
• Inspires confidence in patients, visitors, and team members by presenting a professional, approachable, and service-oriented appearance and demeanor.
• Is alert, observant, and ethical.
• Complies with and enforces all safety and security rules and regulations.
• Maintains Department uniform and equipment in good repair.
• Provides front line shift leadership for Public Safety Officer 1 & 2 routine and emergency responsibilities.
• Prioritizes and assigns tasks to accommodate shifting demands and resource pressures.
• Confirms shift work documentation in the electronic record.
• Reviews and approves all shift incident reports.
• Conducts shift briefings to ensure accurate communication and handoff.
• Prevents, responds to, and investigates workplace violence.
• Responds to service calls, such as combative or threatening patients or visitors and team member incidents.
• Serves as a primary resource for de-escalation, utilizing use of force when necessary (e.g. conducted electrical weapon (CEW), handcuffing).
• Provides a secure and safe work environment by monitoring officer compliance with policies, procedures, and processes.
• Schedules public safety staff, ensures daily work and assignments are appropriately covered, ensures PTO is equitably offered and scheduled, and reviews timecards for accuracy.
• Makes decisions regarding the dispositions of apprehension/arrest cases.
• Refers the most complex issues to leadership.
• Rounds on internal customers and attends their meetings to monitor customer satisfaction and service delivery.
• Performs key responsibilities to plan, prevent, practice, and respond to emergencies such as lost or abducted infants/children, fire, and active threats.
• Responds immediately to emergency and crisis situations; physically intervenes in accordance with training to situations that have a potential for injury.
• Investigates incidents that occur on Advocate Health property and completes timely and accurate reports.
• Addresses and escalates complaints to the appropriate leader and provides supporting documentation.
• Performs liaison rounding duties to cultivate close partnerships with all departments and units.
• Delivers security awareness education to team members to leverage their assistance in the overall security of the site.
• Liaisons with federal, state, and local law enforcement and first responder agencies.
• Coordinates, briefs, and monitors every law enforcement prisoner patient guard to ensure policy compliance and prevent unsafe practices.
• Coordinates emergency response planning and practice with other Departments and Units.
• Ensures that after action reviews accomplished and documented.
• Performs initial performance coaching and acts as a resource to correct or improve individual performance.
• Participates in annual performance evaluations.
• Recommends/submits recognition of officer performance to leadership.
• Serves as the primary internal trainer for the Department.
• Assigns preceptors for probationary officers and monitors their orientation, onboarding, and assessment, compiles feedback, maintains training records, trains competencies for all officers.
• Prepares lesson plans for officers that do not meet training expectations.
• Serves as a field instructor when assigned, maintains instructor level certifications, and provides training in accordance with standards.
• Maintains current Department training standards in radio communications, verbal de-escalation, hemorrhage control (e.g. “STOP the BLEED”), CPR, application of clinical restraints, conducted energy weapon (e.g. TASER), to include training on any/all department-issued equipment and/or requirements identified in training academy and the Annual Training Plan.
• Assists with exterior traffic and crowd control, including parking enforcement, valet parking assist, and vehicular assistance.
• Utilizes Interview and Interrogation tactics to uncover information about incidents that have occurred.
• Completes patrolling with a community-oriented approach.

Licensure, Registration, and Certification Required

• Security Officer Healthcare Certification (CHSO) issued by the International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety (IAHSS) must be obtained on a one-time basis within two years of appointment to this role. Recertification is not required.
• For North Carolina teammates: Armed Guard License issued by NC Private Protective Services maintained through training and competency assessments.
• For Illinois teammates: Firearm Owners Identification Card (FOID) issued by the Illinois State Police.
• For Wisconsin teammates: Concealed Carry Weapon (CCW) license issued by the Department of Justice (DOJ).
• For Illinois teammates, must meet State of IL Department of Financial and Professional Regulation licensing requirements and able to obtain a Firearm Control Card (FCC) for Proprietary Personnel within 90 days of hire.
• A valid driver’s license issued by the Division of Motor Vehicle.
• Certified in Conducted Energy Weapon (e.g. TASER) use within 90 days of hire and periodically thereafter.
• Illinois team members must have completed the State of Illinois 40-hour armed course with semi-automatic pistol endorsement.

Education Required

High school graduate or GED.

Experience Required

Typically requires 5 years of experience in a security, related public safety, or customer service area that includes experiences in responding to emergent situations and identifying and resolving issues that pose a potential risk to patients, visitors, teammates and/or property.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Required

• An above average level of emotional intelligence, including empathetic and compassionate responses to teammate, visitor, and patient incidents.
• The ability to function in a work environment in which we maximize teammate talent, treat each other with respect, and care for one another like family and with kindness.
• A daily commitment to patient-centered safety practices.
• Collaborative work with medical staff and external law enforcement, as appropriate.
• The ability to remain calm under pressure to support a safe, welcoming, and therapeutic environment for everyone in the facility.
• The ability to interact with peers with positive intent and create innovative solutions through collaborative relationships.
• Must successfully pass background investigation, drug screen, pre-placement physical and psychological screening assessment post-offer, pre-employment and periodically thereafter. Teammates already employed in Public Safety Officer position prior to “7-28-24” will have 18 months to comply.
• Willingness to carry a department authorized firearm while on duty.
• Illinois team members must annually achieve a passing score of 70% or greater on the State of IL Mandatory Annual Active Duty and Retired Officer Handgun Qualification Course of Fire, un-assisted.
• Probationary Officers must complete range qualification within their 90-day probationary period and must attend the first qualification date within their probationary period. (Only reflects Illinois requirements)
• Demonstrated ability to exercise mature judgment and sound reasoning while maintaining a courteous and tactful demeanor in dealings with teammates, visitors, and patients, even if they are verbally aggressive persons.
• Demonstrated experience in quickly assessing dangerous situations and taking appropriate action.
• Demonstrated ability in verbal and written communications.
• Ability to use a computer to document work (e.g. Microsoft Word, Excel, navigating a web page, and database entry).
• Maintains strong awareness of street drugs, gang activity, and human trafficking.
• Ability to defend self-and/or others in case of physical confrontations when de-escalation efforts fail and there is cause to physically restrain a person against their will who is non-compliant and committing a criminal act or lacks capacity and is attempting to elope.
• Ability to communicate effectively with people; ability to hear radio and telephone communications at both high and low decibels.
• Ability to communicate via radio and telephone with clear diction without impediments.

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions

• Must sit, stand, walk, and drive throughout the workday and must lift up to 35 lbs. occasionally.
• Must be able to push/pull with 35 lbs. of force.
• Must possess the hand strength, dexterity, and ability to safely operate a firearm.
• Must perform all functions of operating, loading/un-loading, breaking down and cleaning a firearm un-assisted and without assist devices.
• Have 20/20 vision in both eyes or correctable