Armed Security Only???

[ddog]

Cost of living is another factor like in CA, WA, or large Nothern cities. I rent a house with a Garage for $550/mo here, so adjusting to employment trends here locally is easier than risking moving. Our whole economy is risky now, and will get shakier in the next few decades, as evidenced historically EVERY century (or 70 year cycle).

Don't have any problems with armed guards, but wackenut is about all there is down here I've seen and that starts out out armed what I'm making now. Don't know about other places, nor really care too much. I assume people in higher cost of living areas do better than in the poorest 3 counties in FL where I'm at (but no Hurricanes hit here any way).

As difficult as it seems, I've got the best SO Spvr seen so far in FL to date. You can't have everything, and Spvr is pretty important. He's fair to each employee, and I'm thankful for that. Armed guards? Doesn't seem like a good deal here from what I've seen, but that may change. Until then, I'll go for what's real to me and not what web ghosts say from afar or near. Show me! I did work in MO at Fort Leonard Wood in US Army: the Show Me state :-)

Anyway, took my CPR class tonight and got my official pocket mask. And I'll start Home Health Aid for about near the same hourly rate as SO overtime: but no HHA overtime except on holidays. Change is good, and so is constant learning. I really do learn allot here since don't get near the experience most of you thrill seekers get in an average day. And yes, I appreciate catering to the rich since I've been mugged once in my lifetime: held up with a shot gun. FTS!

[OccamsRazor]

Damn, stop changing the post!

The average man hour bid is 12-30 dollars, with Wackenhut Corporation asking 30 dollars a man hour for an armed guard. Most companies are asking 13-14 dollars for an armed guard. That's right. They're asking for 13.50 for THEM, and paying 8-9 the employee 8-9 an hour. Unarmed guards are bid as little as 11.45 an hour, and paid 6-7 an hour.

Holy God!

Our current contract was bid and won at $41 an hour, the previous company had it at $54 an hour.

[OccamsRazor]

Cost of living is another factor like in CA, WA, or large Nothern cities. I rent a house with a Garage for $550/mo here, so adjusting to employment trends here locally is easier than risking moving. Our whole economy is risky now, and will get shakier in the next few decades, as evidenced historically EVERY century (or 70 year cycle).

Nice deal on the house. We pay $850 a month for our rental house with huge yard and garage, and that's with all utilities included, less cable TV.

Don't have any problems with armed guards, but wackenut is about all there is down here I've seen and that starts out out armed what I'm making now. Don't know about other places, nor really care too much. I assume people in higher cost of living areas do better than in the poorest 3 counties in FL where I'm at (but no Hurricanes hit here any way).

Look into federal contracts. That's what I'm on.

Armed guards? Doesn't seem like a good deal here from what I've seen, but that may change. Until then, I'll go for what's real to me and not what web ghosts say from afar or near. Show me! I did work in MO at Fort Leonard Wood in US Army: the Show Me state

Fear of change is perfectly reasonable. My current company has a website with our contract on it- www.parasys.com.

As for making this much in your area, try Alutiiq at http://www.alutiiq.com/jobs/show.php?id=2673

They're always looking for armed guys for federal contracts in the Floriduh area, and in that type of role, I'm guessing you're looking at more than $10 an hour.

Akal has an ICE contract in Miami, and Air Force base security contracts at Patrick and tyndall AFBs (not sure where those are). AFB contracts usually run $15-23 an hour, in my experience. http://www.akalsecurity.com/openings

[BadBoynMD]

I will not work unarmed, period. As someone said on O.com, think of it as a golf bag. You're only going to pull out what's necessary for the mission. I was listening to Steve Harvey one morning, and there was a security officer calling in. Steve's first question was "are you armed" the security officer's reply was "no, i'm not". Basically, how can you protect someone from harm, if you don't have the tools to do so? There was a robbery recently, where the security officer got overtaken and the 74 y/o female employee literally took the shotgun from the knucklehead. She stated "we ain't opening a damn thing". So, nope you won't catch me working unarmed.

[NRM_Oz]

Wow I know you blokes have a lower cost of living but I know I could not go back into uniform ever again and live. I agree that some companies (even here) come in for less than the award rate for an unarmed casual guard and then pay the body in a uniform 65% of that rate to get the contract. When I ran my own company, I would often be $20 US above the average rate but would add that we had no supervisor as everyone was rotated, we had 10 year minimum service employees (ex LEO included) and that our gear was current and included onsite.

