Public Safety Officer – Per Diem

Mount Auburn Hospital; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 2,893,000 - 3,527,000; Full time

Job summary

Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, MA is seeking a Public Safety Officer to join the growing team. You will respond to emergencies, coordinate with local police and emergency personnel, conduct safety searches, and perform patient observation while maintaining professionalism in a dynamic hospital environment.

The role covers incident reporting, CCTV monitoring, traffic control, and enforcing hospital safety protocols.

Qualifications

• Strong reading, writing, and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to stay calm in stressful emergencies and to de-escalate situations.
• Basic computer and data entry skills.

Responsibilities

• Responds promptly to emergencies, codes and alarms per policy.
• First responders to violence, disturbances, and crisis events.
• Coordinate with local Police, Fire, and Emergency personnel.
• Perform safety searches and seizure of weapons or contraband.
• Provide patient observation and de-escalation as needed.
• Assist with forensic patient management and law enforcement coordination.
• Maintain safety rounds and report incidents efficiently.
• Monitor CCTV and alarm systems; dispatch within one minute.
• Maintain positive public relations and professional demeanor.
• Oversee hospital parking and traffic control.
• Complete incident reports for major incidents and everyday events.
• Participate in mandatory education and quality improvement activities.
• Adhere to Mount Auburn Hospital policies and safety protocols.
• Support department orientation, training, and equipment readiness.
• Interact with patients, families, and staff respectfully.
• Ensure safety during adverse weather and emergencies.
• Escort unauthorized individuals and notify authorities as needed.

Skills

Reading & writing

Verbal communication

Detail-oriented

Calm under pressure

Observation skills

Interpersonal skills

Education

Associate's degree or equivalent (criminal justice / law enforcement / business management)

Job description

When you join the growing BILH team, you're not just taking a job, you’re making a difference in people’s lives. The Public Safety Management Program is followed to ensure a safe and secure environment for patients, staff, and visitors, and to provide for the development of employee participation in a comprehensive, proactive loss prevention program. May be called upon to provide assistance in many different circumstances, settings, and weather.

Job Description

Essential Duties & Responsibilities (including but not limited to)

1. 1.Responds promptly to emergencies, codes, and alarms in accordance with the Public Safety Management Program and the Emergency Management Policy.
   • a. First responders to acts of violence and aggression, including civil disturbances, weapons/hostage/armed intruder situations, agitated/disruptive/combative patients, workplace violence events, and any other potential crisis situations.
   • b. Calls for assistance, in a professional manner, within one minute, as indicated by officer's reports and supervisor’s observations.
   • c. Performs in emergency/crises according to prescribed procedure or protocol, as indicated by officer's report.
   • d. Demonstrates consistent ability to assess and resolve crises, with minimum restrictions, according to approved training methods 100% of the time.
   • e. Respond to and investigate reported thefts, disturbances, and incidents.
   • f. Respond to medical emergency calls such as slips or falls in the facility or on the grounds, and provide any emergency equipment as needed, and assist with transport within the building, awaiting ambulance as the case warrants.
   • g. Administer nasal Naloxone in the timeliest fashion to suspected opioid overdose victims when needed while activating an emergency medical response.
   • h. Protects against threats relating to gunshot and weapons-related trauma violence spill-over, including when victims of weapons violence and suspected perpetrators of weapons violence are present in the ED, ICU, OR, etc.
2. 2. Coordinates with local Police, Fire, and Emergency personnel as directed.
3. 3. Safety Searches, conducts emergency contraband searches of patient rooms and property, taking possession of any discovered weapons, needles, substances (like Fentanyl), and other items presenting an immediate risk to life safety.
4. 4. Patient Observation - Performs patient watch or observation as directed. Responds appropriately to a variety of human service issues, including domestic abuse, substance abuse, forensic patients, psychiatric cases, and anxious/upset visitors. Maintain composure and professional demeanor in an occasionally chaotic environment. Practices universal precautions. Restrains patients as necessary, utilizing de-escalation techniques. Serves as a dedicated safety detail for patients presenting homicidal ideations and actions.
5. 5. Forensic Patient Management – Orients external law enforcement personnel on MAH safety procedures and protocols. Responds and assists external law enforcement with de-escalation, restraint, etc. Assumes direct observation and custody of the forensic patient if external law enforcement is incapacitated.
6. 6. Patrols inspect and report loss prevention issues and safety hazards.
   • a. Performs frequent, random, and visible patrols as indicated by watch clock records and the number of activity notices.
   • b. Demonstrates knowledge of safety and loss prevention issues, as indicated by the number of activity notices and responses to patrol observations verified by safety rounds.
   • c. Enforces all protocols, regulations, policies, and procedures under which Mount Auburn Hospital operates, as well as all applicable ordinances, statutes, and codes of the City of Cambridge, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the United States of America.
   • d. Fire Prevention, identifies and reports fire safety hazards. Keep fire exits, fire doors, corridor access, and extinguishing equipment clear. Immediately notify appropriate personnel when equipment may be out of order and in need of repair or replacement.
   • e. Notify the Engineering Department of changing weather conditions as it relates to snow removal and sanding for the safety of patients, visitors, and colleagues.
7. 7. Report incidents.
   • a. Prepares factual, concise, and legible incident reports, as prescribed by department training and standards.
   • b. Submits incident reports by the conclusion of the shift.
   • c. Completes incident reports on all major incidents and informational occurrences, as prescribed by department standards.
8. 8. Performs desk duties.
   • a. Observes CCTV monitors continually for unusual activity, as indicated by the response and journal entries.
   • b. Monitors alarm/access control computer and dispatches response officer within one minute if an unexpected alarm is received.
9. 9. Ensures a positive public relations attitude.
   • a. Maintains positive posture, polite, and respectful communications with patients, families, visitors, and other employees, as indicated by supervisor's observations.
   • b. Maintains courteous and effective interactions with colleagues and patients.
   • c. Demonstrates self-awareness in presenting positive comportment, adhering to department uniform and dress standards.
10. 10. Performs adjacent duties as required.
    • a. Responds immediately to evidence of criminal activity or suspicious acts, questions witnesses, protects recovered property, escorts unauthorized persons from hospital property, and notifies appropriate criminal justice agencies as necessary.
    • b. Conducts preliminary investigations. Observes, confronts, detains, if necessary, and interviews any suspicious individuals.
    • c. Provides safe transportation for staff members and their possessions.
    • d. Coordinates with Funeral Home staff for removal of deceased patients, verifies that accompanying legal documents are complete, records pathology statistics, and processes paperwork.
    • e. Provides special protection for V.I.P. persons or situations involving individuals of sensitive status, as indicated in the hospital V.I.P disaster plan.
    • f. Provides one-to-one observation of patients as needed.
    • g. Conducts regularly scheduled instructional fire drills.
    • h. Assists with department orientation, in-service, required training, and continuing education of department members.
11. 11. Oversees hospital parking.
    • a. Enforces all hospital parking and traffic control regulations.
12. 12. Demonstrates an understanding of job description, performance expectations, and competency assessment.
13. 13. Demonstrates a commitment toward meeting and exceeding the needs of our customers.
14. 14. Participates in departmental and/or interdepartmental quality improvement activities.
15. 15. Participates in and successfully completes Mandatory Education.
16. 16. Performs all other duties as needed or directed to meet the needs of the department.
17. 17. Organizational Requirements: Incorporates Mount Auburn Hospital’s Guiding Principles, Mission Statement, and Goals into daily activities. Complies with all BILH and MAH Policies. Complies with behavioral expectations of the Public Safety Department and MAH. Participates in departmental and/or interdepartmental quality improvement activities. Participates in and successfully completes Mandatory Education and Training Classes. Performs all other duties as needed or directed to meet the needs of the department.

