Security Training for All Staff - Is It Worth It

  

Security Training for Non-Security Staff: Is It Worthwhile?

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When it comes to upskilling employees, it is often the case that we only think about the skills required for the immediate tasks at hand. We may sometimes look at what is needed for the next rung up the ladder if we are dealing with a promotion prospect. The truth is, though, that there are a couple of core skills that all staff can benefit from, and as a result, your business will also reap the benefits. 

Those skills include the provision of first aid and security training. The benefits of more staff being first aid trained are relatively evident, but for security training, those perks are more obscure. 

So – how can ‘regular’ staff benefit from security training? Perhaps more importantly, how can your company take advantage? Let’s find out! 

What Skills Does Security Training Develop? 

A good security guard has honed a range of complementary skills, typically through a combination of experience and training. While you are not necessarily looking for your employees to become fully-fledged security guards, these skills can still be helpful. 

• Security training aims to develop: 
• Situational awareness 
• Conflict management 
• Emergency response 
• Threat assessment 

Improved Overall Site Security 

When your core staff is security trained, the natural result is a more secure environment. No matter what industry you are in, having more security-conscious employees and better prepared to deal with an issue as (or before) it arises is an evident strength. 

Let’s take, for example, the hospitality industry. Your average bartender does not necessarily need to know how to restrain an individual safely – indeed, this would be far out of the remit of their job role. However, it would clearly be advantageous if they could effectively de-escalate a conflict or correctly manage a belligerent drunk person. 

In the same manner, being able to recognize a possible security issue also protects your business. Maybe you have gaps in your security camera coverage or a relatively unprotected rear entrance to your site. If your employees can learn to see that these areas are potential weak points, they can work to strengthen them. 

Increased Efficiency in Security Operations 

Let’s go back to our bar example for a moment. If your bartender can assess when a person or group is progressing from boisterous to problematic, they can give advance notice to any security guards you have on-site. The resulting proactive response can limit any fallout from the problem. 

Of course, this is just one example. The ability to communicate more effectively with full-time security personnel works both ways – your guards can alert other staff on-site to potential risks as well, and thus provide a safer and more secure overall environment. 

You can also benefit from reducing your reliance on dedicated security staff, particularly in less high-risk periods. In that case, you can significantly cut costs without compromising staff, customer, property, or premises safety. 

Boosts to Staff Morale 

Training employees in security can also provide a significant boost to their morale in four key ways: 

• Firstly, they are likely to feel a greater sense of trust and that you consider them to be reliable. 
• Secondly, they will be more comfortable on-site as they know they (and their colleagues) have the necessary tools and preparation to deal with an emergency. 
• Third, anytime you invest in your team - It shows that you care about and value them. 
• Finally, they can add valuable capabilities to their overall skill set – a great way of providing an individual with an increased sense of self-worth and the ability to progress their career in new directions. 

Security in the Workplace is a Team Undertaking 

For your site to be optimally safeguarded against a broad range of threats, your entire staff should be on board with your security measures. By providing them with professional-level security training, you ensure that every person you employ is aware of the best practices in the security sector, putting them all on the same page when protecting your business. 

Look at it like this: if your business can only realistically afford to hire one professional security guard, you can have security in one place at any time. In all likelihood, that guard will be unable to provide 100% coverage for your premises and will need to patrol or choose a vantage point where they can provide the best service for you. 

Now, you cannot afford more security, but you already have other staff on-site that you are paying for. Training is relatively inexpensive, so you can multiply the number of security-trained people on-site at any time for a significantly lower cost than hiring another guard. 

Alliance Training and Testing 

At Alliance Training and Testing, our team has over one hundred years of combined experience in private security and law enforcement. We offer a range of security training, including unarmed security guard license training and armed security guard license training. Our courses are designed to be accessible to anyone of any skill level and can be completed 100% online for less than $80. 

If you have a more extensive complement of employees that you would like training, we can offer you training at your location (anywhere in Tennessee). For a flat fee, we will train unlimited candidates in unarmed security. 

You can find out more about our courses at securityguardlicensetn.com 

Alliance Training and Testing is the Security School of Choice in Tennessee @GuardTrainingTN

The Benefits of Hiring Trained Security Personnel for Special Events in Tennessee

Suppose you have ever been responsible for organizing or managing an event on a large scale. In that case, you will know that security is one of the most critical factors you need to consider.

