Hospital Security or College/University Campus Security

[Jim1348]

I realize that this may be very subjective, but would most people here consider hospital security or college/university campus security to be more desirable, and why?

[bigshotceo]

I realize that this may be very subjective, but would most people here consider hospital security or college/university campus security to be more desirable, and why?

Many colleges/universities have their own police departments; some are "special" police/special constables, others are "regular" police. Are you including those in your comparison?

[tanko]

I realize that this may be very subjective, but would most people here consider hospital security or college/university campus security to be more desirable, and why?

I would because of the job duties and benefits, compared to other security jobs.

Most colleges have a dedicated police department or public safety. Some colleges that are called public safety are required not to carry firearms. With college public safety and police departments, there is a good chance you will go to a police academy for training. The pay is generally better than other places, and the benefits are way better. Being an employee of the college, it's not uncommon to get heavy discounts on tuition.

For hospitals, it varies from hospital to hospital. Some hospitals outfit their officers with the latest gear, and even go to the extent of arming them and providing canines for example Looma Linda. Just with colleges, you could be a public safety officer or police officer at the hospital. In my case, I'm police officer with a hospital facility and it's not a bad gig.

The downsides of working for a college and hospital is you will have to go by the director's policies. For example, possession of alcohol may be handled a certain way at one college vs. another.

[Larry]

I have been working hospital security for the past 35 years as both a sworn an non-sworn officer. Some of the benefits are nice, especially in regards to medical services (of course) but the pay difference between hospital and college is significant, if we are talking in-house.
Most colleges are sworn and have there own PD and dispatch. The training is really top notch academy instruction where most hospitals rely on International Association of Hospital Security & Safety training courses to satisfy them. This course work is ok but it is all book learning no physical or demos.

[iraqvetwpb]

I have been working hospital security for the past 35 years as both a sworn an non-sworn officer. Some of the benefits are nice, especially in regards to medical services (of course) but the pay difference between hospital and college is significant, if we are talking in-house.
Most colleges are sworn and have there own PD and dispatch. The training is really top notch academy instruction where most hospitals rely on International Association of Hospital Security & Safety training courses to satisfy them. This course work is ok but it is all book learning no physical or demos.

Along with the (IAHSS) course or what ever the course is that the Hospital requires, you may also require a state license. Depending on the state. However with some states, Florida for example, security contracted by the hospital must have a state license along with the Hospital training. However if the security is in-house, no state license is required. That goes for any account, not just hospitals.

Some states require no license for unarmed but do for armed. I changed my view of hospital security after I took over as the supervisor of security staff at a major hospital. They are responsible for more than I had thought.

[Jim1348]

I thought I would rekindle this with some further clarification. If you are comparing private sector, non-sworn hospital security to private sector, non-sworn college campus security, which of the two would people here generally consider to be more desirable of the two, and why? (Again, I not referring to sworn campus police or contract security in either case, but in house security.)

[opsco]

In my opinion, hospital security would be the place to go. One of the hospitals I worked at started off with halfway decent pay, and you would get a raise each year. Also, and I'm not sure if every in-house security department is allowed to do this, but with you being a deputee sheriff, you might be able to start with higher pay. The one I worked at, the Director was allowed to start retired LE's at the 10 year pay level. I was able to start off with the five year rate for military security experience. It would probably be an easy gig for you.

[nadal]

In terms of money, I'll go with hospital security as you get hike in salary at regular intervals as compared to university or college. But the you might have work load. And will find your day quite busy.

[Squid]

You will deal with unhinged people and very upset/angry family members all the time. Lots of no-win, loser situations. Lots of regs that really need to be enforced for valid scientific reasons, that you wont be able to explain to the subjects.


Campus? Not so much. Any rules are pretty much just suggestions/requests.

You might not be held in high regard by young male students(until you catch a auto-stereo or bike thief) but you will be held in reasonably high regard by faculty, female students and parents. Did I mention the female students?

A hospital should have nice medical coverage, but a college post should allow you to get real education and very conveniently.

[SecTrainer]

All anyone can do is speak in very broad generalities because there is a very wide spectrum in both college and hospital facilities (and hence their related demands, rewards, etc.). So when people say that you'll be "busier" in hospital work, for instance, you have to take this with a grain of salt. There are some very "sleepy" hospitals, and some very "active" college campuses (in terms of security demands), so the situation can easily be reversed.

There is one comparison that is universally true: If you work in a hospital, you're going to be working among a lot of people who are sick, many of them gravely or even terminally so. If you work on a college campus, you're going to be working among people who are mostly bursting with health. Although this seems like such an obvious comparison that it doesn't need mentioning, I notice that no one has commented about this critical distinction directly and yet it's the main difference between the two types of venue that you should consider before you think about anything else. Which type of environment do you think best suits your personality and preferences?

Another difference that is almost as universal (unless you work in certain specialty hospitals like a children's hospital) is the age difference. In the typical community hospital setting you're usually going to be dealing more with the middle-to-older age population than you will typically find on a college campus. This stands to reason, because older people need hospitals more than younger people do. Of course, there are older people on campus (both students, faculty and staff), and there are younger people in hospitals (especially coming through the ER), but I'm speaking in very general terms. So you should also think about this general age difference with respect to your own personality and preferences.

The truth is that there are some very good opportunities in both fields - and some that are not as good. After you identify (from the questions above) which environment you believe would be most compatible with your personality, it's then a matter of applying for positions in that field, asking questions and trying to decide which job opportunity seems to be most desirable overall - not just the pay, but the benefits (both hospitals and colleges often offer educational benefits), the hours, the commute time, the opportunities for advancement, your impression of the people you'd be working with, training offered, etc. It's always going to be a bit of a crap shoot no matter how much information you gather, though, and unfortunately there's nothing you can do about that.

[Jim1348]

Those are some excellent point. Sometimes, pointing out the obvious needs to be done to remind us of what we already know, or should know.

There has, ironically, also been a similar thread to this over at Officer.com. I say ironically because that is more for sworn folks. That particular thread, however, is focused on Minnesota, so I suppose that would be of interest to only a few of us.

And, of course, with some of these agencies, they have as much, or more, in common with security as they do with police, despite the agency name. For example, the United States Federal Reserve Police have more in common with people that deal with physical security than regular police agencies. I think that the same could be said for the Federal Protective Service and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs Police. Both of them are federal law enforcement agencies, but the tasks they do seem to have more in common with security than police.

[Riderboxer]

Id take a hospital security gig in a heartbeat,if it werent nearly impossible in my area to get on with. Seems most in my area share a contract with one particular company,and if they dont hire you,tough luck. (Unless you get on with the few in-house hospitals.) Also,hospital security pays more.

Id advise to stay away from campus security. I just left such situation and we had alot of smart mouth kids we had to deal with on a daily bases,and if you even thought about responding back in a negative way you had to apoligize. We had more scope of security do in part of a newly,small pd there. But we worked under the chief and he wanted to keep everyone happy so he could keep his job. Also if you go campus route,be prepared to wear many hats,my last day working was when we got a call about a clogged up toilet in the womens bathroom. Needless to say $8.00 an hr wasent worth it.

I recently got a job offer for security at an airport and kinda wish id taken it. Lol

[pichno]

Id take a hospital security gig in a heartbeat,if it werent nearly impossible in my area to get on with. Seems most in my area share a contract with one particular company,and if they dont hire you,tough luck. (Unless you get on with the few in-house hospitals.) Also,hospital security pays more.

Id advise to stay away from campus security. I just left such situation and we had alot of smart mouth kids we had to deal with on a daily bases,and if you even thought about responding back in a negative way you had to apoligize. We had more scope of security do in part of a newly,small pd there. But we worked under the chief and he wanted to keep everyone happy so he could keep his job. Also if you go campus route,be prepared to wear many hats,my last day working was when we got a call about a clogged up toilet in the womens bathroom. Needless to say $8.00 an hr wasent worth it.

I recently got a job offer for security at an airport and kinda wish id taken it. Lol

Another reason why your knowledge in relation to security positions in MN serves to boundary. ACTUALLY, campus security for the state of MN, which includes colleges around the twin-cities will start at roughly $16 per hour, and top out around $24. Just because they don't pay squat where you're from (Tennessee, lol), doesn't mean other areas do the same.

Word of advise (good advise), don't assume what happens in Tennessee is what occurs in other states, meaning don't suggest that someone overlook a campus/university position simply because the one you chose to work for didn't pay squat. I wouldn't even think about working ANY security gig for under $15 per hour, Tennessee must be god awful if that is what their rates are in that area of security, jesus.

[DazednadConfused]

I wouldn't even think about working ANY security gig for under $15 per hour, Tennessee must be god awful if that is what their rates are in that area of security, jesus.

Another Florida comparison - pay rates have dropped for many reasons here; economic, competition, flooded market of licensed officers (primarily D [unarmed]), etc.

A quick glance of employment sites - they want the equivalent of Delta, DevGrp, USSS, and LEO/FLEO - not to mention being able to speak English, Spanish, and/or Creole.

For all of this experience?? They will pay YOU a WHOLE $8.50 per hour to work in a high-risk community (you may even be able to carry a firearm - if licensed - for an extra few dollars).

Welcome to the Sunshine State!! :D