When guards take on the responsibility of keeping others safe, it is very important that they do not forget about their own security as professions revolving around protection unfortunately come with the drawback of being dangerous. There are many precautions security guards and their managers can take to generate the safest working conditions possible.
Following are some ways to make your security patrol system safe and successful:
1) Do not forget to carry your defensive gear: While being on a security patrol, you can never anticipate when things are going to turn worst and to protect your guards against any mishappening, it is necessary that you are always prepared with your defensive gear.
Be sure that your guards carry all the essential tools like flashlight, radio, pepper spray, baton, and a firearm . In case they are not allowed to carry a firearm on duty, then check that they have other crucial tools in place.
2) Ensure adequate clothing: It is very important for the guards to wear appropriate clothing for their safety purposes. These guards are entitled to running, walking, and other various physical activities, which means they should wear very comfortable footwear in order to perform all the activities.
3) Keep a distance from defaulters: When interviewing a potential suspect, you never know how they are going to act. That’s why it is vital that all guards on security patrol remain an arms distance while communicating with defaulters as this will allow a guard to react if a suspect try to attack.
4) Stay active about your job site and its hazards: Many times, security guards are asked to patrol such areas where some type of hazardous material is made. Therefore before sending your guards to such places make sure that they have enough knowledge about those hazardous substances and the dangers that surround them.
Also, it is essential to know which protocol would it be if your guard accidentally came into physical contact with any dangerous substance.
5) Change your route: Security guards are often told to inspect various checkpoints throughout their shift, and guards generally take the same ways to their checkpoints. Doing so, however, makes the guard’s movement calculable which again makes them likely to get harmed. In order to keep the guard’s actions random and make the planning of criminal activity difficult, try and vary the route of checkpoints.
Also, consider tracking their route from time to time.
6) Get informed about emergency procedures: Always make sure that your guards know well and are properly informed about emergency procedures. They should know what to do in the event of fire or earthquake and how to manage a potential deadly injury when such an incident occurs. Having appropriate information regarding this may lead to saving of someone’s life.
7) Know your limits well: Security guards do everything they can to protect others. It is the nature of their job but still, some cases require specialized assistance. For example, a terrorist event may require special forces, and similarly, a bombing incident would acquire special assistance. These are some situations that your guards may not be trained to handle. Therefore the best course of action by guards in these situation is to defer responsibility to the party best suited to handle.