How I would do Security Training

[v859]

One of the issues holding back security as an industry is their low training and education requirements. To remedy this, while not making it to burdensome on businesses. I would implement a level system with the following levels

Level I : Unarmed, observe and report only. Training will be around 24 hours and focus on: Basics of law for security; suspicious activity recognition and reporting; report writing; Patrol and access control; Interpersonal communications; ethics for security

Level II: Unarmed, action taking, may be special police. Training around 100 hours and includes: Criminal Law; Constitutional Law; Civil law and liabilities; Ethics; Response to emergencies, Preliminary Investigations, Arrest Tactics/DT, Report writing and testifying, Interpersonal communications; Firearms safety and familiarization

Level III: Armed security; Training consists of Level II plus firearms qualification.

Optional modules at all levels: ICS/NIMS, Hazmat Awareness, Bloodborne Pathogens, Fire Safety/Emergency Action Plan, Emergency Medical Responder, First Aid/CPR/AED

Optional modules at Level II and III: Management of Disabilities and Emotionally Disturbed, Baton, OC Spray

[Condo Guard]

It makes sense. Some companies have something similar (but not nearly as many hours). I wish the licenses would be a level system, instead of just "unarmed" and armed." You'd get resistance - a lot of companies give you 8 hours of training, pass out the state test and proceed to give you the answers. All they want to do is get those warm bodies in a uniform (or partial uniform) and get them on a site.

[Lunch Meat]

In all seriousness there's a reason that security companies don't do this. It's not profitable. I worked a couple of government contracts, I've done some Aviation Security and I've done warm body work and I have yet to see a client that's willing to pay for anything more then observe and report window dressing.

I've also never seen a client that was willing to enforce the security rules they expected security to uphold with their own employees.

I worked on one government contract where I would have a client employee walk out of the secure area of the building at least three times a month and tell me that he forgot his ID card at home and could I issue him a new one. Every single time I asked him how he got into the secure the building in the first place he told me the same thing, one of my friends let me in. Every time it happened I filed an incident report and cc'd his supervisor with a copy. The third time I did it is supervisor came to my desk and told me I know you're just covering yourself I know you're just doing your job but I really don't care quit sending me these emails. Do you really think that that government entity is going to pay for level 3 guards?

Unless you're talking about an upscale government contract where the first minimum requirement is that you have to have say, a secret security clearance, your average warm body security company is not going to make any return on their investment.

Based on what I've seen where I'm at the companies that are looking for guards like that usually go in-house and they generally require POST certification.

I'm not necessarily saying it's a bad idea but unless you already have the upscale DoD or government contracts you're going to have a hard time implementing it.

[Lunch Meat]

Optional modules at all levels: ICS/NIMS, Hazmat Awareness, Bloodborne Pathogens, Fire Safety/Emergency Action Plan, Emergency Medical Responder, First Aid/CPR/AED

With the exception of the emergency medical responder there are warm body companies out there like G4S an Allied who will give you a level one $13 an hour guard with all those certifications. Again what company is going to pay for your high speed low drag operator?

[Squid]

Level 0: for ALL employees upon hire. About 5 minutes of highlights of Level 1 and "how being Security Aware can help the company help you".

For any Guards: One hour's worth spread across 8 hour shift of Self Study Training EVERY DAY. That would actually be about 30 min max for most HS Grad level folks.

A Smart Phone friendly website with selected Security subjects and quiz. Both general and site specific, like knowing where all the water shutoffs are in a building.


"Studies show" that studying is best done in smallest possible parts with lots of breaks between, which is hard for NORMAL people to do but perfect for typical low intensity Security post.

That way it wont cost client anything for "paid training" and guards will build up Site Specific knowledge that will make client re-consider replacing them.

Plus, would give guards an excuse to be looking at their phones if client asks.

[Consolewatcher]

With the exception of the emergency medical responder there are warm body companies out there like G4S an Allied who will give you a level one $13 an hour guard with all those certifications. Again what company is going to pay for your high speed low drag operator?

Not to mention that how many "high speed low drag" operators are going to work for a private security company for low wages, no pension, crappy benefits (or not at all), little job security, etc..? They're going to find work as police officers, in the military, etc..

[Squid]

Not to mention that how many "high speed low drag" operators are going to work for a private security company for low wages, no pension, crappy benefits (or not at all), little job security, etc..? They're going to find work as police officers, in the military, etc..

I've worked with a few bad ass or otherwise high caliber people who were doing it for same reason as I.

Once on post, "your time is your own" 98% of the time, even more so that your so called "time off" where your GF, kids, good old buddies, etc all put demands on your time.

[Consolewatcher]

I've worked with a few bad ass or otherwise high caliber people who were doing it for same reason as I.

Once on post, "your time is your own" 98% of the time, even more so that your so called "time off" where your GF, kids, good old buddies, etc all put demands on your time.

No doubt that in those types of positions you will still get "high caliber" people who are good at their jobs (I've worked in those positions, and quite a few of my co-workers were retired cops). I'm thinking more of the positions that expect you to have the same qualifications, AND deal with a lot of the same crap police deal with, but at a much lower rate of pay. The way I see it, if you expect me to do the job of a security guard, then you can pay me security guard wages. However, if you expect me to basically do the job of a police officer, you'd better pay me police wages.