Often people will mistake your uniform for the police / someone in authority which will escalate a situation. I witnessed 2 transit police who appeared at an exit to conduct a short patrol but were targetted by a street gang for allegedly assaulting one of their gangers (it was 2 female officers who made the arrest) and who then swore to the police that they knew who the 2 TP's were who assaulted their ganger mate ............ only to be in court and change their stories.

[N. A. Corbier]

Damn, stop changing the post!

My thoughts are subject to revision. They were revised.

Holy God!

Our current contract was bid and won at $41 an hour, the previous company had it at $54 an hour.

I have done some contract calculations up here, too, with the more silly firms. While governments up here don't post man hour rates... They're pulling about 12-13 up here too for unarmed guards.

Then again, think about what they're asking for. A guard to observe, report, and do nothing else.

Do you know your GSA Security Designation? You're armed, so you're probably a Guard II. If you have any federal arrest powers (1811s), then you know it skyrockets the cost as well.

Contracting with the government can pull in 40-60 an hour. But, for most cases, its Joe Bob down the street at the apartment complex who is asking for a 12 dollar an hour guard.

I've seen contracts where you add in cost of raises, etc. They are summarily rejected because of a cost increase.

One county up here in Minnesota actually said, "it is our policy to hire the lowest bidding guard provider."

[N. A. Corbier]

So....the overweight donut vaccuum in the ill-fitting polyester uniform, working the guard shack at some controlled-access location makes just as much as one of the CSI armed-anti-terror-high-speed-tacticool guys?

**** Floriduh.

CIS. I'm not sure what CIS pays their ATOs, but they're special contracts and probably make more than the regular uniforms.

As Hank can explain, there are three (four?) types of CIS employee. The regular guys who wear normal uniforms. The guys in the BDUs who work in drug holes. And now the ATOs who work at power plants and wherever else someone needs trained Terrorist Eliminators with M4s.

While they all work for the same firm, I consider it three different jobs with three different pay scales.

I know their competitors will just stick an armed guard out there, and pay them a dollar more an hour than their unarmed gate watcher. Then again, look at bigdog. He is unarmed, and basically doing the job of an armed officer.

This explain the market a bit?

[OccamsRazor]

My thoughts are subject to revision. They were revised.

Do you know your GSA Security Designation? You're armed, so you're probably a Guard II. If you have any federal arrest powers (1811s), then you know it skyrockets the cost as well.

IIRC, it's Guard-2, per the last wage determination our 'union' negotiated on. No arrest powers, thank God.

[Hank1]

So....the overweight donut vaccuum in the ill-fitting polyester uniform, working the guard shack at some controlled-access location makes just as much as one of the CSI armed-anti-terror-high-speed-tacticool guys?

**** Floriduh.

LOL!.......

[ddog]

Nice deal on the house. We pay $850 a month for our rental house with huge yard and garage, and that's with all utilities included, less cable TV.



Look into federal contracts. That's what I'm on.



Fear of change is perfectly reasonable. My current company has a website with our contract on it- www.parasys.com.

As for making this much in your area, try Alutiiq at http://www.alutiiq.com/jobs/show.php?id=2673

They're always looking for armed guys for federal contracts in the Floriduh area, and in that type of role, I'm guessing you're looking at more than $10 an hour.

Akal has an ICE contract in Miami, and Air Force base security contracts at Patrick and tyndall AFBs (not sure where those are). AFB contracts usually run $15-23 an hour, in my experience. http://www.akalsecurity.com/openings

I appreciate the links. In my depressed county area (that the rich retire in), the standard job protocol is to constantly 'churn' near minimum wage jobs (FL min wage - $6.77/hr). But churning entry jobs is the same in most industries like trucking, etc... I think its stupid and uneconomical, but its the lower educated Managers in power making faulty decisions (you get what you don't pay for in Managers).

I'm just glad the web is here, and this may be the best unbiased site I've seen yet for information. I can now see SO is a viable profession if you want to move. But I moved to every State in the SE USA as an engineer, and consequently wasted all my potential wealth doing so. Live and learn. So I plan to stay put here for a while while acquiring additional dual-disciplines (like RN or PT), and then move to Southern Appalachian Mountain area some day near Chattanooga, TN, Atlanta, GA, or Greenville, SC (where ever fiber is already laid for trading online). Well that's my plans this week any way, lol, and they change as rapidly as reality dictates.

Thanks again!

[ddog]

In my workplace (a check cashing store) or one similar to it, such as a bank, not only would I not work without a firearm, but I wouldn't work without a bulletproof vest either.

Actually, if I somehow was forced into a situation to work in that environment, I'd settle for nothing less than a dragon skin body armor.

So that in itself is another reason armed guards is not appealing to me: a $3K expense of which I'd only get a third back on taxes. There's no used market for them I've found (yet).

