Security Officer

University of Maryland Medical System; Towson (MD); On-site; USD 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Maryland Medical System is seeking a Security Officer to ensure a safe environment for patients, visitors, and staff. Key responsibilities include maintaining visible security presence, responding to emergencies, and enforcing safety policies. Ideal candidates will have a High School Diploma and customer service skills.

This role requires de-escalation training within 90 days and a commitment to professionalism and ethical conduct. Join our team to support patient safety and service excellence in our healthcare environment.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or equivalent required.
• Completion of an approved de-escalation course required within 90 days.

Responsibilities

• Maintain visible security presence through patrol.
• Respond rapidly to emergencies and crisis situations.
• Support clinical teams during patient encounters.
• Enforce safety and security policies and document violations.
• Operate access control points and screening equipment.
• Provide exceptional customer service to patients and visitors.

Skills

Customer service skills

De-escalation techniques

Safety protocols knowledge

Emergency response concepts

Education

High School Diploma or equivalent (GED)

De-escalation course completion

Tools

Radios

Metal detectors

Job description

Work Schedule

Rotating, 6am - 2:30pm

Overview

Ensures a safe, secure, and welcoming environment for patients, visitors, and staff. Provides core security functions such as patrolling facilities, providing customer service, responding to emergencies, controlling access, and documenting incidents. Maintains a visible presence, supports clinical teams during challenging situations, and follows established protocols, escalating complex or high-risk incidents as needed. Promotes a safe and healing environment through professionalism, service excellence, and adherence to organizational values and policies.

Primary Responsibilities

• Maintains a visible security presence and conducts continuous interior and exterior patrols to identify safety hazards, suspicious activity, security breaches, and environmental risks, promptly reporting or correcting deficiencies.
• Responds rapidly to emergency and crisis situations, including combative individuals, elopements, medical emergencies, behavioral health crises, trauma activations, and helicopter/ambulance arrivals, following direction from senior personnel and using approved de-escalation techniques.
• Supports clinical teams during high‑risk patient encounters, assisting with safe patient restraint or control only when directed, ensuring all actions preserve patient dignity, safety, and regulatory compliance.
• Enforces safety and security policies, ensuring safe and appropriate behavior by patients, visitors, and staff, documenting violations, and escalating concerns to Security leadership as needed.
• Operates access control points and screening equipment, including weapon detection systems, ensuring secure ingress/egress, monitoring restricted or high‑risk areas, and identifying unauthorized access attempts.
• Provides exceptional customer service and guest relations, offering directions, escorting patients, visitors, and staff, resolving routine service challenges, and representing the Security Department with professionalism and compassion.
• Use two‑way radios and communication systems effectively, providing clear status updates, coordinating assistance, and maintaining adherence to radio etiquette and chain‑of‑command protocols.
• Conducts basic fact‑finding for incidents, interviewing involved parties professionally and documenting accurate, objective, and timely information for reports, shift logs, safety violations, and morgue‑related entries.
• Assists with morgue handling responsibilities, including respectful and policy‑compliant transport of deceased patients and proper logging of placements and releases.
• Ensures security technology, alarms, and access points are functioning, immediately reporting malfunctions, damage, or hazards that impact safety.
• Adheres to post orders with consistent situational awareness, remaining at assigned posts unless properly relieved and maintaining a high standard of professional conduct.
• Escalates complex, unsafe, or high‑risk situations to supervisors, exercising only limited independent decision‑making appropriate for an entry‑level role.
• Complies with all departmental policies, regulatory requirements, safety expectations, and values, ensuring ethical conduct and adherence to organizational standards.
• Perform all other duties as assigned.

Education & Experience – Required

• High School Diploma or equivalent (GED)
• Completion of an approved de‑escalation course on crisis intervention required within 90 days from starting in position.

Education & Experience – Preferred

• Heart Saver, CPR, Stop the Bleed and/or Narcan training
• Hospital or healthcare experience

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Basic knowledge of safety protocols, security principles, and emergency response concepts.
• Strong customer service and interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate professionally with patients, visitors, and staff.
• Ability to recognize escalating behaviors and apply basic de‑escalation techniques.
• Ability to document incidents accurately with clear, objective information.
• Basic proficiency in using radios, metal detectors, and access control points.
• Ability to follow direction, adhere to post orders, and operate within established procedures.
• Ability to remain calm, courteous, and professional in stressful situations.
• Ability to patrol, respond quickly to calls, and assist in patient handling as trained.