Danger pay

[HotelSecurity]

Just had a situation this afternoon that I've had a few times in my career. I think I should get paid danger pay!

Someone called 9-1-1 from a pay phone saying that one of my guests pulled a gun on her in his room. (We believe the caller was an escort). The police arrive & tell me they have to go & check the room. They want me to go knock on the door & they will rush in with their guns drawn when the guest answers. Gee guys thanks put an innocient unarmed, no vest person in harms way! Turns out it was a pellet gun. The 9-1-1 caller can't be found sp they can't charge him with anything. Detectives spent 3 hours trying to cover up(?). He was finally arrested on an outstanding drunk driving warrant.

[Bill Warnock]

Just had a situation this afternoon that I've had a few times in my career. I think I should get paid danger pay!

Someone called 9-1-1 from a pay phone saying that one of my guests pulled a gun on her in his room. (We believe the caller was an escort). The police arrive & tell me they have to go & check the room. They want me to go knock on the door & they will rush in with their guns drawn when the guest answers. Gee guys thanks put an innocient unarmed, no vest person in harms way! Turns out it was a pellet gun. The 9-1-1 caller can't be found sp they can't charge him with anything. Detectives spent 3 hours trying to cover up(?). He was finally arrested on an outstanding drunk driving warrant.

HotelSecurity:
Unless I am terribly wrong, the owner, manager or contract employee of the owner must be the one that either nock on the door or use a pass key to gain entrance or summon the occupant to the door.
I had a constable explain that to a couple of us when we were "visiting" Canada.
Enjoy the day,
Bill

[HotelSecurity]

One of the things I like about this business is that I still learn something new all the time. The detectives told me that the police have the right to enter a private home if someone calls 9-1-1 & hangs up. I can see this, to make sure the people inside are ok but entering & tackling the guy?

[GCMC Security]

One of the things I like about this business is that I still learn something new all the time. The detectives told me that the police have the right to enter a private home if someone calls 9-1-1 & hangs up. I can see this, to make sure the people inside are ok but entering & tackling the guy?

HS this is being discussed (rather heatedly and irrationally IMHO) on another forum I visit due to the fact there was recently an incident in North Vancouver.

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/westcoastnews/story.html?id=9076aff2-cdea-4445-8149-cfe0a59f216c

Here is the link to the rather amusing thread. Truthfully half the time the people on this website disgust me.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=236473

[N. A. Corbier]

I really can't see hazard pay. Why? Because, it comes down to one of two things:

1. This is in your scope of responsiblities, so you are paid to do this and it is "part of the job."

2. This is not in the scope of your responsibilities, so you should not be doing it in the first place.

Pretty easy way to get out of having hazard pay, now isn't it?

[HotelSecurity]

HS this is being discussed (rather heatedly and irrationally IMHO) on another forum I visit due to the fact there was recently an incident in North Vancouver.

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/westcoastnews/story.html?id=9076aff2-cdea-4445-8149-cfe0a59f216c

Here is the link to the rather amusing thread. Truthfully half the time the people on this website disgust me.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=236473

This article brings up another situation that we in hotels deal with very often. Husbands come to the hotel. Sometimes they have female company. Sometimes they just want to get away from everybody. Their wives call from home all day. Hubby doesn't answer the phone. The wife then calls the hotel & requests us to go & check on him to make sure he is ok.

We have a policy of NOT doing this. The husband is our customer, not the wife. We owe him the privacy. This has caused some really heated arguements on the phone. In one case I even had the woman call her brother who called back claiming to be a police officer who ORDERED ME to go & check on the husband. I didn't!

We will make an exception if there is a clear indication that the person has a health problem & there is reason to believe he has fallen sick.

[N. A. Corbier]

If they want a health and welfare check, they can call the police. There's no indication that someone is in distress in that hotel room, especially from an external source that isn't there.

[T202]

As the old saying goes "You don't get paid for what you do, but what you might have to do." Tell your boss it's time for a raise.

[HotelSecurity]

As the old saying goes "You don't get paid for what you do, but what you might have to do." Tell your boss it's time for a raise.

Last time I told the owner that he pointed to the elevator & said get in & push an up button When the occupancy is at 37% it's not the time to ask for a bandaid never mind a raise!

