How easy is your job?

[junkyarddog]

It boggles the mind that someone with a facility with armed guards and concertina wire would do that. I would think they'd have the security technician out immediatly to get the lock power fixed, or lock up or have more guards. Thanks for clarifying the situation though.

It boggles my mind too, and really irritates me. It gives the impression that the customer doesn't think the rest of my job is at all important. I have guards at major generation and transmission stations to check on, not to mention a bunch of other tasks (everything is prioritized), and instead of letting me just post a guard ("we're trying to cut down on unnecessary overtime") I have to babysit a building (whos mechanical locks work) in a complex that is already secure. Last time this happened, there was an incident at one of the sites and a big stink was made of it.

On the other hand, corporate (plainclothes investigators, the head of which is our customers point of contact for my employer) has some weird ways of doing quality control checks and when something goofy like this comes up, I always wonder if we aren't just being tested. Like, "Here lets tie both hands behind your backs and throw you guys the ball. Oh! You dropped the ball. Have to work on that."

[copelandamuffy]

Contractor babysitting, for those who don't know, is when contractors are working after closing hours at a retail store or somewhere else with stealable stuff, and they hire a security guard to watch over them and keep an eye on the door (since the alarm hasn't been set). Often the contractors would keep around an hour after the store closed, leaving me there with absolutely no responsiblities until the next morning, so I played on my laptop all night.

Fire watches are basically watching something and calling the fire department if it catches on fire; often this was done because the fire system was offline for some reason or work was being done. Again, sitting in an area with nothing that needs doing. Heck, I could have brought a smoke detector and went to sleep......

Been there and have done it. I keep watchfull eye on things all night,
but bring a good book along to read if it is quiet.

[integrator97]

Good question, given the information you are going on.

#1. The building has 12 entrances on the ground floor. All of the mag locks on all of the doors were not functioning. The exterior patrols were followed by immediate interior patrols. For one person, I provided excellent coverage. I can't be in 12 places at the same time.

#2. The building is inside a large complex secured by a 10' chain link fence topped with concertina wire, and at the entrance, twin cantilever gates with a hardened guardhouse between them occupied by two armed guards. One of those guards makes an hour vehicle patrol of the entire site every two hours. Plus there are security cameras everywhere that cover every square foot of the entire complex, inside and outside all structures, the cameras feed back.......

.......The customer has a policy of multiple layers of security/redundant systems, part of my job is that when one of the systems fail, I either assign a guard or post up at the location of the hole myself.

It boggles the mind that someone with a facility with armed guards and concertina wire would do that. I would think they'd have the security technician out immediatly to get the lock power fixed, or lock up or have more guards. Thanks for clarifying the situation though.

[bigshotceo]

I'd say my easiest shifts were contractor babysitting and fire watches.

Contractor babysitting, for those who don't know, is when contractors are working after closing hours at a retail store or somewhere else with stealable stuff, and they hire a security guard to watch over them and keep an eye on the door (since the alarm hasn't been set). Often the contractors would keep around an hour after the store closed, leaving me there with absolutely no responsiblities until the next morning, so I played on my laptop all night.

Fire watches are basically watching something and calling the fire department if it catches on fire; often this was done because the fire system was offline for some reason or work was being done. Again, sitting in an area with nothing that needs doing. Heck, I could have brought a smoke detector and went to sleep......

As for the problem of working at a site where the client only wants you there for an insurance receipt is that the second another company bids for the site at five cents an hour less, you're out and they're in.

[Jeremy]

The easiest/boringest post I ever had was an empty warehouse. The building was steel and had running water and power. It was in the middle of a lot that was completely paved. The perimeter had a ten foot chain link fence with razor wire at the top. There were no reports to fill out. And by no reports I mean there weren't even any forms. The client, and I spoke with him personally, didn't care if we brought in a cot and slept, or didn't show up at all. He just wanted the reciept to show the insurance company, as it was cheaper to do it that way. this site was 24/7. I normally brought a chair, TV, hot plate, food and some reading material. I still made rounds, but as long as I was there, the only thing that happened was shift change. Almost forgot: There was an old rotary phone that we called the office on every hour for a welfare check.

Yeah that has to be the easiest post i've heard of. It would be nice to have a client who said "Do whatever you want. We just need you here because of insurance."
----------

I'm doing good, OfficerChick. Still checking everything and recording activity. I had a chance to work a 12 hour shift last Sunday at the location I transferred from. Alot has changed there, I'm glad that I have more flexibility here and that I work alone. Some fellow officers are a drag to work with.

[junkyarddog]

Curious, couldn't someone have snuck in while you were driving around the building or off making copies?

Good question, given the information you are going on.

#1. The building has 12 entrances on the ground floor. All of the mag locks on all of the doors were not functioning. The exterior patrols were followed by immediate interior patrols. For one person, I provided excellent coverage. I can't be in 12 places at the same time.

