Security is very important for both businesses and residences. Investing in keeping your life and property safe from any possible dangers is crucial in a time where technological advancements can be used to do harm to anyone. One way to do this is to hire security personnel to guard your property on a 24/7 schedule. This way, you can rest easy that you are being protected at all times. This is commonly done by businesses to ensure that their assets are secured. This article will be discussing the important characteristics of security personnel and the cost you may incur if ever you decide to employ a 24/7 security setup.
Characteristics Of Security Personnel
Security personnel have a wide range of tasks whenever they are deployed. The main reasons for hiring a security service are to prevent and contain any risks that would cause a disruption to business operations or to the people living in a residence. This would mean that security personnel must possess specific characteristics to be able to properly handle their jobs. Below are some of the common characteristics security personnel must have:
Security personnel must always have keen senses.
o It is imperative for people working in security services to be able to identify threats as soon as possible.
o A person’s senses help identify excellent security personnel from a mediocre one.
o Threats may come in different forms, it is the security personnel’s task to uncover them and neutralize them.
o Security personnel should be able to detect possible threats and be ready to perform countermeasures against them.
o With keen senses also means having the ability to respond as fast as possible. Trained security personnel already know most of the ways to handle different kinds of dangerous situations. It is their duty to use all of the knowledge they have gained for the benefit of their employers.
o Having keen senses is a very valuable skill for personnel working with a 24/7 schedule. Security working at night will need to rely on their senses, especially for those personnel assigned to guard areas that have low light.
Security personnel must be observant.
o There is no room for inattentive people working in security.
o Observation skills are crucial to identify if a hostile situation will escalate.
o A well-trained security guard will be able to spot any threat or illegal activity just by observing the situation carefully.
Integrity is a character that people working in security should always have.
o Employers rely on security personnel to give them information about people they may find showing suspicious actions or situations that have the possibility of turning into unfavorable conditions.
o Security personnel coming from security agencies are believed to have gone through a strict selection process. Employers trust that these security agencies hire people with good moral values.
Employers trust security personnel will be able to make rational decisions.
o Security personnel must be able to think on their feet.
o For security personnel to properly do their jobs, they must possess critical thinking and reasoning.
o Employers will be relying on their security guards to handle any type of situation rationally. Jumping into conclusions may lead security guards into doing actions that they may regret in the future. Also, security guards have to remember that the actions they make will also reflect on their employers.
o Treating suspects harshly may lead to lawsuits against their employers. This is why security personnel must be careful with the decisions they make.
For security personnel tasked to handle 24/7 jobs, they must possess good physical and mental fitness.
o Guarding a property can be taxing on the body. With the need for keeping themselves alert at all times, security personnel must train their bodies to handle constant physical and mental abuse.
o Even though security services are done in shifts, there may be incidents that would lead to some security guards doing overtime work. This is the time their bodies must be prepared to handle extra pressure.
o By having a good state of mental health, security personnel can avoid making ignorant decisions.
Security personnel should possess good communication skills.
o Having this skill is important when security guards are tasked to do security checks on people and their belongings. Security guards will need to explain to people how they will be doing the security checks and why they are doing them.
o Being able to properly communicate with guests or company employees, the employers will not be humiliated. Also, being able to communicate well will not lead to guests or employees getting anxious and angry at the employers of the security personnel.
Security personnel should be able to work well within a team.
o Security agencies usually deploy security personnel in groups or teams. This will ensure that shifting and the availability of a backup will keep the security team working 24/7. As a team player, each member should be able to do their roles. If one of the security guards needs to attend to some emergencies, the other members must be ready to take the place of that security guard.
o In addition to working as a team, security guards will also become part of the employer’s team. This means that they should be able to interact well with the other members of the company or household that employed them.
o For a security service to be effective, all of the people involved, including the employer, must work closely together to ensure that safety will always be upheld.
Cost For Hiring 24/7 Security Services
Security services are usually paid by the hour. Depending on the level of technical skill of the security personnel, the hourly rate may be higher. When hiring security personnel from a security agency, you are assured that they have attained their security guard licenses, which is a requirement imposed by the government of Ontario. However, additional training may have been taken by some of these personnel to give them more specialized skills in relation to security services. This is why security personnel rates vary depending on skill and security agency. To give you a better idea of the current average hourly rate for each type of security personnel that you may hire to be part of your security detail, you may refer to the following list:
Unarmed security guard: CAD 20 – CAD 30
Armed security guard: CAD 25 – CAD 40
Concierge security guard: CAD 25 – CAD 30
Security supervisor: CAD 30 – CAD 45
Security manager: CAD 50 – CAD 70
Corporate security: CAD 100 – CAD 120
Roles Of Security Personnel
Security personnel in Ontario, Canada can be given multiple tasks by their employers. However, there are also restrictions imposed by the government in which these people are not allowed to do so. One of the things these security personnel are not allowed to do is to bring their guns outside the property that they are working in. Another restriction these security personnel must abide by is that they are not allowed to refer to themselves as policemen, law enforcement officers, or private detectives. In addition to this, they are not allowed to shoot any individual. For the tasks or roles that security personnel are allowed to do, you may refer to the following:
- Security personnel can bring firearms if they need to guard cash or precious metals. However, they must always carry their valid firearms licenses at all times.
- They are allowed to do a citizen’s arrest. For this to be legal, they must see the criminal perform the unlawful act before they can do the arrest.
- They are allowed to hold on to a perpetrator just long enough until the police arrive to bring the criminal to jail.
- The main role of security personnel is to prevent theft from happening.
- Security personnel are also tasked to defuse any situation within the premises of their deployment.
- They can do crowd control as needed.
- They are allowed to check on the belongings of any individual entering the residence or business office.
Hiring Security Personnel Is a Long-Term Investment
When you are thinking about the safety of your properties, hiring professionals to guard them is one of the most cost-efficient things to do. You have to consider that by protecting your property and life; you will not feel any anxiety or fear when there are visitors coming into your residence or office. By hiring security services from reputable security agencies, you are assured that the personnel deployed by these agencies have been thoroughly checked and trained by them.
However, you should always take extra precautions and do some investigations on your end to ensure that the security personnel assigned to protect you are fit to do their jobs. Your safety and the safety of the people around you are very precious. Here at Northern Force Security, we know that customers put so much value in their lives and their properties. That is why we aim to protect what is valuable to our customers to the best of our abilities. If you have any concerns regarding security, you may contact us at (647) 982-1385. We may be able to give you the protection that you deserve.
