JobsAdvocate Health

Public Safety Officer I - Armed (PSO I)

Advocate Health · Chicago, IL

Posted Sep 1, 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

Walk me through a time you had to de-escalate someone who was combative or threatening, maybe a patient or a visitor. What did you actually say and do?

whether the candidate has real de-escalation technique versus just relying on force

Tell me about a situation where you had to use force, or came close to it, on the job. How did you decide that was the right call, and what happened afterward?

judgment about use-of-force escalation and whether they follow up with proper reporting

Tell me about a time you had to write up an incident report on something serious. What made it hard to get right?

clarity and thoroughness in documentation, since reports carry legal weight

Tell me about a time a coworker or another department pushed back on something you were enforcing. How did you handle keeping the relationship intact?

ability to build the liaison-style partnerships with hospital departments the role requires

How do you keep yourself steady after a shift that involved a violent or high-stress incident?

self-awareness about the toll of frequent exposure to aggression and whether they have coping habits

Technical

How comfortable are you carrying a firearm on duty, and what does your routine look like for maintaining your qualification and proficiency with it?

comfort level with the armed responsibility and discipline around required training and requalification

What is your experience with a conducted electrical weapon, and can you walk me through how you were trained to decide when it's appropriate to use one versus other options?

actual hands-on experience and understanding of use-of-force continuum, not just certification on paper

What does a contraband search look like for you, practically speaking, when a patient is being admitted?

real working knowledge of a routine but sensitive procedure

Situational

Say you're doing interior rounds and you find a visitor in a restricted clinical area who refuses to identify themselves or leave. What do you do step by step?

whether they follow a controlled approach rather than jumping straight to confrontation

You get a call about a possible infant abduction in progress. What are the first three things you do?

familiarity with hospital-specific emergency protocols like Code Pink/infant abduction response

A family member of a patient is escalating quickly in the ED, yelling and getting in a nurse's face. What's your approach in that moment?

ability to protect staff while keeping the environment therapeutic rather than purely punitive

How would you handle guarding a law enforcement prisoner patient on a unit, if the officer assigned to them is not following facility policy?

willingness to enforce policy with outside agencies and navigate an awkward authority dynamic

This is a PRN position, so your schedule can change week to week including nights, weekends, and holidays. How do you make that work for you?

realistic willingness and logistics for unpredictable on-call scheduling

Practice this interview out loud.

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The full job description

As published by Advocate Health.

Department: 11926 Advocate Trinity Hospital - Public Safety Status: Part time Benefits Eligible: No Hou rs Per Week: 0 Schedule Details/Additional Information: Registry (PRN) position. Hours are not guaranteed and will vary based on departmental needs. Provides coverage for call-offs, PTO, leaves, training, special events, and other staffing needs. Must be available to work variable shifts, weekends, and holidays as required to support continuous Public Safety operations. Pay Range: $22.90 - $34.35 It's More Than a Job, It's a Calling! Position: Public Safety Officer I - Armed Location: Trinity hospital; Chicago, IL. PRN/Registry - scheduled on-call, as needed, to help fill in for departmental gaps and needs. Various shifts as needed 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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