Protection Services Officer, Protection Services

Click here to apply as an internal applicant.

Company : IWK Health

Req ID: 229162
Department/Program: Protection Services, Facilities, Protection & Business Continuity
Location: Halifax
Type of Employment: Temporary Hourly FT short-assignment (100% FTE) for six months x 5 position(s)
Start Date: ASAP
Union Status: Unifor Service, Support Bargaining Unit
Compensation: $29.5440 - $35.1607 /hour
Closing Date: 16-Nov-26 (Applications are accepted until 23:59 Atlantic Time)

IWK Health is a respected academic health sciences centre located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, providing tertiary and primary care for two million children, youth, adults and families each year across the Atlantic region. We have a team of approximately 4000 employees, physicians, volunteers and learners at sites across Nova Scotia. People build careers with IWK Health with our focus on training and mentorship opportunities. We recognize each other’s talent and celebrate our successes. We collaborate in modern facilities or virtually from home, align our work to our values, and enjoy access to enhanced benefits and wellness programs. We are proud to support our patients, families and communities and are grateful for the generous donor support we receive.

Promoting an anti-racist environment, and calling out discrimination as we work and provide care, is important to us. We are located in Mi’kma’ki, the unceded and ancestral territory of the Mi’kmaq people. Working in Mi’kma’ki and providing care to those across Atlantic Canada is a shared privilege with the original inhabitants who have lived here for many thousands of years prior to colonization. There are 13 First Nation communities across Nova Scotia, and more than 50 historic African Nova Scotian communities who also have a long, deep, and complex history dating back over 400 years. We have the highest percentage of people with disabilities in the country. Nova Scotia has the highest proportions of transgender and non-binary people than any other province or territory in the country. We are active in our work to eliminate discrimination, but have more work to do to build that trust, acknowledge our biases and reduce the barriers our diverse communities face. We want IWK Health to be a safe and supportive space of equity and belonging in the care we provide and the employment we offer. We welcome all interested persons who self-identify as Indigenous, Black/African Nova Scotians, Persons of Colour, Immigrants/Newcomers, Persons with Disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ to apply to support our goal for our workforce to be representative of the patients, families, and communities that we care for at all job levels.

The Opportunity

Reporting to the Manager, Protection Services, Protection Service Officers are trusted to provide a safe and secure environment for all staff, patients, and visitors. They control access within and out of the health facilities and report or investigate irregularities. They are expected to respond to emergencies as indicated in the IWK Emergency Response Manual and/or Protection Services Standard Operating Procedures. Occasionally patients, family members, visitors or the public may act in a manner that is harmful to themselves or to others. Protective Services Officers may be called upon to assist clinical staff with patient interventions and/or perform interventions as needed with other acting out persons. As part of their risk management duties, they also educate others through presentation of in-services specific to individual safety & security. Key activities include but are not limited to:

• Performing patrols of the buildings of the IWK Health Centre, including the exterior of building and parking facilities.
• Following processes and performing necessary duties as outlined in the health centers emergency response policies and plans and departmental standard operating procedures, including responding to alarms when sounding throughout the health centre
• Monitoring the facility via closed circuit television for breaches of security, safety, and related issues.
• Performing duties in the Emergency Department, including restricting access to authorized persons and assisting with patients as necessary
• Receiving and releasing documents, specimens, and general deliveries, ensuring items are handled in an appropriate manner.
• Monitoring and maintaining a ZAEG computerized parking system including maintaining parking equipment for smooth daily operations, deposits and all other related parking duties and responsibilities as directed by the manager or Team Leader.
• Operated daily parking cash register and ensures all transactions/monies are accounted for and verifiable.
• Conducts and supervises traffic control;
• Detaining persons found committing a crime on Health Centre property/tenant space, until the arrival of police.
• Performing duties related to the operation of the Helideck (ie acting as a Landing Zone Officer, escorting the medical transport team, performing Helideck inspections, etc), other related duties as assigned

Hours of Work

11.25 or 7.5 hour shifts. Flexibility required as shifts vary as needed - includes weekdays, evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays.

Your Qualifications

• High School Diploma or G.E.D. required.
• Post-secondary Security, Corrections, or Law Enforcement diploma, or equivalent experience required.
• Minimum two (2) year’s previous security experience required, preferably in a hospital environment.
• Current successful completion of a Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada Basic Life Support Level (BLS) Program within the last 12 months, or successful completion of a BLS Renewal Challenge Certificate, required.
• First Aid Certification
• Non-Violent Crisis Intervention (NVCI) Certification required.
• Training in Emergency Response: Fire & Safety procedures, Self-Defense and WHMIS required.
• Must be in good physical condition and able to perform the occupational requirements of the job including standing for long periods of time, walking lengthy distances, and running to respond to emergency situations.
• Basic computer skills, including sound knowledge of the Microsoft Suite of software, required
• Demonstrated ability to communicate well, both verbally and in writing, required.
• Must able to make quick sound decisions and independent judgements under extreme conditions.
• Must display superior initiative and leadership skills.
• Competencies in other languages an asset.

Thank you for your interest in IWK Health.

Please note that we only contact applicants selected for interview/testing. If we invite you to participate in an assessment process (such as an interview or testing) you have the right to request accommodation. Please discuss your needs when invited to the assessment process.

This is a Support bargaining unit position. Preference is given to bargaining unit employees for unionized positions. Successful applicants changing unions, bargaining units or employment status, are advised to seek clarification regarding their seniority, benefits, and vacation entitlement and/or usage, prior to accepting the position.

An offer of employment is conditional upon the completion and satisfactory results of all applicable background checks and confirmation of credentials.

If you are an employee of IWK Health, please apply through the internal careers page to ensure you are flagged as an internal applicant.