$7.25/hr armed security? No way.

[EMTGuard]

Regular readers know that I'm looking to get out of my current job. So I've been hitting the internet job sites and scanning the classifieds in the newspaper.
While working Sunday night my Coworker handed me the Classifieds and said, "Check out our company's ad in the paper." Sure enough, there it was.

American Citadel Guard needs armed security officers in the Port Allen area. Must have a clean criminal background & sucessfully pass a pre-employment drug screen. Must be able willing to work shift work. Apply in person only at 11848 S. Harrell's Ferry Rd., Ste B in Baton Rouge, LA. No phone calls.

We discussed this ad. Port Allen is located on the west bank of the Mississippi River across from the City of Baton Rouge. It's less than half the distance from my house compaired to where I currently work. I know that our company has the contract for armed guards at a couple of the terminals at the Port of Greater Baton Rouge ( http://www.portgbr.com/ for more about the port) in Port Allen.
Could it be that my company needs a couple of gun guards to work the port? Could this be an option for me? That instead of leaving my company I try to get transfered to the Port Allen account and get my gun card?
I'd be willing to stay with my company if I wasn't going to get a cut in pay by transfering to a different site. I've already applied for my TWIC card and a gun card wouldn't be a problem for me. My coworker agreed that it would be something to explore.
Tonight I was searching the Louisiana state employment website, http://www.laworks.net/ , and found the job posting. And right there on the page among the requirements above "Must pass firearm certification. Security experience is a plus. Job is located in Port Allen, LA" is the pay rate.

Salary Range: $7.25 - $7.25 Hour

Now, I'm working as an Unarmed SO/EMT and get $10.50/hr. My partner, who's not EMT certified, makes $8.50 an hour working unarmed. And other companies, such as Weiser ( http://www.weisersecurity.com/ ), are advertising jobs in Port Allen for $9-10/hr and no mention of needing to be armed.
So it's clear that I'm not about to ask to be transfered to that armed account.
What's really frightening is the question I keep asking myself, "What kind of person are they going to hire who is willing to carry a gun and wear a uniform in an industrial setting and get paid $7.25 an hour?"
Not me. That's for sure.

Comments?

Steve

[mad_malk]

The type of people that cause insurance premiums to go up.

[Lawson]

Confirm the pay rate before you brush it off. A lot of ads are done haphazardly and don't entirely explain. Ive browsed ads that quote $8.00/hr when in fact that is just the "probationary" wage and the actual pay was around $10.00...

So I'd just check into it because 7.25 is awfully low for armed work.

[Black Caesar]

Confirm the pay rate before you brush it off. A lot of ads are done haphazardly and don't entirely explain. Ive browsed ads that quote $8.00/hr when in fact that is just the "probationary" wage and the actual pay was around $10.00...

So I'd just check into it because 7.25 is awfully low for armed work.

It is low, but (and your Louisiana folks have to forgive me for saying this) but in general Louisiana is poor as hell.

10 years ago or so , I considered moving out of Texas and looked at Shereveport, Baton rouge and New New Orleans. I was SHOCKEd by how little jobs pay in those places. Years later I decided to check the cost of living stats. That just made it worse.

Again from Bestplaces.net ( slecting Baton Rouge, and taking the 38k starting pay for a Campus Police Officer in my district):

To maintain the same standard of living, your salary of $38,000 in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas should increase to $39,788 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Stated another way, it's 4.7% more expensive to live in Baton Rouge, Louisiana than Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas

(it suprised me that BR is more expensive than Dallas, but oh well).

And yet, the Starting pay for for a city of Baton Rouge Police officer is 14 bucks an hour ($29,200 per year).

Hell, its not as bad for Shereveport:

To maintain the same standard of living, your salary of $38,000 in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas could decrease to $33,976 in Shreveport-Bossier City, Louisiana
Stated another way, it's 10.6% cheaper to live in Shreveport-Bossier City, Louisiana than Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas

But Shereveport PD starts at $30,000 per year. You'd still do better paywise working as a Campus cop in my district than as a street cop in most big cites in Louisiana, and my District pays the LEAST for a law enforcement officer in Dallas county (Transit cops start at 42k, Dallas cops start at 44k, Deputy constables start at 41k, Dallas Public School cops start at 39k ect ect). Private Security makes more here than there for the most part too.