[Mr. Security]

HotelSecurity

As an unarmed officer, I agree with your position about being asked by the police to knock on the door. I would tactfully explain that your post orders prohibit involvement in high-risk police activities. (Even if you don't have them.) You need to look after yourself first and foremost.

As an example, my post orders prohibit me from participating in a bomb search with the police. That's fine w/ me because I didn't choose to work in LE....they did. By citing that prohibition, I’m not viewed as uncooperative for refusing to participate.

[HotelSecurity]

As an example, my post orders prohibit me from participating in a bomb search with the police. That's fine w/ me because I didn't choose to work in LE....they did. By citing that prohibition, I’m not viewed as uncooperative for refusing to participate.

Interesting-The Montreal Police are prohibited from searching for a bomb inside a private building. They search the outside. You search inside. Scared the heck out of me when I first started working in hotels. When I called for my first bomb threat they came, took the information about the caller & told me about their department's policy. The constables then told me that after searching outside the building they would be going down the street to have a coffee at McDonalds. They said to call them back if we found anything or they would come back IF THEY HEARD ALOUD BOOM

[bigshotceo]

Interesting-The Montreal Police are prohibited from searching for a bomb inside a private building. They search the outside. You search inside. Scared the heck out of me when I first started working in hotels. When I called for my first bomb threat they came, took the information about the caller & told me about their department's policy. The constables then told me that after searching outside the building they would be going down the street to have a coffee at McDonalds. They said to call them back if we found anything or they would come back IF THEY HEARD ALOUD BOOM

What about the fire department? Are they allowed to search?

[Bill Warnock]

Gentlemen:
It is not very smart to expect the police to search rooms or spaces looking for bombs. First of all what will the bomb look like? Who knows the space or room better than the folks who work or maintain that area?
Once the location of the "thing" that was not there before or looks out of place, the discoverer has made the find, facility leadership, security and the departments responsible for rendering safe or removal, police and fire, facility leadership clears the area to let the professionals do their jobs for which they were trained.
Enjoy the day,
Bill

[GCMC Security]

Gentlemen:
It is not very smart to expect the police to search rooms or spaces looking for bombs. First of all what will the bomb look like? Who knows the space or room better than the folks who work or maintain that area?
Once the location of the "thing" that was not there before or looks out of place, the discoverer has made the find, facility leadership, security and the departments responsible for rendering safe or removal, police and fire, facility leadership clears the area to let the professionals do their jobs for which they were trained.
Enjoy the day,
Bill

Bill I agree with this to an extent. Noone knows the place better than those that see it everyday. On the other hand, how many SOs have the training to understand what a device may look like or have the common sense to not mess with it?? I can just see some of the knuckle heads we've all worked with saying "Hey guys here it is!!" and picking up the device......enter loud boom.

[HotelSecurity]

Bill I agree with this to an extent. Noone knows the place better than those that see it everyday. On the other hand, how many SOs have the training to understand what a device may look like or have the common sense to not mess with it?? I can just see some of the knuckle heads we've all worked with saying "Hey guys here it is!!" and picking up the device......enter loud boom.

Bill has given the reason why the police or fire department are no good at spotting things that are out of place inside a private business.

As for GCMC Security's worry it almost happened at my hotel. We received a bomb threat. While looking for it the Operator mentioned that a package had been delivered to the hotel addressed to someone who was not a guest. It had been there for a while. The old Security Director picked it up & carried it down 3 flights of stairs. He put it in the vacant parking lot behind the hotel. The police called for the bomb squad. While waiting one of the officers decided that the "bomb" was too close to the building. My ex-boss picked it up & walked across the parking lt with it! BTW it was not a bomb. It it contained professional recording tapes. The package was to be delivered to a nearby business. It was closed when the delivery man arrived. He decided to bring it to the hotel & leave a note at the business telling them the package was at the hotel. The tapes were very important. The business tried to sue us after the bomb squad blew up their tapes with their water cannon. For years after that there were pieces of professional recording tape hanging from a nearby tree . Our front desk staff was ordered to never accept packages for people who were not registered or who did not have a reservation.