Imagine working as a security guard at a hospital. Would you think it would be more important to patrol inside the hospital or in the parking lot?

In this story, one security guard knows that it’s more important to be inside the hospital, but his new manager doesn’t understand that until it’s too late.

Let’s see how the story plays out.

You want me to patrol each park? Fine by me

This come from back when I was working security in a local hospital.

The hospital it’s self was made up of ; main building AE/minors and wards, estates office, Old ambulance station, The maternity ward and a management house which would house all of the upper management while they worked.

Around the building were car parks we had 9 in total ranging from large to only a couple of spaces but still a wide area. (‘it would take around 30/40mins) to check all the car parks) and take 10 -15mins to get to one side of the site edge to the other.

Here’s how they typically worked.

Our security office was located just outside of A/E as believe it or not but that was were most of the trouble was which called for security to be there.

As a fairly small hospital there was only maximum of 3 security on each 8 hour shift (‘security management could help but often didn’t want to get involved’)

We were doing our normal patrols of once every 30mins to go around each of the wards which kept us quite busy if nothing was happening that day on shift.

But a nurse complained.

One day a nurse complained to the security manger that we need to be more ‘visible’ around the car parks to stop break ins.

We don’t often patrol the car parks as it’s “‘park at your own risk” as the site was lacking funds for extra security.

Our manger understood this, which is why it just stayed as it was due to the security team needing to stay in the wards and A/E to protect staff and patients.

A new manager made a different decision.

6 months go by and our manager leaves, he is replaced with a new manger which hears the same complaint as the first one and orders us to start patrolling each and ever car park and ward on our rounds.

Needless to say we just agreed and said ok.

( please note I know this would not end well but I complied with my new orders and everyday without fail walked around all the carparks even if it was half or nearly empty)

Oh no!

Fast forward another week or two – and A/E radioed us to attend as a patient was threatening staff.

however security officers were on the back car park roughly 5-10mins away even when running. (‘please note that was another rule we had to stay in twos as we were only MAPA trained and it need two minimum)

By the time we got there this patient had already hit out to staff causing injury but also decided to run around A/E department and other joining areas breaking glass windows and scaring others.

It was bad!

We controlled the the situation after getting there but it was already too late. £1000’s of pounds worth of damaged caused and a couple with small injuries.

Later on our new manager asked why our response time was so slow.

We just replied by saying we was taking care of the car parks like order to by you.

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The day after more signs when up saying “‘park at your own risk” and were never ordered to patrol half empty carparks again. New manger only lasted about 4/5months after this incident.

The new manager certainly didn’t know what he was doing. I’m glad he didn’t last very long.

If you enjoyed this post, check out this post about a man who wants to report a coworker to HR over unprofessional behavior following a missed promotion.

Let’s see how Reddit responded to this story.

This person points out the real problem.

Another person calls out management.

And that someone was the manager.

It may not have solved the problem, but it definitely would’ve helped!

It’s impossible to be in two places at once.