Can't find any of the Campus or other special PDs that will say what they pay, but I bet its pretty low. Looked on monster.com and the highest security officer wage i saw was 13.50 for an ACSS security supervisor and $10 per hour for officers.

I came to the conclusion the Louisiana just ain't the place to make a living as a protective service worker, and decided to stay in Texas.

Long story short, I can buy the idea of a Lousiana Armed S/O making 7.25 an hour.....

[NRM_Oz]

EMT the lower pay and less travel time and costs need to be weighed up - perhaps they may pay you a premium to shift there or take another position. I have a few close friends in La. and apart from the bigger places when I visited it, found the pay rates were very low. The wife of my mate, has left security to go back to McDonalds as a Duty Manager (she moves around a few stores) and he told me before Xmas she got a pay rise to just over $13.00 / hr with full family benefits (all of them wear glasses).

[N. A. Corbier]

Why would they pay him a premium to work there? They will have to pay for his weapon permit (unless he wants to pay for it himself), may be required to pay for his weapon and holster, etc.

For 7.25 an hour, I sincerely doubt this firm will expend more money than absolutely required to fill these posts.

[junkyarddog]

Seriously, if I were you I would relocate to Houston

[WatnNY]

$7.25 an hour? They'll get some old retired guy who's trying to supplement his retirement income. And I have to agree with Louisiana cost of living versus wages - how the hell do cops in New Orleans make it on that income???

[ddog]

The district managers from what I've seen are, ahem, idiots. They don't have a clue, and would lose accounts quicker than they do, if site supervisors didn't tell them to go to hell, and take the reins.

All that most of the ones I see do is 'nothing' except lower the wage rates. But with turnover, training, 'open' posts, and unneeded overtime, they lose their azz. And then they just come to the sites during altercations when unqualified supervisors, that can't be fired, are causing problems for the customer and employees simultaneously.

They just seem to bump around from job to job (down here anyway), because the turnover is so high at this level. No wonder the turnover is so high below them.

Its almost unbelievable. AND NO WONDER THEY ARE SO PARANOID, since many are near illiterate as well

[Chucky]

A private E-1 in the Army makes more than that an gets free food, Free cloths, Free housing, Free travel and all the fun guns you could dream of. Try it you will like it.

[EMTGuard]

A private E-1 in the Army makes more than that an gets free food, Free cloths, Free housing, Free travel and all the fun guns you could dream of. Try it you will like it.

Been there, done that. I got out as an E4. See->

http://s243.photobucket.com/albums/ff109/sraacke/

Now I'm just a fat, nearly 40yo looking for a better way to take care of myself, my lady and our cats.

[Chucky]

Outstanding pictures. I did a brief stint with 2nd AD Hell on Wheels at Ft Hood Texas. Your pics looked like Germany. The Church with the twin Towers looks like one down by Neu Ulm in the southern part. Germany was a beautiful country.
I was stationed at a missile guidance system recalibration Kaserne in Pforzheim. Translated means fart. The ball bearing manufacturing companies during WW2 gave off a smelly odor. What Armor Division were you in?

[EMTGuard]

Those pics were from my time with 3rd Inf Div in Kitizgen, Germany. In 1990 I went to 1st Cav at Fort Hood. I depolyed with them to Desert Storm before ETSing in 1991.

[jbaerbock]

Im armed and drive millions of dollars around and yet I only get 9/hr. So yeah seems these jobs are paying less and less now a days. We don't even get health insurance.

[Chucky]

Im armed and drive millions of dollars around and yet I only get 9/hr. So yeah seems these jobs are paying less and less now a days. We don't even get health insurance.

How far is the Canadian border from you? Don't forget to send a post card.