When you are armed, you now have a motive for punk hoods to shoot you: your weapon. So it would always be a wall to my back and never get in crowds, since even a dragon skin does not cover the back of my head. Dealing constantly with the public does not seem to go hand in hand with carrying firearms: safely anyway.

Believe me, I wouldn't mind ICE duties (the invisible agency), nor toting firearms. But the link provided to me shows the one job in FL is almost in Cuba at the Keys. No thanks.

I'll keep my eyes open though, but just figure there are better probabilities elsewhere. And my SO job is 2.5 miles from my garage door :-) Every job is different for every unique person; and likewise has a different cost/benefit equation per each person. So nothing is right for everyone, nor wrong for everyone. No one is criticizing anyone's job or career choices, so please don't anyone get their panties in a bind over someone asking questions or expressing personal viewpoints. This is a forum, and a dang good one, imo

[Guest]

Actually, if I somehow was forced into a situation to work in that environment, I'd settle for nothing less than a dragon skin body armor.

In the world we live in where cops, etc are in an arms race with criminals;http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/11/05/cops.guns/index.html, I wouldn't be wearing Dragon SKin after reading this:
http://www.military.com/NewsContent/...136293,00.html

So that in itself is another reason armed guards is not appealing to me: a $3K expense of which I'd only get a third back on taxes. There's no used market for them I've found (yet).

My Level IIIA armor only cost me $723, unfortunately, I cannot find it on the GT Distributors webiste, but it is ZeroG Armorwear Gold Level IIIA. Also, figure in the cost of having a bullet removed, $700 is far cheaper.

When you are armed, you now have a motive for punk hoods to shoot you: your weapon.

Apparently, you live in a pretty bad area or SO's are notorious for being poorly trained. Down here, I have yet to have a 'punk hood' try to shoot me whether i am armed or not. I fell that they will only instigate if they feel or view incompetency from the SO. SO's who handle themselves well are rarely, from my experience, the target of serious mischief.

So it would always be a wall to my back and never get in crowds, since even a dragon skin does not cover the back of my head.

Again, this is just paranoia. I have no concern working in a night club armed or at a large music venue. Though I do see other issues with carrying in a crowd, getting shot because I am carrying is not one of them.

Dealing constantly with the public does not seem to go hand in hand with carrying firearms: safely anyway.

Soo...police, etc are not effectively and safely doing their job because they are armed? I do my job safely. Look at Mr. Security's signature. By that definition, me walking around with my firearm is safe and porviding security to the letter of that definition. Also, if an SO is totally consumed with the danger that they might be in one day, this is not the right line of work for them. Hell, you could be working at a retirement home one day and get killed just as easily as working in the projects. I worked on a construction site built close to a gang turf line (dumbest idea ever.) Never once had a bullet even come near me despite news reports of various shootouts with PD in the immediate area. Seems like if anyone was going to shoot at SO's it would be gangster punks cowards.

And my SO job is 2.5 miles from my garage door

Must be nice. I want a job like that.

[MSPofficer]

My thoughts are subject to revision. They were revised.




I have done some contract calculations up here, too, with the more silly firms. While governments up here don't post man hour rates... They're pulling about 12-13 up here too for unarmed guards.

Then again, think about what they're asking for. A guard to observe, report, and do nothing else.

Do you know your GSA Security Designation? You're armed, so you're probably a Guard II. If you have any federal arrest powers (1811s), then you know it skyrockets the cost as well.

Contracting with the government can pull in 40-60 an hour. But, for most cases, its Joe Bob down the street at the apartment complex who is asking for a 12 dollar an hour guard.

I've seen contracts where you add in cost of raises, etc. They are summarily rejected because of a cost increase.

One county up here in Minnesota actually said, "it is our policy to hire the lowest bidding guard provider."

What county in Minnesota would that be? I know of a security company in Minneapolis that bid $21.95 per hour for a armed position at an apartment complex. I was disgusted at low they bid to get that work. Companies like that are pythetic.

We should all bid what we are worth.

Good day and God Bless
MSPOfficer

[ddog]

In the world we live in where cops, etc are in an arms race with criminals;http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/11/05/cops.guns/index.html, I wouldn't be wearing Dragon SKin after reading this:

http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,136293,00.html

Doug,

The US Army does NOT want to buy millions of dragon skins. But look what the Generals and Senators wear! Do as they do, not as they say (or b.s.).

[Guest]

ddog

That was the first link I pulled on DSkin, I will pull more if necessary, but none of them looked very promising. They all seemed, from the summaries, to show that DSkin armor isn't so great...