Public Safety Officer I - Unarmed

Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist; Lexington (NC); On-site; USD 30,100 - 45,185; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid Time Off

Health and welfare benefits

Educational Assistance Program

Job summary

Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist is hiring a Public Safety Officer to ensure a safe environment for patients, visitors, and staff. Responsibilities include providing security services, conducting patrols, and responding to emergencies. The ideal candidate must have a high school diploma or GED and 1 year of relevant experience in security or public safety. Additional certifications related to healthcare security are required. This is a full-time position with a supportive, collaborative work environment.

Qualifications

• 1 year of experience in security, public safety, or customer service.
• Security Officer Healthcare Certification required within two years.
• Valid driver's license necessary.

Responsibilities

• Provide security services in a customer-service approach.
• Conduct routine patrols to ensure safety and security.
• Respond to emergency and crisis situations.

Skills

Emotional intelligence

Patient-centered safety practices

Ability to remain calm under pressure

Collaborative work with law enforcement

Education

High school graduate or GED

Job description

Role Overview

As a Public Safety Officer at Advocate Health, you play a crucial role in creating a safe, secure, and caring atmosphere for patients, visitors, and staff. Your primary focus is on ensuring the physical safety of individuals while upholding the principles of compassionate patient care and proactive de‑escalation.

Major 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 by presenting a professional, approachable and service‑oriented appearance and demeanor.
• Is alert, observant, and ethical, complying with and enforcing all safety and security rules and regulations.
• Performs routine responsibilities during interior and exterior patrols to ensure safety and security, including inspections to identify vulnerabilities, hazards, fire conditions, audits of Interim Life Safety Measures, patient valuables management, and thorough contraband searches.
• Assists team members, patients, and visitors by providing information, directions, and physical help.
• Ensures traffic control, monitors conduct of visitors on premises and confronts unauthorized persons for questioning.
• 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).
• 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 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, delivering security awareness education to team members.
• 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.
• Maintains current Department training standards in radio communications, verbal de‑escalation, hemorrhage control (“STOP the BLEED”), CPR, application of clinical restraints, conducted energy weapon (e.g., TASER), and training on any/all department‑issued equipment.
• Assists with exterior traffic and crowd control, including parking enforcement, valet parking assist, and vehicular assistance.

Licensure, Registration, And/or 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. Recertification is not required.
• A valid driver’s license issued by the Division of Motor Vehicle.
• For Illinois teammates: completed State of Illinois 20‑hour Basic Security Officer course and 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).
• Certified in Conducted Energy Weapon (e.g., TASER) use within 90 days of hire and periodically thereafter.

Education Required

High school graduate or GED.

Experience Required

Typically requires 1 year of experience in a security, related public safety, or customer service area that includes 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

• Above‑average emotional intelligence, including empathetic and compassionate responses to teammates, visitors, and patient incidents.
• Ability to function in a work environment that maximizes teammate talent, treats each other with respect, and cares for one another like family with kindness.
• Daily commitment to patient‑centered safety practices.
• Collaborative work with medical staff and external law enforcement as appropriate.
• Ability to remain calm under pressure to support a safe, welcoming, and therapeutic environment.
• Ability to interact with peers with positive intent and create innovative solutions through collaborative relationships.
• Successfully passes background investigation, drug screen, pre‑placement physical post‑offer, pre‑employment.

Physical Requirements And Working Conditions

• Must sit, stand, walk, and drive throughout the workday; must lift up to 35 lbs. occasionally and push/pull with 35 lbs. of force.
• Must have 20/20 vision in both eyes or correctable to 20/20 with corrective lenses.
• May be exposed to mechanical, electrical, chemical, explosive, and radiation hazards; protective clothing must be worn as necessary.
• Operates all equipment necessary to perform the job.
• Frequent exposure to aggressive behavior and emotionally charged situations; must handle personal stress and possible violence.
• Must be physically fit to walk all areas of the facilities and grounds, restrain those who need restraint, and assist clinical teammates with lifting patients of all sizes.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Behavioral threat assessment knowledge.
• Use of force review.
• Crime‑through‑environmental‑design awareness.
• Ability to present material and facilitate meetings.

Compensation

Pay Range: $21.85 – $32.80 per hour. Hours per week: 40. Employment type: Full time.

• Base compensation listed within the pay range based on factors such as qualifications, skills, relevant experience, and/or training.
• Premium pay such as shift, on‑call, and more based on the teammate’s job.
• Incentive pay for select positions.
• Opportunity for annual increases based on performance.

Benefits

• Paid Time Off programs.
• Health and welfare benefits such as medical, dental, vision, life, and short‑ and long‑term disability.
• Flexible Spending Accounts for eligible health care and dependent care expenses.
• Family benefits such as adoption assistance and paid parental leave.
• Defined contribution retirement plans with employer match and other financial wellness programs.
• Educational Assistance Program.

Note: Eligibility for programs listed above may depend on your FTE or status (e.g., full‑time, part‑time, per diem, temporary); please ask a Recruiter for more information during an interview.

All responsibilities and requirements are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities.

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only responsibilities to be performed by an employee occupying this job or position. Employees must follow any other job‑related instructions and perform any other job‑related duties requested by their leaders.