#2. The building is inside a large complex secured by a 10' chain link fence topped with concertina wire, and at the entrance, twin cantilever gates with a hardened guardhouse between them occupied by two armed guards. One of those guards makes an hour vehicle patrol of the entire site every two hours. Plus there are security cameras everywhere that cover every square foot of the entire complex, inside and outside all structures, the cameras feed back to the guardhouse and to the security directors office in an office building in the city. The cameras are motion-activated and monitored live 24/7. My suggestion when given the detail was to either lock all of the doors mechanically, or to lock all of them but the front doors and post a guard at the front doors.

When the customer wants something that doesn't make sense, we can only make a recommendation. Our customer is the security director for the actual corporation. The customer deals with two separate security contractors. The director of security has the contract for the plain cloths/investigation services, my employer has the contract for uniformed security. The director of security is our contact with the customer and is in charge of all security operations for the customer.

But anyway, was there not a way to lock the doors mechanically and use a different door? I always have my customers keep the mechanical lock on and re-key it, just in case. You never know when lightning might hit, something may cause a power outage for an extended period beyond battery capacity, or someother failure. It is electronics, after all.

Yes, the mechanical locks on all of the doors work fine. We get an alarm whenever the mag locks fail and have to post the building. The system went offline before my shift and when we asked about the above recommendation, we were told by the customer to just post the site. The customer has a policy of multiple layers of security/redundant systems, part of my job is that when one of the systems fail, I either assign a guard or post up at the location of the hole myself.

[EMTGuard]

My site can be pretty boring. As anyone who has seen the photos of our desk in the guard shack, we spend lots of time tinkering with computers, watching movies or reading as we do anything else. Some weekends the plant is like a ghost town.
I have coworkers who insist on keeping a set schedule. Patrols from 7-8, 10-11, 1-2 and 4-5 exactily. That's how they deal with the 12 hours of boring shift time.
Me I vary things up. I go out on patrol at random times and stay out for as long as I feel like it. I may go out for only 20 minutes or I may be out for 3 hours.
Things get bad when I end up working with those officers who insist on staying on their usual schedule.
Example:
I've been on patrol and had my coworker, who was supposed to be manning the guard shack at plant's main gate, drive past me. I chase him down and roll down my window.
Me: What are you doing out here?
Him: Patroling.
Me: What do you think I've been doing for the last 20 minutes?
Him: I don't know.
Me: If you are out here in the plant and I'm out here then who's in the guard shack?
Him: Nobody.
Me: Who's answering the phone and checking vehicles in and out?
Him: I guess nobody. It's 10 o'clock so I am doing my rounds.
Me: Meanwhile you abandoned your post and left the gate unsecured?
Him: I don't care, I'm going on patrol.
Me: Dude, that's F***ed up.
He drives off to continue his scheduled hour long drive around the plant. I drive back to the guard shack to find the phone ringing nonstop and a truck driver standing in the guard shack next to my desk with his bill of lading paperwork and scale ticket. I make a note in the logbook that I have returned from patrol and that the guard shack was left unsecured by the other officer.
The rest of the shift passes with neither of us speaking. I managed to finish my book by the time my relief walked in the door.

[JB diligence]

Night scope at a grave yard???

I AM SOOOOOOOO jealous. Then again, I'd give up the night scope if I was required to do a cemetary job.

Note: I was gunna use the word "grave yard" imagine a place where both the site and the shift are both use the same 2 words, that's even creepier...

[Bill Warnock]

I don't believe in just meeting my client's expectations. I exceed them - every day.
The last place I worked where there were recorded rounds was at Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis. The rounds started when the gates were locked until 0600. We were supposed to make one round each hour, which took about 15 minutes by car if you drove slow. Most guards made the rounds on the hour, taking 10-15 minutes each time. Then they parked by the main gate until the next round. You could set your watch by those guys.
I made continuous rounds once the gates were locked. I drove very slow since I drove with my lights off 99% of the time and didn't want to hit any markers. I'd hit a key or two, then stop and sit on the hood of the squad for a few minutes and scan the area with my night vision scope. Then maybe I'd double back and hit the two keys I just did, and hit the last key and work backwards, stopping to check mausoleum doors and open graves and scan around with my night vision. I kept this up my entire shift. I rarely parked at the gate, except to meet the Field Supervisor when he came by to visit.
At first, the POC complained that my Detex tapes were so hard to read compared to the other guards. He changed his mind after I explained the method to my madness. In fact, I found out later that the POC quit reviewing my tapes because he knew I was doing my job.

Young man, that is the way it should always be. The old saying, "The mice will play when the cat's away." The mice don't play when they don't know where the cat is or when the cat doubles back. Everybody in this profession should have the same desire and drive as you display and few people would hold a security officer/guard up to ridicule.
Enjoy the day,
Bill

[JB diligence]

I like to feel like my paycheque is earned and I can't stand boring sites. So I bid on the least boring sites which are where I work now. most days are preaty busy and others not as busy but I dig busy, so it's cool. Weekend dayshifts are a bit boring mind you...