Minimum Qualifications

1. 1. Adequate reading, oral, and written communicative skills, normally acquired through the completion of a high school diploma or G.E.D. equivalency. Associate's degree or equivalent in criminal justice, law enforcement, or business management preferred, or current student enrolled in a criminal justice program also encouraged.
2. 2. 1 - 2 years of healthcare security experience preferred. Military, law enforcement, and customer service work experience are also preferred.
3. 3. Observant, paying close attention to detail; Ability to remain calm in difficult situations; Adaptable to sometimes rapidly changing situations; Strong interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to interact effectively across diverse cultures and at various social and educational levels. Basic computer and data entry skills. In the absence of a particular skill, a colleague must have the ability to be trained to a level of proficiency.
4. 4. A current, valid driver’s license is preferred.
5. 5. Completed upon hire: AVADE Workplace Violence Prevention Levels I, II, III Certification, BLS Provider Certification (CPR & AED), AHA Heart-Saver, First Aid Certification, Stop the Bleed, and Nasal Naloxone Certification, and successful completion of Safe Environment for Suicidal/Homicidal Patients and Restraints/Seclusion Safety Training.
6. 6. Good decision-making ability in stressful/emergency situations.

Physical Requirements & Environment

1. 1. Exposure to occasional dangers of assault and hazards resulting from response to alarms and other irregularities, including bomb threats, disasters, fire/alarms, etc., or violent behavior of others.
2. 2. Exposure to outdoor temperatures and weather conditions at various times.

Pay Range

Pay Range: $21.00 - $25.60 The pay range listed for this position is the base hourly wage range the organization reasonably and in good faith expects to pay for this position at this time. Actual compensation is determined based on several factors, that may include seniority, education, training, relevant experience, relevant certifications, geographyof work location, job responsibilities, or other applicable factors permissible by law. Compensation may exceed the base hourly rate depending on shift differentials, call pay, premium pay, overtime pay, and other additional pay practices, as applicable to the position and in accordance with the law.

Beth Israel Lahey Health requires that all staff be vaccinated against influenza (flu) as a condition of employment. More than 35,000 people working together. Nurses, doctors, technicians, therapists, researchers, teachers and more, making a difference in patients' lives. Your skill and compassion can make us even stronger.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled