Inside Duke Medicine

Security: The eyes and ears of Durham Regional Hospital

The Security Department is the safety arm of Durham Regional Hospital. This is the team that polices the hospital, outlying buildings and perimeters. They are called when someone feels threatened or sees something that doesn’t look “quite right.” They are the first to reach the scene when there is any type of situation that needs surveillance, de-escalation or containment, and the first responders to every Code Gray (which signifies a security emergency).

The protectors, the policy enforcers, the buffers, the peacekeepers, the hawks—there are many nicknames for the DRH Security Team. But, these officers are probably best described as the “eyes and ears” of Durham Regional. Always observing and listening, these proactive individuals can sense and stop a potential issue before it begins. As Major Burnice Parker, Security director, explains, “We base every response on two senses—
what we see and what we hear.”

Security is provided 24 hours a day, seven days a week for the hospital and its grounds. The team includes 16 full-time security officers, including four lieutenants who supervise each shift and one senior officer, who serves as the department director. Within the last three years, Duke Police began management of Security Operations. With this change, the team of DRH Security Officers is joined by a Duke Police Officer 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Like all law enforcement officers, Duke Police is empowered by North Carolina through the Attorney General’s Office and has authority that all police officers have, including the authority to arrest people.

Security officers rotate responsibilities within their eight-hour shifts—paying extra attention to the Emergency Department entrance and lobby, hospital hallways and units, hospital grounds and outlying buildings and the central Security office which houses the hospital camera system. Each of the 16 officers carries a radio and pager so they can be immediately notified about security issues.

When patients or visitors see an officer in uniform, they usually feel they can trust that person, and will often approach the officer for help before asking anyone else. “We are here to protect people, and to assist everyone who needs it, whatever the situation,” says Stephanie Bridges, security officer. “This, in addition to the fact that I’m always learning something and meeting new people is why I love my job.”

“Every day, there are different situations, and you are always handling something you’ve never experienced before,” says Lewis Richardson, security officer. While every encounter starts with “May I help you?” Richardson explains that situations can
quickly go from one extreme to the next. “We see people at their best and their worst. We are trained to communicate in a way that usually helps to diffuse the situation. How well you communicate is determined by how well you listen,” he says.

Major Parker explains that in addition to sound judgment and the ability to think and act quickly, security personnel must be patient-centered and always sensitive to the needs of patients and visitors. “Everyone on our team goes the extra mile to make sure our patients’ needs are being met. The extra sensitivity of staff cannot be underestimated. You can’t replace that,” he says. “Our security officers are often the first face of Durham Regional. More than 60 percent of our patients come through the Emergency Department, and they are always welcomed with a smile by one of our officers,” says Katie Galbraith, chief hospital operations & business development officer. “The officers are great ambassadors for Durham Regional.”

The team says they are always thinking proactively. “We are always thinking ahead and watching for body language and other cues that signal potential issues,” says Richardson. “When you see a security officer walking around, we are doing something and there for a reason.” “We’ve been working more to engage staff so they will notify us about potential issues as soon as they are aware of them,” says Major Parker. “We need to know about someone who seems angry and may have potential to become threatening as soon as they are identified.” This is an important point, because often, just by quietly being in a location, Security can stop a potential situation before it occurs.

The security officers and lieutenants bring a variety of experience to the team, including former police officers, federal prison security officers and security professionals from the private sector and military personnel.

Major Parker explains that when building the security team, there is a great deal of time and effort in the hiring, orientation and training process. Each applicant goes through Duke Police Training & Recruitment for screening. Each candidate is then interviewed by a five-member review board and then put into the candidate pool. Durham Regional Human Resources interviews the final candidates, and then they are interviewed by the Security Department for their temperament, judgment, ability to “think outside the box” and ability to write. Once hired, each trains for 90 days with a lieutenant and officer, and is oriented to the specialized needs of a hospital setting.

Lieutenant Mike Hughes shares several memorable examples of the teamwork and judgment of the Security team. Derwin Hodges, Security Officer, pulled a gentleman from his car as it was engulfed in flames near the hospital property several years ago. Officer Hodges was the first on the scene so that the man’s life was saved. Officer Stephanie Bridges was recently honored with the Duke Police Coveted Badge Award for her quick action in a security incident that happened this year on hospital property. Officer Bridges is the first DRH Security officer to receive this award. “We are often reminded by things like this that we are making a difference for our community,” says Lieutenant Hughes. “These are just a few examples.”

Major Burnice Parker, who retired December 31 after 39 years at Duke including four at Durham Regional, left with the following thought, “The thing I will miss most is Durham Regional Hospital. The spirit is here.”

We think of Security as the safety arm of the hospital, but they are involved in more than safety. Security spends a lot of time answering questions. They are called to:

• Jumpstart vehicles that won’t start.
• Escort patients and staff to their vehicles.
• Open doors for employees who have locked themselves out of their office.
• Conduct fire drills throughout the hospital to check processes.
• Provide security training for staff.
• Serve on the Safety, Emergency Management and Environment of Care Committees.
• Represent Security for the development of safety and security initiatives.
• Serve on the interdisciplinary team that implements lockdown of areas needing higher security, such as the ED, Pharmacy and Women’s Services.

Security is everyone’s job at the hospital. If you see something that strikes you as not quite right, chances are it is not. Please notify Security immediately. For emergencies call 222. For things you think need to be checked out, call 4-4262, or send a text page to Security.

Pictured front row, l to r: Lt. Tyrone Clay, 1st Lt. Mike Hughes, Major Burnice Parker, Sr., Lt. Rod Whitaker and Lt. John McLaurin. Back row, l to r: Officers Beth Graham, Derwin Hodges, Kermit Day, Wallace Allen, Jacob Smith, Lewis Richardson, Sondra Casey, Randy Johnson, Harriet Wagstaff, Ellen Reid, Reggie Carthens and Stephanie Bridges. Photo by Tom Wooters