[integrator97]

I agree 100%. I always aim to do better today than I did yesterday. I don't always make it, but I try. In the time I've been at this post, my latitude and influence have increased significantly, and I know it's at least in part because I actively look for ways to improve our property and make suggestions. With the current manager, almost all of the suggestions I've asked her to consider she has implemented immediately.

I also like the way you did your rounds. I tell my officers to NOT get into the habit of doing rounds at the same time or in the same pattern. One of the worst things that security can do is be so predictable that BGs know when to strike and how much time they have. Patrol randomly, both in the timing and the order of the patrol.

Guys like you are hard to find. Since I was a teenager, and through 9 years in the Navy, then for others before my own business, I always strived to do as good as I could and go as far as I could while I was there. Sometimes I knew I wouldn't be there long, especially in the Navy, but it paid off most of the time, and never hurt in the others. And I like to think I didn't do it by a**kissing. Actually, I know that wasn't the case, because I'm not a yes man, will voice my opinion, and was told by the Cheng once, that the thing he liked about me was I didn't come to him with problems, I came with problems and possible solutions. Several times I was put in a position of responsibility when there were people senior to me who could / should have had it.

I wish I could find more people like you and I, but most these days just want to do the minimum their jobs require and go home. They want rewards before they'll do better. Pay me more and I'll do more. How about show me you can do more and I'll pay you more.

[officerchick]

Hey Jeremy, I just wanted to check in and see how the new 'tude's working out so far.

[officerchick]

I don't believe in just meeting my client's expectations. I exceed them - every day.

I agree 100%. I always aim to do better today than I did yesterday. I don't always make it, but I try. In the time I've been at this post, my latitude and influence have increased significantly, and I know it's at least in part because I actively look for ways to improve our property and make suggestions. With the current manager, almost all of the suggestions I've asked her to consider she has implemented immediately.

I also like the way you did your rounds. I tell my officers to NOT get into the habit of doing rounds at the same time or in the same pattern. One of the worst things that security can do is be so predictable that BGs know when to strike and how much time they have. Patrol randomly, both in the timing and the order of the patrol.

[Badge714]

If something turned up missing or damaged, or someone was attacked in a restroom or something, you would know who had been in the building. If a fire broke out or you had a bombing, you can assume employees had been in the building, and may be missing. But without the log, who would look there for the pizza guy?

Keep logging the pizza guy, even if just in your notebook.
We had a temporary post once, at a noodle factory where a 100 foot section of wall was knocked out for expansion. The guards main job was to keep people from entering the building through the hole until everything was closed in.
One Saturday afternoon, the guard on post heard some loud crashing noises on the other side of the property. He investigated the noise and found two men in a roll-off truck from a local trash hauler. They said they just picked up some construction debris. Most guards would have went back to their book at that point. But, being a conscientious guard, our man wrote the time, company name, truck number, and the driver's name "Butch" - which was embroidered on his shirt - on his daily report.
On Monday morning, a bunch of metal scaffolding turned up missing from the area where our guard saw the roll-off truck. The client checked the weekend reports and found the guard's entry about the roll-off truck. Turned out that none of the contractors used that particular roll-off service.
To make a long story short, our investigators found that Butch was re-siding his house. Next to his house, they discovered the missing scaffolding.
I am not saying that this incident was the reason we kept the account after the construction ended; but, who knows?

[Badge714]

Its stuff like this that kinda ticks me off a bit. "I'm suposed to do 3 patrols, but I can get away with one." Wrong... Do your job!! Its what the client is paying the contract for. If you don't want to walk around all night that's fine but at least do you minimum patrols.

I don't believe in just meeting my client's expectations. I exceed them - every day.
The last place I worked where there were recorded rounds was at Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis. The rounds started when the gates were locked until 0600. We were supposed to make one round each hour, which took about 15 minutes by car if you drove slow. Most guards made the rounds on the hour, taking 10-15 minutes each time. Then they parked by the main gate until the next round. You could set your watch by those guys.
I made continuous rounds once the gates were locked. I drove very slow since I drove with my lights off 99% of the time and didn't want to hit any markers. I'd hit a key or two, then stop and sit on the hood of the squad for a few minutes and scan the area with my night vision scope. Then maybe I'd double back and hit the two keys I just did, and hit the last key and work backwards, stopping to check mausoleum doors and open graves and scan around with my night vision. I kept this up my entire shift. I rarely parked at the gate, except to meet the Field Supervisor when he came by to visit.
At first, the POC complained that my Detex tapes were so hard to read compared to the other guards. He changed his mind after I explained the method to my madness. In fact, I found out later that the POC quit reviewing my tapes because he knew I was doing my job.