[Lunch Meat]

Not to mention that how many "high speed low drag" operators are going to work for a private security company for low wages, no pension, crappy benefits (or not at all), little job security, etc..? They're going to find work as police officers, in the military, etc..

Do I realize this is slightly tangential (look it up Soper) to the topic but around here G4S pays around $20 an hour HSS starts people out at $19.50 on some of their government contracts.

Knowing the cost of living where I'm at that's plenty of money to make your bills and put some aside for retirement on your own every week.

Not to put too much of my business on the streets but a certain amount of my paycheck and all the overtime goes into savings every week

[Consolewatcher]

Do I realize this is slightly tangential (look it up Soper) to the topic but around here G4S pays around $20 an hour HSS starts people out at $19.50 on some of their government contracts.

Knowing the cost of living where I'm at that's plenty of money to make your bills and put some aside for retirement on your own every week.

Not to put too much of my business on the streets but a certain amount of my paycheck and all the overtime goes into savings every week

That's a decent salary, though I suspect that those positions (even if you have a "special police"-type commission) are more like a standard security guard job than a police job. I can see why people might want to do that job instead of policing. However, if the job was basically a police-type job, why would anyone do it for $20 an hour, when someone could become a police officer and make $35+ an hour, better benefits, etc..

[Lunch Meat]

That's a decent salary, though I suspect that those positions (even if you have a "special police"-type commission) are more like a standard security guard job than a police job.

Did I ever say they weren't standard security jobs?

. I can see why people might want to do that job instead of policing. However, if the job was basically a police-type job, why would anyone do it for $20 an hour, when someone could become a police officer and make $35+ an hour, better benefits, etc..

you're really good at reading into things aren't you?

[Lone Wolf]

That's a decent salary, though I suspect that those positions (even if you have a "special police"-type commission) are more like a standard security guard job than a police job. I can see why people might want to do that job instead of policing. However, if the job was basically a police-type job, why would anyone do it for $20 an hour, when someone could become a police officer and make $35+ an hour, better benefits, etc..

$35+ an hour????? I didn’t realize the cops got to live like Leonardo DiCaprio.

As for training in this industry, I would like to see more stringent training. Perhaps something to rival FLETC.

[Condo Guard]

Depends on the area, how hard it is is to recruit and the cost of living. Seattle police make @ $80,000 per year to start - but we also have the highest percentage rise in the cost of living, and you aren't getting a decent house in the city for under $400,000. Neighboring jurisdictions are offering a $15,000 bonus to go lateral, because they need more police and want experienced officers to deal with the rising crime problem. (Seattle just announced they'll match that, so you now have a bidding war between the various Puget Sound departments to get people.)

For security, the starting wage here is now around $15.00 p/h. But again, you don't live in Seattle for $15.00 p/h unless you still live in your parents house or have three or more roommates. Rent for a studio is anywhere from $800 a month (cruddy neighborhood) to $1000 a month (decent neighborhood, small apartment). Gas in the city of Seattle is around $3.60 a gallon - which I why I make sure I'm always on half a tank or more and gas up outside city limits.

[Condo Guard]

Sorry for the wordy last post - I timed out and couldn't edit. Lone Wolf: your FLETC reference reminded me of another issue with training - physical fitness. I wish companies would offer a bonus or incentive to at least meet some kind of minimum fitness standard. You could divide the required benchmarks into age groups and gender to make it fair.

It isn't right that people who take their job seriously and are fit get the same pay as someone who clearly isn't (excluding medical conditions, of course). Full disclosure: I myself could probably lose around 15 pounds, but I can do all of the walking and stair climbing required, including emergency response.

[Consolewatcher]

Sorry for the wordy last post - I timed out and couldn't edit. Lone Wolf: your FLETC reference reminded me of another issue with training - physical fitness. I wish companies would offer a bonus or incentive to at least meet some kind of minimum fitness standard. You could divide the required benchmarks into age groups and gender to make it fair.

It isn't right that people who take their job seriously and are fit get the same pay as someone who clearly isn't (excluding medical conditions, of course). Full disclosure: I myself could probably lose around 15 pounds, but I can do all of the walking and stair climbing required, including emergency response.

I've mentioned it before, but I think that implementing a physical fitness standard for security guards can be difficult. For police officers, it is generally recognized that there are certain core physical functions that a police officer must be able to carry out, even if they don't do it regularly (or hardly ever). For example, a police officer will rarely run after someone, hop over a short fence, drag someone, carry someone, etc. but they are tested under the assumption that they may occasionally do so or someday be expected to do so.

As an example, I used to work with a guy who was morbidly obese (I figure he was at least 400 pounds). However, we were in an office building where the only real physical activity was to perform a patrol of approx. 1 mile every 2 hours. He was able to do that without any problems (I don't remember how long it took him, but it was within a reasonable amount of time). His position would never require him to jump a fence, climb multiple sets of stairs, run (maybe "walk fast" in an emegency), etc.. He would likely fail a standard physical fitness test, but he was fit enough to perform the tasks that were expected of him.