Whenever you are thinking of boosting security in a particular facility, security guards are usually the first line of defense you will think of. When you are thinking of hiring such guards, there are many things you will need to consider, the most important of which is how they are trained. However, the one question that many people don’t get right is: what sort of training should the guards get? Remember, how useful the guards will be will depend on how they are prepared to tackle the threats that your business is exposed to. When you are assessing the training of the security guards, you need to take into account the following:
It should ideally have a public relations component
The guards you have at your building are not only security elements, they are also the first point of contact between the outside world and the business. When people visit your office, they are likely to have to go through the guards first. When you are assessing the training or experience that the guards have, you need to take this into account. A high quality guard is one who can interact with people coming into and out of your building in a polite and professional manner, irrespective of whether they are high value customers or not. This will go a long way in preserving the reputation of the business.
Physical training
Being a guard is an arduous job. Most have to stand for long hours, and how much stamina they have will determine how effective they are. When a security guard becomes very tired, they are likely to not pay attention to security threats, and this in turn means that they are less likely to protect the facility. When you are assessing the training of any such personnel, you should find out how much physical training they have. You can even include a physical test as part of the assessment process. However, this should not include an arbitrary set of physical tests; you should have specific things you would be looking out for.
Current security threats
The nature of security threats in the current world keeps changing. For instance, there are times when you might be more prone to terrorism rather than a simple robbery. A high quality guard is one who is familiar with the dynamics of each of these threats, and is equipped to handle them. For instance, if you own a building that is prone to a terrorist attack, they should be able to identify an impending attack, and then try to prevent it with minimal loss. Most of the time, being able to do this requires that they receive expert training.
Mass psychology
The security guards will often have to deal with large groups of people at a go. This is especially so when something goes wrong, such as when a robbery happens. In such cases, they are likely to be in the front line in doing things such as directing people to move from one place to another to avoid the risk. In addition to that, during an event such as a fire, they are also likely to play this role as well. Though it’s not strictly necessary, hiring guards who are trained to handle groups of people in such scenarios will be an advantage. It is important to remember that in the aftermath of a crime or an accident such as a fire, people are likely to suffer from mass hysteria and panic. The presence of a couple of guards who seem under control will go a long way in preventing this from causing more accidents, such as due to stampedes.
Should you retrain guards?
Once you employ guards, chances are that they will have received training. One of the questions that most people have to contend with is: should you spend more money on training them again? This is a question that often doesn’t have a very clear answer. The best way to determine this is by examining your needs and the capabilities of the guards. If they are not at par, you might need to spend money on training the in order to bridge this gap.
The other scenario is when you need them to have specialized skill in a particular field. However, in such cases, you would need to design the training you want them to go through, and then find a body that can provide such training. Fortunately, there are many security firms that can help you design and implement these training sessions.
In summary, the training of a security guard is something that should not be taken for granted, particularly if you value keeping your premises secure. When you are hiring them, it’s wise to be very critical of how and where they received their training, rather than assuming that all security guards have the same level of expertise.
