Public Safety Officer, SCOP Third Shift

Job Description

The Public Safety Officer, SCOP (Special Conservator of Peace), under the supervision of Public Safety leadership, is stationed at the Winchester Medical Center campus. The Public Safety Officer, SCOP is part of the Mental Health Custody and Transportation (MCAT) team who obtains registration from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) and appointment from the Winchester Circuit Court as a Special Conservator of the Peace with specific legal authority on VH property.

The Public Safety Officer, SCOP will have the primary responsibility of assuming custody of individuals brought to the hospital in law enforcement custody pursuant to an Emergency Custody Order and/or Temporary Detention Order and maintain that custody until a treatment facility has been identified to accept custody of the individual for further mental health treatment.

The Public Safety Officer, SCOP will also be a part of a transportation team responsible for the safe delivery of individuals lawfully detained pursuant to a TDO to another mental health facility within the Commonwealth of Virginia when an alternative transportation order is issued by a magistrate. The officer will ensure all legal documents for the ECO or TDO have been properly filled out and will have the authority to serve certain court issued legal detention orders related to mental health evaluations to patients.

When not engaged in functions associated with the MCAT program, the Public Safety Officer, SCOP will perform the duties and functions of a public safety team member including identifying and responding to unsafe conditions and emergencies, answering calls for service related to unauthorized or illegal activity within the building or campus grounds, assisting with combative patients or visitors, fire alarms, infant/child abduction, and active shooter situations, performing routine inspections for hazards and unusual situations, handling trespassing issues, property receipt and issue, deceased patient transport, and testing and inspecting Public Safety and safety equipment throughout the campus monthly.

Each officer must document all rounds by completing the necessary reports and submit reports by the end of the shift during which the pertinent incident occurred. Officers must be proficient in the use of the RMS Public Safety incident system and the Valley Health System (VHS) Risk Management system, communicate confidentially when appropriate, and write appropriate work orders/memos and report safety problems to safety officers and others when observed.

The officer is also responsible for inspecting fire extinguishers, eye wash stations, conducting or assisting with other safety and Public Safety inspections such as Environment of Care Rounds, testing alarm system equipment and other equipment, performing fire watches when requested, and monitoring camera, infant abduction, fire alarm, medical gas, and generator alarms. The position investigates reports of loss, damaged property and criminal activity and assists law enforcement with in‑custody individuals as needed.

The officer must maintain a strong working knowledge of the assigned facility and campus grounds, analyze and coordinate responses to all alarms, provide physical public safety to command location, inspect building doors to ensure they are secured after business hours, pick up cash deposits and deliver them to the cashier’s office daily, search patient rooms and patient property for contraband, and provide safety and security during helicopter landings and take‑offs.

The officer must be courteous to the public, provide detailed directions when requested, provide escorts to staff members when requested outside of business hours, and assist staff with human resources matters, TDO hearings, and escorting disgruntled individuals from the building or property.

The officer responds to emergency calls consistently in a prompt manner (fire, biological, mass casualty, hospital lock‑down, radiation emergencies, and active shooter), uses sound judgement and discretion, assists special‑needs patient population, assists in transporting patients to behavioral health…