A multi-faceted approach for a Boston hospital

Comprised of a premiere research laboratory, a prestigious teaching center and a 757-bed hospital, Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) is one of the most celebrated health care facilities in America. The 3.5 million square foot property includes a leading transplant center, state-of-the art inpatient services, a top-notch women’s health program and a variety of outpatient services and clinics. Each day, over 22,000 people pass through its doors.

Keeping order is a security department notable in its own right.   “My budget is larger than that of most small town police departments," says Security Director Robert Chicarello CPP.  “We do everything that a small town police department does. The only thing we don’t have are armed officers.”

One Team, Many Duties

BWH contracts approximately 115 Securitas officers, on a weekly basis and can add an additional 15 to thirty officers given requests for special details and construction.   “They handle everything from soup to nuts,” he says, “and any type of security response, whether an emergency or not.”  Core duties include clearing those 22,000 visitors and staff members, manning security desks and the facility’s access controls, mounting patrols, and running employee shuttles to parking lots and public transit.
 
Some security concerns are like those in any small town or an urban center – Chicarello cites petty theft as the number one problem.   Other duties, however, are quite specialized and reflect the enormous scope of the hospital’s activities.

The safety of the hospital’s helicopter pad, for example, rests with a team of specially trained Securitas officers.  Before each landing (there are approximately 45 per month), officers perform the essential Foreign Object Damage (FOD) check to see that the pad is clear of even the smallest debris, which can become dangerous to both personnel and aircraft.  Officers then assist in moving patients and control the elevators.   

Brigham and Woman’s Hospital is the largest birthing hospital in the state, and Securitas officers play an essential role in helping to keep each of the 9,000 babies born per year safe.  “Infant abduction is not a huge crime but high profile and very disruptive," notes Chicarello.  “We do everything we can not to make the front page.”  The security team conducts frequent drills to make sure that procedures and protocols are second nature.
 
As one of the nation’s leading research facilities, Brigham and Woman’s Hospital attracts more than its fair share of activists and demonstrations.  “We do have protestors and need to take the necessary precautions for our staff,” says Chicarello.

A Long-term Relationship

To measure success, Brigham and Woman’s tracks every incident and reviews the account weekly with the local Securitas branch manager.  The partnership is a long one – Securitas has been the sole provider of security services for 35 years.  “We set the standards – policies, procedures and goals – on what we want the officers to do," Chicarello explains.  “Securitas takes those orders and turns them into actions.” 

Officers receive 80 hours of training when they are hired and specialized continuing education as they follow a number of different career paths at Brigham’s and Woman’s Hospital, including concierge positions, call response specialists and sergeants. Chicarello makes a specific effort to promote from within or help his officers move into law enforcement.  Turnover is low -12% a year.

“This is not the typical contract where guards check people in and make sure nothing is stolen,” notes Chicarello.  “We need people who can think on their feet and respond to situations.  I’ve been here a long time and still run into situations I haven’t seen before.”

As with any dynamic institution, the security needs at Brigham and Woman’s Hospital are always changing.  The hospital will be opening a brand new medical building complete with state-of-the-art security systems, and Chicarello has welcomed another 13 full time Securitas officers to his team.

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