Emergencies can arise at anytime without warning. As a security officer your job is to respond appropriately to mitigate injury and loss of property. Whenever an emergency arises, here are a few steps to help you respond effectively: 

1. Clear the hazard area - Identify an area where the hazard exists then immediately direct people to evacuate the area. Preventing additional harm to others is a priority. 

2. Summon assistance - Even "small emergencies" will require assistance. Call for help as soon as possible - fellow officers, emergency medical services and others. Starting a response as soon as possible will reduce the time for help to arrive. 

3. Maintain calm while giving clear commands - Emergency scenes are chaotic, stressful. Doing your best to maintain a calm presence through your voice and demeanor while giving clear commands to others will reduce the chaos for those present. It's difficult, but maintaining your composure through a calm demeanor will greatly help others while increasing the chances they will follow your commands. 

Prevention of further injury or damage is the first priorities in any emergency situation. Understand that you will not be able to handle the emergency alone and will need assistance. Clearing the hazard area, summoning assistance, and maintaining a calm demeanor will help you prevent further injury or damage to property. 

Rarely, not often, as a security officer you may be called upon to assist in directing vehicle and pedestrian traffic on a property. Here are some tips on how to direct traffic safely: 

• Wear a reflective vest or have reflective clothing to increase your visibility. 
• Safety first - Always have enough room to move out of the way of vehicles. Don't expect the driver to see you, or make maneuvers to avoid hitting you. 

Traffic directing tips: 

• Use clear hand and arm motions when directing traffic. Small movements with your hands are not easily seen by drivers so put your arm into it and make clear, easy to understand gestures. 
• Ensure all traffic stops in one direction before signaling other vehicles to move. People are creatures of habit and they may approach a stop sign, stop then hit the accelerator. Make sure they see you by making eye contact with the driver, pause a second to ensure they understood your stop signal/motions. 
• When directing pedestrians to cross an intersection, it's best to stop all vehicle traffic while they do so. This avoids confusion for drivers, and ensures pedestrians are safe when in the roadways. 
• During dim-light or night hours always use a flashlight to signal drivers. Don't shine it in their face as you will disrupt their night vision. Pointing it at the front of the car and using it to show the path you want them to follow by pointing and moving it along the ground is a great way to ensure they understand your directions. 

Safety is always the first priority when directing traffic, your safety and the safety of drivers and pedestrians. Don't rush drivers and make sure you are always alert to what drivers and pedestrians are doing around you. 

Security officer safety is critical, not only to you the officer, but to those you are assigned to protect. Chances are, your client hired security officers because there were safety or security problems at the site. Here is a simple reminder for you to ensure you maintain your focus on being safe. 

ABC - simple acronym that stands for "Alert, Be Prepared, and Call for assistance". 

"Alert" - Officer's need to be alert to changes in their environment that pose a safety/security risk. Keeping your head on a swivel, constantly scanning the area around you will increase your awareness. Being alert includes understanding what is happening just beyond the property you are assigned to protect as local neighborhood activities can encroach on the property. Reviewing local news, to include weather forecasts, making sure you obtain information from fellow officers and employees at the site will ensure you are alert to potential activities that may occur. 

"Be Prepared" - Many days can be boring which is fortunate for the client and the officer. As a security officer, you need to be prepared to react to a potential emergency situation as they often occur without warning. Reviewing emergency action plans, post orders, and mentally creating checklists of actions to take in a potential emergency will not only keep you prepared, but will keep you mentally alert. Being prepared also includes ensuring you have all the equipment you need and that it is in working order, e.g. charging flashlights, radio's before your shift, etc. 

"Call for Assistance" - Calling for assistance at the earliest opportunity allows time for first responder's, fellow security officers or local police, to arrive in time. Some security officers hesitate in calling for assistance as they begin to determine what is occurring. Sometimes, calling for assistance can help deescalate a situation. It's critical that as a security officer, you remember that your safety is critical to ensuring the safety of others on site. If overtaken by a suspect, without others to assist, the suspect could then threaten others on the property. 

