Director of Public Safety and Emergency Prepardeness
Employment Type:
Full timeShift:
Day ShiftDescription:
POSITION PURPOSE
This role serves as the strategic leader for public safety and emergency preparedness across the MercyOne Central Iowa Market, responsible for defining long-term security strategy, establishing systemwide governance framework, and ensuring enterprise-level readiness, resilience, and regulatory compliance. The Director influences regional safety policy, guides investment and technology decisions, and collaborates with Trinity Health system leaders and external agencies to protect the mission, people, and assets of MercyOne Central Iowa.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Knows, understands, incorporates, anddemonstratesthe Trinity Health Mission, Vision, and Values in behaviors, practices, and decisions.
Accountable for advancing a resilient, safety infrastructure that ensures strategic readiness, regulatory excellence, and coordinated emergency response across the Central Iowa Market.
Develop, implement, and continually refine a comprehensiveRegional Physical Security and Emergency Preparedness Strategythat aligns withMercyOne’smission, regulatory requirements, and long-term system priorities.
Establish and governpolicies, procedures, and standardsthat unify security, safety, and emergency preparedness practices across MercyOne Central Iowa hospitals, Mercy College, and more than 40 affiliated clinics.
Serve as the principal advisor to senior leadership onrisk mitigation,emergency management, andorganizational resilience.
Lead the identification, assessment, and mitigation ofphysical, operational, environmental, and behavioral threats, ensuring an integrated risk-management posture across all facilities.
Direct andmaintaintheEmergency Operations Plan (EOP),Hospital Incident Command System (HICS), andHazard Vulnerability Analysis (HVA)for the Central Iowa Market.
Serve as a key leader within theHospital Incident Command System (HICS)during emergencies, coordinating Command Center activations, interdepartmental communication, andcontinuity-of-operationsfunctions.
Overseesand ensures effectiveness of drills including, emergency drills, tabletop exercises, full-scale simulations, and Mercy College academic preparedness activities.
Oversee post-incident after-action reviews (AARs), ensuring corrective actions and policy updates strengthen future readiness.
Oversee the development, evaluation, and improvement of policies governing access control, workplace violence prevention, behavioral threat assessment, investigations, emergency response, communications, and physical security technologies.
Ensuresoperational performance through metrics and governance structures.
Build andmaintainstrong partnerships withlocal, state, and federal agencies, including emergency management, law enforcement, public health, and Homeland Security programs.
Leverage intelligence networks to improve situational awareness and inform security policy, threat-management strategies, and crisis-response procedures.
Partner with Communications to develop andmaintainmass notification, crisis-communication, and emergency messaging policies.
Ensure internal and external communications during incidents aretimely, coordinated, and aligned with regulatory and system expectations.
Establish training standards for Public Safety and Emergency Management, including workplace violence prevention, de-escalation, active threat response, and disaster preparedness.
Lead development of readiness benchmarks, performance metrics, and competency expectations that reinforce policy adherence and operational excellence.
Provide strategic oversight of physical security technology systems-including access control, surveillance, communications infrastructure, badge systems, and audiovisual services-ensuring governance, policy control, and reliability.
Ensure continuous readiness withJoint Commission,CMS,OSHA,Homeland Security, and industry best-practice standards through policy alignment, audits, and systemwide compliance programs.
Other duties as needed and assigned by the manager.
Maintains a working knowledge of applicable Federal, State, and local laws and regulations, Trinity Health’s Organizational Integrity Program, Standards of Conduct, as well as other policies and proceduresin order toensure adherence in a manner that reflects honest, ethical, and professional behavior.
LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES
As a MercyOne Trinity Health Leader, the incumbent is expected todemonstrateleadership traitsthatsupport our MissionStatementand Core Values asidentifiedbelow.
Mission Statement: We, MercyOne/Trinity Health, serve together in the spirit of the Gospel as a compassionate and transforming healing presence within ourcommunities.
Core Values:
Reverence: We honor the sacredness and dignity of every person.
Commitment to Thosewho are Poor: We stand with and serve those who are poor, especiallythosemost vulnerable.
