JobsAdvocate Health

Public Safety Officer I - Armed (PSO I)

Advocate Health · Aurora, IL

Posted Sep 15, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Sep 20, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

Behavioral

Tell me about a time you had to de-escalate a situation with someone who was angry or combative. What did you say and do, and how did it end?

whether the candidate has real de-escalation instinct and can talk through it calmly, not just cite training language

Have you ever had to use a conducted energy weapon or physical restraint on someone? Tell me what led up to it and what happened after.

whether they understand use of force as a last resort and can reflect honestly on a high-stakes decision

Tell me about a time you had to write up an incident report that ended up mattering later, maybe in an investigation or a legal situation. What made your report solid?

documentation habits and whether reports would hold up under scrutiny

Describe a time you had to build trust with staff in a department that didn't see security as a partner. How did you change that?

relationship-building and whether they see the liaison rounding piece as real work, not filler

This shift is Tuesday through Saturday, 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and the posting says you need to flex with operational needs. How do you handle being asked to shift your schedule on short notice?

actual willingness and past pattern of reliability around schedule flexibility, since this is called out explicitly

What does maintaining an approachable, service-oriented presence mean to you when you're also the person people see as armed and in charge of safety?

whether they can balance the customer-service framing with the authority of the armed role, since Advocate leans hard on the hospitality angle

Tell me about a stressful shift where a lot went wrong at once. How did you keep yourself and the situation under control?

stress tolerance and self-regulation under sustained pressure, which the physical requirements section flags directly

Technical

What's your experience carrying and maintaining a firearm on duty, and what does your routine look like for weapons maintenance and safety checks?

actual hands-on comfort and discipline with firearm handling, not just certification on paper

How do you stay sharp on your firearm qualification and de-escalation training between required sessions?

self-directed discipline around a perishable, high-consequence skill

Situational

Walk me through how you'd handle a call about a combative patient on a med-surg floor who is threatening staff.

ability to apply use-of-force and de-escalation hierarchy in a clinical setting where the priority is patient care, not just control

You're doing an exterior patrol and find an unauthorized person loitering near an entrance who refuses to identify themselves or leave. What do you do step by step?

judgment on escalation sequence and whether they jump to force too fast or too slow

A nurse tells you a family member in the waiting room is escalating and she's worried it could turn violent. What do you do before it becomes a crisis?

proactive threat recognition and whether they loop in the right people early

How would you handle a scenario involving a law enforcement officer guarding a prisoner patient who isn't following our facility's policies?

comfort asserting authority and holding outside agencies to hospital policy without creating conflict

If you saw a coworker cutting corners on a safety check or contraband search, what would you do?

integrity and willingness to hold peers accountable in a role with real safety stakes

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The full job description

As published by Advocate Health.

Department: 11947 AMG Admin - Public Safety: Northern IL Status: Full time Benefits Eligible: Yes Hou rs Per Week: 40 Schedule Details/Additional Information: This position is for the morning shift, scheduled Tuesday through Saturday from 6:00 AM to 2:30 PM. Regular days off are Sunday and Monday. The selected candidate must be flexible with their schedule and able to adjust work hours as needed to meet site operational requirements. Flexibility, reliability, and the ability to adapt to changing business needs are essential for this role. Pay Range: $22.90 - $34.35 It's More Than a Job, It's a Calling! Position: Public Safety Officer I - Armed Location: Advocate Medical Group Aurora clinic; Aurora, IL. Full Time; 1st shift ~Tuesday-Saturday, 6am-2:30pm ~Regular days off are Sundays and Mondays 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 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. • Performs routine responsibilities during interior and exterior patrols to ensure safety and security, including but not limited to inspections to identify vulnerabilities, hazards, and 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 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. • 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/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 to this role. Recertification is not required. • For North Carolina teammates, an 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. Education Required: • High school graduate or GED Experience Required: • Typically requires 1 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. • Illinois team members must have completed State of Illinois 40-hour armed course with semi-automatic pistol endorsement. • 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). • 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 to 20/20 with corrective lenses in both eyes. • 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 be able to handle personal stress and possible violence. • Must be physically fit and able to walk all areas of the facilities and grounds, to restrain those who need restraint and be able to 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 DISCLAIMER 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. Our Commitment to You: Advocate Health offers a comprehensive suite of Total Rewards: benefits and well-being programs, competitive compensation, generous retirement offerings, programs that invest in your career development and so much more – so you can live fully at and away from work, including: Compensation • Base compensation listed within the listed 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 a teammate's job • Incentive pay for select positions • Opportunity for annual increases based on performance Benefits and more • 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, etc.); please ask a Recruiter for more information during an interview. About Advocate Health  Advocate Health is the third-largest nonprofit, integrated health system in the United States, created from the combination of Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health. Providing care under the names Advocate Health Care in Illinois; Atrium Health in the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama; and Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin, Advocate Health is a national leader in clinical innovation, health outcomes, consumer experience and value-based care. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Advocate Health services nearly 6 million patients and is engaged in hundreds of clinical trials and research studies, with Wake Forest University School of Medicine serving as the academic core of the enterprise. It is nationally recognized for its expertise in cardiology, neurosciences, oncology, pediatrics and rehabilitation, as well as organ transplants, burn treatments and specialized musculoskeletal programs. Advocate Health employs 155,000 teammates across 69 hospitals and over 1,000 care locations, and offers one of the nation’s largest graduate medical education programs with over 2,000 residents and fellows across more than 200 programs. Committed to providing equitable care for all, Advocate Health provides more than $6 billion in annual community benefits.

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