The ABC's of safety are intended as a reminder for security officers when beginning duty. Each day as you travel to work think of the "ABC's of Officer Safety" to help mentally prepare you for work. Add your own tasks, or practices to each category to increase your safety awareness.

​Be safe!!!

Throughout our training we discuss maintaining high visibility, or creating a presence in assigned work areas. For security officers, maintaining a presence prevents many issues from arising. It's better not to have to deal with problem.

​So what are the best ways to creating a presence that will deter criminal activity, and other disruptive behaviors?

• Uniform - Security officers wear uniforms to stand apart from the crowd. Uniforms draw the attention of others which is the intent of having a uniformed presence on a property. 
• Patrols - Post orders include patrol instructions to maximize deterrent through patrols. Security officers roaming areas frequently known to have problems, or areas that are vulnerable to security risks, increases the presence of the officer. Supervisors, when completing post orders, utilize directed, random, or post position patrols depending on the needs of the specific property. 
• Communication/Community Relations - Security officers also communicate their presence to others. Casual conversations, talking with patrons or employees at the work site, is great way for security officers to increase their presence. Even though there may be casual conversation, make no mistake, these conversations are often intentional. Establishing rapport between the officers and those on the property increases communications about potential issues. 
• "Front & Center" - Many security managers will have security officers at the front and center of any property. Having officers being one of the first persons seen when someone enters the property is a great deterrent. Although it may require an additional staff position, having an officer front and center to be seen by all that enter a property is a great way to deter potential problems. 
• Security Officer vs. Security Camera - Property owners may opt for security cameras rather than employ/contract security officers. Surveillance cameras are common on properties, and even on private homes. As a result, the deterrent effect of cameras is often lacking as most are not monitored. Having a security officer, one who is vigilant, and responsive provides a greater deterrent. In general; security cameras are "inactive", while security officers are "active". It is better to opt for a mixed approach that utilizes both cameras to record activities and security officers that can provide active deterrents and response. 
• Prompt response - Unfortunately, even when every effort is made to deter incidents, they will still occur. Staffing security officers adequately ensures a prompt response which can greatly reduce the negative impacts of a situation by reducing the length, duration that the negative event continues. 

The presence of a uniformed security officer is a great deterrent. Having an active presence, and response when needed can greatly improve the safety and security of a property. 

Many, if not most, people are attracted to security work because of their ethics. They want to find a work environment that fits their ethical makeup. Ethical behavior is one of the reasons security officers are hired by companies. But where do we learn what constitutes ethics: 

Ethics is simply defined as ... "Moral principles that govern, guide a persons behavior or conducting a specific act." Others say that ethics is "...doing the right thing all of the time even when no one is watching you."

Moral principles are learned behaviors. They are learned from parents, friends, and family members. They are learned from churches or childhood activities that may include girl scouts, boy scouts, or sports. Many learn ethical behaviors in the workplace as well. Consider the military, or working for companies that have strong ethics programs to govern employee behaviors. 

There are a few guides that define ethical behavior as well, such as laws, company policies and procedures, training, and professional organizations. For most security officers, yes there are a limited amount of exceptions, they come to the profession with the moral principles already in place. 

Consider this example; A security officer guarding a large amount of money was asked, "Why don't you just take some money? No one will know." 

The officer responded, "I will know." 

This is one of the best examples of having moral principles ingrained in one's behavior to govern their actions in a given situation.

Another example; a young boy at school saw two boys bullying another. He attempted to intervene and was beaten pretty badly. When asked why he did it, he replied, "Because it was the right thing to do. The other boy got away, that was my intent."  WOW!!!!!

There are those individuals that sometimes fail to follow ethical practices. Less than 1% of those employed as security officers, but security officers are hired and work because of their ethics, moral principles. 

