Security Operatives “A Breed Apart”
Many companies profess to having trained security personnel that are ready to service their Client base but in most circumstances, at best, their staff has the absolute minimum acceptable training required by State or Federal regulation. While the minimum training allows a security officer to be placed in the field tasked with providing services to facilities often worth millions of dollars and the personnel who work in those facilities, is it enough to be effective?
Oftentimes, the security company’s training is done by video tape with little or no Instructor participation and is part of the low bid / low quality services found in the industry today. In addition to protecting themselves from their own employees, many security companies have created an “observe and report†environment where, regardless of the situation, the employees are strictly there to observe and report to management any incidents that occur on their shift. This is a philosophy shared by most of the national and a majority of the smaller companies in the security industry today.
The philosophy protects the provider but does not always protect the client, the security guard or the client property / assets. Much of what occurs on a property is the observation of the Client’s staff, contractors, tenants, visitors and patrons along with the reporting of violations, hazards, complaints, etc…
The different between the “observe and report†security guard and the Security Operative can be summed up very simply in the quality of the candidate, level of training, ability to take action and expertise and experience of its Management Team. In today’s post 9/11 world, a Security Operative needs to be more than an “Observe and Report Security Guardâ€. He or she must be an ever vigilant “generalist professional†who takes skills from several professional occupations to create a unique profession “The Security Operativeâ€.
The Security Operative takes from various professions – law enforcement officer, firefighter, paramedic, building engineer and building management representative. Their job is to minimize risk by using their training and expertise to assess situations and take appropriate action to minimize or control the incident. This does not mean the Security Operative replaces any of the above mentioned professions, only that the front line response in most facilities has become the Security Operative. The Security Operative’s response occurs between 1 and 20 minutes prior to the arrive of those professionals. At that time of the initial event, the Security Operative must use his training and expertise to control that environment. This will in turn minimize the effects of the incident / situation until the specific public authority or property management’s staff arrive to assume control.
To perform at this level, the Security Operative needs specific training in areas beyond “observe and report†such as Federal / State Criminal law, Training in Detention of Criminal Suspects, Advanced Report Writing, Investigative Techniques, Self Defense Programs, First Aid / CPR / Automated Electronic Defibrillators / Oxygen Systems, Fire Systems and Types of Fires, Use of Extinguishers & Other Building Emergency Equipment, On Site training in locating Water & Gas Shut Offs / Electrical Vaults & Transformers and Elevator Rooms and Detailed Emergency Preparedness Training. These are only a few of the critical but necessary skill areas a Security Operative must have training in to function in today’s security environment.
To say that the security field is changing would be an understatement. Today’s ever vigilant Security Operative will require continued training in new threats such as Prevention and Response to a Terrorist Attack, Active Shooter, Workplace Violence, Infectious Disease Pandemics, Disaster Preparedness and Response to identify only a few of the most serious issues facing the private security industry today.
This type of protection work cannot successfully be done by low wage, untrained and under equipped personnel with good intentions. It must be done by well paid, properly equipped & trained professionals who are capable of operating at a level on par with their public counterparts.
Copyright © Anthony G. Arcaro, President / Owner Special Protection & Patrol
Special Protection & Patrol is one of Arizona’s leading specialty private security firms. We provide comprehensive security and investigative services to the corporate, financial institution and government sectors.
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