During their meeting on Feb. 14, the Jefferson County Commissioners met with Bart May, Director of Security for Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, to discuss a service agreement between the hospital and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department.
According to Jefferson County Sheriff Steve Anderson, EIRMC is offering an opportunity to Idaho certified officers to work with the hospital as security personnel. The contract discussed at the commissioners’ meeting states that officers working with the hospital are not affiliated with Jefferson County while on security detail.
“It’s a second job,” Anderson said. “A way for officers to help make ends meet.”
The same opportunity was brought up in Clark County a couple of months ago, according to Clark County Sheriff John Clements.
“The Director for Security at the Hospital came and asked the county commissioners if our officers could come work at the hospital on their days off,” said Clements.
Clements stated that officers, while not associated with the county during hospital duty, would be donning their county-issued ballistic gear and duty belts. For each day worked with them, EIRMC agreed to pay five dollars to the county for the use of the officers’ gear.
While the agreement is between each county and the hospital, the choice to work a second job is entirely up to the officers’ discretion.
“They work four days on, and four off,” said Clements, regarding the Clark County’s officers. At the hospital, he says, “They can sign up for what they want.”
May, who has been the Director of Security since Feb. 22, 2021, stated that they are currently in the process of hiring certified officers. He also says that EIRMC already employs police officers from the City of Idaho Falls.
“Our hospital is a low stress facility,” said May. “We believe it will be less stress for officers – something nice for their days off.”
EIRMC, according to May, works with two types of security entities. Healthcare and High-Risk Security Services handle house-side security for the hospital. Now they also work with local law enforcement, as well.
“We are trying to build a rapport with law enforcement and our communities,” May said. “We want to to have highly trained officers to keep our hospital and patients safe.”
Part of the service agreement between EIRMC and the county states that in the case of an emergency, officers working at the hospital will need to be sent home.
“We have three officers, counting the Sheriff,” said Clements. “This was a point brought up by the commissioners that the hospital understands.”
Policing and Security detail are different, according to Clements. He stated that working as both county officers and security should not impact their work for either job. If it does, Clements stated, the county can terminate an officer’s position with the hospital.
The service agreement between EIRMC and Clark County was approved on Dec. 13 of last year. Jefferson County approved their agreement on Feb. 14.
In the same meeting, the county commissioners approved City Law Enforcement Contracts for the cities within Jefferson County. The contracts grant service in each city and are signed and approved on an annual basis.