Safety: We embrace a culture that prevents harm and nurtures a healing, safe environment for all.
Justice: We foster right relationships to promote the common good, including sustainability of Earth.
Stewardship: We honor our heritage and hold ourselves accountable for the human, financial, and natural resources entrusted to our care.
Integrity: We are faithful to those we say we are.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Bachelor’s Degree in related fieldrequired.
Master’s Degree in related field preferred.
FEMA Certification: IS 100, 200, 700, and 800.
Three years of progressively responsible experience in facility management within a related discipline.
Valid Driver’s/Chauffeurs License required, must meet Mercy’s Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, must be at least 18 years of age and be eligible to drive per Iowa state law.
Knowledgeable and competent in hazmat regulations and processes.
Basic Life Support (BLS) for the Healthcare Provider certified or obtained within three (3) months of hire.
Proof of completion of Mandatory Reporter abuse training specific to population servedwithin three (3) months of hire.
Must be comfortable operating in a collaborative, shared leadership environment.
Mustpossessa personal presence that is characterized by a sense of honesty, integrity, and caring with the ability to inspire and motivate others to promote the philosophy, mission, vision, goals, and values of Trinity Health.
PHYSICAL AND MENTAL REQUIREMENTS AND WORKING CONDITIONS
Must be able to set and organizeownworkpriorities, andadapt to them as they change frequently. Must be able to work concurrently on a variety of tasks/projects in an environment that may be stressful with individuals having diverse personalities and work styles.
Mustpossessthe ability tocomply withTrinity Health policies and procedures.
Physical Activity Requirements: (Constant = 67%-100% of workday, Frequent = 34%-66% of workday, Occasional = 33% or less of workday)
Constant:
Walking: Moving about on foot particularly for long distances.
Frequent:
Talking and hearing: While exchanging information both in person and by phone.
Sitting: While performing administrative work.
Walking: Usually at average speed (i.e., attending meetings in various areas of hospital.
Repetitive motions: Substantial motions of the wrists, hands and fingers while using computerand usinghand tools1.
Driving: Sittingwhile driving vehicle.
Stooping:Bending at the waist while getting into and out of vehicle.
Handling:Working with whole hand to drive vehicle, to load/unload supplies, materials into and from vehicle.
Reaching:Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction to load/unload and deliver materials/supplies into and from vehicle.
Occasional:
Grasping: While using phone, penand pencil, etc.
Crouching, bending, stooping:While obtaining files or supplies with freedom to choose which position.
Climbing: To ascend stairs.
Physical Demand Requirements:
Light work: Exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly tomoveobjects. Use of arm and/or leg controls requires exertion of forces greater than that for sedentary workand the worker sits most of the time.
Visual Activity Requirements:
Work involves useof computer terminal, extensive reading and preparing and analyzing data.
Intellectual/Emotional Requirements:
Ability to maintainboth a high standard of courtesy and cooperation in dealing with co-workers, visitors and patients and satisfactory job performance despite the stress of a hospital work environment.
Ability to accept responsibility for the direction, controland planning of the Security Department.
Adaptability to influence people in their opinions, attitudesand/or judgments about things.
Ability to perform under stress when confronted with emergency,criticalor unusual situations.
Ability to deal with people beyond giving and receiving instruction.
Tools/Equipment:
Standard medical and nursing equipment, special equipmentor office equipment found in the assigned area, such as ID Badge System, Access Control System, Fire System, RadioSystemsand Camera Surveillance Systems.
Working Conditions:
The worker is not substantially exposedto adverse environmental conditions.
The worker may be exposed to patients with possible communicable diseases.
The worker is subject to both inside and outside environmental conditions. Temperatures occasionallybelow32 degrees and above 100 degrees.
The worker is subject to hazards such as moving mechanical parts, vehiclesand disruptive patients/visitors.
The worker is subject to noise while in certain areas of the hospital;i.e., boilerroom.
Our Commitment
Rooted in our Mission and Core Values, we honor the dignity of every person and recognize the unique perspectives, experiences, and talents each colleague brings. By finding common ground and embracing our differences, we grow stronger together and deliver more compassionate, person-centered care. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local law.