So the next time you see a security officer, know that you have just seen an ethical person. 

As a security officer one of your most powerful tools is the power of observation. Use you powers of observation to: 

• Notice body language - We communicate with our body language consciously and subconsciously. Be aware of a suspects head, body position, arms and hand movements when talking to them. Consider what their body language is saying to you. 
• Identify a suspicious person - Watch for individuals that appear to be lingering for no apparent reason. People who wander, leave and return may be up to no good. Watch their eye movements to see if they are looking around frequently or if they are watching you. 
• Identify potential weapons on a person - Look for strange bulges in clothing such as the waistline or ankles. Watch their hands to see if they frequently "check" their clothing in specific areas, often a sign they are adjusting their weapon or unconsciously reassuring themselves it is still there.
• Be alert to facial expressions - Our emotions are often reflected in our facial expressions. Anger, frustration, even happiness are easily recognized by looking at someones facial expression. 

Using your power of observation keeps you alert, prepared to react if needed. Remaining alert to your surroundings, which includes those around you, will increase your safety while increasing your opportunities to prevent or catch someone in an act of violence or other criminal activity. 

Online training is an effective way to transfer knowledge to others in the security industry. Here are a few reasons why our training is so effective: 

• Not a "gimme" course - Some courses offered provide basic, limited information to their students to meet the requirements. These students are ill-prepared to complete their duties. Our courses are focused on ensuring students receive and retain critical information to make them effective. Several companies use our courses for their new employees to reduce the on-the-job training time required for them to become an effective solo employee. This reduces liability, time spent on training, and more importantly, time and money required spent in terminating poor performing employees and replacing them. 
• Changes in culture - How often have you searched the web to learn new things. Maybe you want to change the oil in your car, need to repair a clothes dryer, or want to learn more about a particular subject. Online learning has become a norm for for all of us today. When a question arises, we go to the Internet to find answers where we find videos, articles, and the latest up-to-date information. Our training program takes advantage of these self-taught skills and leverages various content sources. 
• Focus - Online training allows students to learn when they want to learn. Your mind can wander easily when sitting in a traditional classroom. How often have you sat in a class looking at your watch waiting for the class to be other. We often see our students work on their course in bites, spending 20-30 minutes in the course, taking a break then returning to continue for another bite. This method allows students to absorb the information being presented, then take a mental break to reflect on what they have learned and to prepare for the next section. This allows you to retain more information. Coupled with the changes in culture, learning on your schedule, when you can best avoid distractions, is a great way to learn skills, gain the knowledge you need to perform the job. 
  
• Up-to-date Content - Consider a training course that you took a few years ago in a traditional setting. Chances are the content was up-to-date at the time. Information changes, we are learning new ways to complete job duties all of the time. Our online content ensures that students receive the latest information rather than an instructor teaching from the same outline they have used for several years. In addition, much of our course content encourages students to seek out new information about specific topics as it changes frequently. In other words, they learn to learn on their own. 
  
• Several Sources of Information - In an online format we are able to include several sources for students to learn from. Homeland Security is an example where students gather the latest information for protecting the homeland from expert sources. Rather than one instructors point of view, they receive information from various sources with the information specific to the topic. 
  
• Diversified Knowledge - Consider that in a traditional classroom, students are often limited to receiving information from one or maybe two instructors. With online training, using several sources of information, students are provided with a diverse look at topics covered in the course. One topic is covered from 2-3 perspectives. It's like having 10-20 instructors that provide varying perspectives, experience. 
  
• Adaptable - Our course content is adapted to our students needs. Through an online format we are able to adapt, based on student feedback and test scores, to ensure the success of our students. Our goal is for our students to learn, retain the information they are presented. Multiple feedback systems are in place for instructors to monitor student progress, adapting as needed. Finishing the course is important, it is more important that they retain the knowledge beyond the course for application in the field. 
  

