Lead Security Officer

Welcome to Saint Joseph East, a 217-bed, full-service, community hospital located in a convenient setting in Lexington, Kentucky. Saint Joseph East also includes the Women's Hospital at Saint Joseph East which is dedicated to supporting the well-being of women in Central and Eastern Kentucky and serves a 16-bed Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). 

CHI Saint Joseph Health is part of CommonSpirit Health, a non-profit, Catholic health system dedicated to advancing health for all people. With approximately 175,000 team members and 25,000 physicians and advanced practice clinicians. 

Our commitment to serve the common good is delivered through the dedicated work of thousands of physicians, advanced practice clinicians, nurses, and staff; through clinical excellence delivered across a system of 140 hospitals and more than 2,200 care centers serving 24 states.

Job Summary / Purpose

Assist with the functions of physical and personal security and safety measures of members, patients, staff, and visitors/guests. Protects staff and property from theft or damage, or persons from hazards or interference, including the potential for violence in the workplace. Primary functions include responding to emergency situations at the assigned healthcare facility. Makes periodic tours to check for irregularities and to inspect protection devices and fire control equipment. Preserves orders and may enforce regulations pertaining to personnel, visitors/guests, and premises. Provides lead direction to Security Officers while on shift and performs other duties of a more responsible and demanding level, as defined by CHI Saint Joseph Security Department. This position requires the full understanding and active participation in fulfilling the Mission of CHI Saint Joseph Health. It is expected that the employee will demonstrate behavior consistent with the CHI Saint Joseph Health's Core Value and humankindness. The employee shall support CHI Saint Joseph Health's strategic plans and the goals and direction of the quality improvement/process improvement activities.

Essential Functions

• Informs the Supervisor/Manager/Director of Security regarding ANY circumstances or situations that have or may have serious impact on the hospital.
• Supports and adheres to Security Department policies and procedure guidelines.
• Serves as Officer-In-Charge of the scheduled shift when requested by Supervisor/Manager.
• Maintains current knowledge of new methods, products, trends, and practices in hospital security and emergency management.
• Patrols the facility or stands at a fixed post as required. Special instructions are followed when received.
• Reports unsafe acts or conditions to the Security Supervisor in a timely manner.
• Escorts suspicious persons without lawful business from the property.
• Recognizes an escalation/de-escalation of force situation when confronted with the threat or initiation of force and makes the correct decisions without direct supervision.
• Responds to calls for assistance in a timely and prudent manner using due regard and exercising Safety Protocols at all times. Assistance calls include, but are not limited to: control of violent or unruly patients and visitors, crimes committed on hospital property.
• Assists employees, visitors/guests, and medical staff when a need exists to call the police.
• Makes reasonable judgments that consider the factors of an incident prior to taking action, minimizing liability to hospital at all times.
• Effectively prioritizes calls for assistance.
• Responds to service calls in a timely and prudent manner. Service calls include, but are not limited to: opening and securing doors, general information, personal escorts, assistance with disabled vehicles.
• Safely and courteously performs traffic control/parking duties as required.
• Issues parking citations as necessary in accordance with parking policies.
• Safely and courteously maintains the hospital main entrance free for normal traffic.
• Monitor security alarms and dispatch officers promptly to location(s) where a security problem has been noted.
• Use appropriate emergency and radio communications in dispatching security officers while knowing hospital campus to ensure that dispatches are to the right location.
• Documents all activities in the reporting system to accurately record events, to include such information as: contacts during shift, unsafe items/areas discovered, unusual events that occurred, assigned duties completed, any incidents and/or other reports as required.
• Completes clear, concise, and legible reports in a timely manner.
• Demonstrates communications skills to include: age sensitive awareness, accurate listening, proper and polite speech, correct grammar and comprehensible writing.
• Assures confidentiality by disseminating information only on a need-to-know basis.
• Completes training programs as required.
• Safely uses the fire extinguishing equipment when necessary.
• Satisfactorily completes the Workplace Violence Training courses on an annual basis.
• Maintains a familiarity with hospital disaster response plans.
• Responds to Emergency Codes in the prescribed manner.
• Maintains current knowledge of the location of emergency equipment, supplies, and emergency operation locations.
• Maintains Security Department and Patient confidentiality, and reports incidences when breach of Patient confidentiality is witnessed or reported.
• Must be able to meet and continue to meet any applicable state, county and municipal licensing requirements for Security Officers.
• Knowledge of or ability to learn security operations and procedures.
• Pass each healthcare competency exam and/or skills lab including managing or defusing assaultive behavior training program or similar course as described by the client.
• Ability to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagrammatic form.
• Ability to be an effective team member.
• Ability to maintain professional composure when dealing with unusual circumstances.
• Courteous telephone manner.
• Ability to adapt to changes in the external environment and organization.
• Ability to write routine correspondence, including logs and reports.
• Good organizational skills.
• Ability to provide high quality customer service and is results oriented.
• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to interact effectively at various social levels and across diverse cultures.
• Satisfactorily completes the Annual Update program.
• Attends at least 75% of all Department Staff meetings.

The job summary and responsibilities listed above are designed to indicate the general nature of the work performed within this job. They are not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all job responsibilities required of employees assigned to this job. Employees may be required to perform other duties as assigned.

Education and Experience

• High School Diploma or GED required. 
• Completion of college level education courses in criminal justice preferred. 

• Six (6) months experience as a Security Officer involving extensive public contact required. 

• One (1) year experience as a Security Officer in a hospital or healthcare setting, prior law enforcement or military service required. 

Licensure and Certifications

• Driver's License: KY (AUTO:KY)

• Basic Life Support - CPR (BLS-CPR)