[ back ]
The Security officer
Rounding out an evening on the nightshift, the News team met with Security officer Lebarron Smith at 12:42 a.m. outside the main entrance of CHB. "Smitty" to his fellow officers, Smith just started back to work at CHB three weeks earlier, following a year-long tour in Iraq as a member of the Army National Guard. "I worked for Children's for two years before my deployment," he said. "So many new faces and new buildings have popped up just in the year I was gone."
Working in materials distribution while in Iraq, Smith feared he would be a "changed man" and have a big adjustment period in front of him upon his return. But he's quickly come to realize that he's still the same person, and is now moving forward professionally by training as a night supervisor at CHB.
Smith, like everyone else we've talked to so far, is also a night person. "It's much more peaceful and quiet," he said. "The days seem crazy to me." He also enjoys the mobility of the nightshift, explaining that he is never in the same place for very long. "I go on tours of the hospital, making sure doors are locked, and people are where they are supposed to be. I also answer calls, like code red or code blue, which take me to different floors."
But a lot of Smith's night is spent doing what he likes the most—escorting employees. "I drive the Children's van and take employees to different T stations or to the lots where their cars are parked to make sure they can get home safely," he said. "The employees who work nights are very friendly. Always saying 'hello' and smiling. It's really great."