Online learning has been commonplace in today's society, whether we are taking online courses or searching the Internet for answers to questions we have. The ability to learn when you want to learn also increases the effectiveness of retaining the information, not to complete a test, but for use in the field. Classroom instruction still is an important part of the learning process, but general and technical topic learning is quickly becoming an online training venue. 

With the holiday seasons upon us, chances are you will see security officers in your daily activities whether shopping, or at work. They are hired by companies to make the places they work safer and more secure. As you go about your holiday activities consider they are there to protect you. 

• Training - in almost all states security officers must complete training to ensure they are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to complete their duties. Properly trained officers protect you and your property while you are in their presence. 
• They detect and deter criminal activity. Often their presence discourages criminals from initiating criminal activity. Although they can not stop all criminal activity, their presence can greatly reduce criminals from targeting you while you are on the premises. 
• As a part of the homeland security effort they observe, detect, and report activities that may be a threat to the homeland. Some are hired specifically for that purpose. Unfortunately the news carries stories about terrorist activities. Security officers help secure the homeland by carrying 

Security officers often interact with individuals that are angry, under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and/or those that are committing crimes. The goal of any such encounter is to end it without the need for a physical confrontation. So, how are security officers trained to use verbal de-escalation techniques to calm a tense, potentially volatile situation?: 

• Use a calm voice - The tone and volume can quickly escalate a confrontation. Security Officers know to maintain a calm, quieting tone and volume to help de-escalate a tense encounter. Yelling back at the individual seldom leads to a positive outcome. 
• Patience - Officers know that when someone is emotionally upset it takes time for them to calm down. Yelling at someone, "Calm Down!" is never effective. Patience in taking the time to calm the individual, allowing them time to slow the release of adrenaline in their body will greatly help in de-escalating the situation. 
• Use active listening - Security officers, when encountering an upset individual, know that all things are not as they seem. Using active listening techniques allows the individual to calm down, while the officer has a chance to accurately identify the issues they are experiencing. Active listening includes not interrupting the individual - allow them the opportunity to get it out verbally; paraphrasing what the individual said to ensure they understand it accurately, and again, patience. 
• Not to take it personally - Being humble, not taking comments from an upset individual to heart is the key that all security officers know. It's difficult to maintain this mind-set when someone is screaming at you, calling you names, but experienced officers take in to account the situation, they understand the biological changes the individual is undergoing in a stressful situation, and above all, they know they have a job to do which is to de-escalate the situation. 

These are a few of the techniques that security officers learn from training and experience to use in a tense situation. The goal is to have a calm outcome. Unfortunately they do not always work, but employing these techniques and others will increase the chances of a positive outcome for all. 

Every property, every assignment brings varying challenges. Professional security officers are being faced with more complex scenarios at work. The best officers employ patrol techniques in an effective manner to protect the public. There is not one technique that is used more effectively than others. Needs change, sometimes daily. Professional security officers evaluate the conditions and identify the most effective techniques to use.

​Here are a few: 

• Directed patrol - Identifying risks recently encountered. Officers then focus on the risk in their patrol activities. 
• Random (we prefer Varied Patrol) - Random patrols are not wandering around aimlessly, rather the properly trained officer employs various techniques to increase their visibility such as doubling back in an area; pause and walk; force multiplier in coordination with fellow officers; and initiating contact with individuals. 
• Surveillance - Employing overt and covert surveillance methods in patrols. Officers may monitor the parking lot and see 5 cars enter. They should expect to see five or more pedestrians entering the property; or partially concealing their presence to observe suspicious individuals to gain additional intelligence as to their activities. 
• Initiating action - Based on their observations, properly trained officers then determine a course of action that may include; direct contact, reporting, or initiating law enforcement response. 

Properly trained, professional security officers have a variety of resources to employ while patrolling their assigned areas. Effective introduction of patrol techniques has a positive impact on improving the safety and security of their assigned area.