It is your role as the person or company responsible for hosting the event to take the appropriate steps to ensure that the attendees and staff are as safe as they can be – and one of the key ways you can do that is by hiring trained security guards.

Here’s how you can optimize the success and safety of your event with a security team.

Events in Tennessee

 Tennessee LOVES special events. Whether it is crawfish in Memphis, jazz in Jackson City, or the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, barely a weekend goes by without something for residents and visitors to enjoy.

Unfortunately, these events can be prime targets for criminals like pickpockets and drug dealers, as well as frequently seeing crowds getting out of control and individuals becoming heavily intoxicated and causing danger to themselves and others.

Unchecked, this behavior can rapidly escalate into full-blown fighting, rioting, and even looting. Fortunately, the mere presence of a security team can mitigate the risks. They can also cut off any issues before they become fully developed if well-trained and effective.

Why Security Guards are Essential at Events

 The nature of special or infrequent events (festivals, shows, and sporting events, for example) means several potential security challenges need to be addressed. These include: 

●        Access control and ensuring only invited/ticket-holding individuals are on-site

●        Crowd control

●        Alcohol and/or drug fuelled incidents

●        The risk of threats to performers, VIP guests, and staff

 Of course, you could hire volunteers to manage these risks or untrained personnel. Unfortunately, without the proper training, your security will be poorly equipped to deal with any incidents that may arise. As part of the training given to security guards, they are encouraged to develop particular skills that can help at special events – including risk assessment, situational awareness, and conflict de-escalation. No matter the type of event that you are managing, all of those traits will benefit both you and your guests.

The Role of Trained Security at an Event

 Your trained security guards can provide various services while working at your event, including:

●        Checking identification/tickets at entry points

●        Bag checks and detector sweeps

●        Incident response

●        Escorting troublemakers off-site

●        Providing first aid in an emergency

The best way to ensure that your security staff is in a position to provide you with the best possible level of service is to enable them to communicate and collaborate with other stakeholders – event management, other security personnel, law enforcement, medical personnel, and other key staff. This collaboration with key stakeholders will ensure that everyone involved in running and securing your event can remain up to date on the progress of the event and any situations that are developing.

Benefits of Hiring Security for Your Special Event

Imagine a worst-case situation for a moment. You have organized a music festival, and it is well-attended. Unfortunately, there is a rowdy crowd for one of your acts, and many people have been crushed against the guard rail.

You are being criticized in the local press, and there is talk of a civil suit. The reason? It has become public knowledge that you skimped on security – using untrained volunteers rather than trained professionals.

Alongside the guilt over the injuries that have been caused, you are now looking at a liability issue and irreparable damage to your reputation.

Minimizing these two issues will provide you and your company with an immediate and tangible financial benefit. There is a third way; hiring professional security can impact your bottom line, though, this time positively: attendee satisfaction. When your audience or guests feel safe and secure (because of very visible security personnel), you are more likely to get positive reviews and repeat customers – invaluable in any business, but particularly so in the world of hospitality.

 How to Choose Security Personnel for Your Event

The first thing you need to do is conduct some background checks. You can go as deep as you feel necessary here. Still, as a minimum, you must ensure the guards have a State of Tennessee Registration. Their registration is their license to work in the security sector, demonstrating that they have undergone the required training.

As with any other role you hire, you can look into professional experience, recommendations, and criminal records. This background information should give you an idea of the type of person you entrust your staff and attendees with.

If you have decided that working with a security company is the best option, be sure they are reputable and have conducted all the appropriate checks on their team. Otherwise, you could be letting a poorly trained or unqualified person have a position of power at your event.

Before the commencement of your event, whatever it may be, it is best practice to brief your security team. Walk the team through the site if you can, and explain your expectations for the day or evening of the event, focusing on how you expect them to act to control your attendees and safeguard the people, property, and premises as applicable.

 Alliance Training and Testing

 Contact the Alliance Training and Testing team if you need further guidance on security guards. We specialize in taking individuals through all the steps required to become professional security guards in Tennessee, and we will also be delighted to help train your team. 

4 Skills You Need for a Successful Career in Security in Tennessee

 

4 Skills You Need for a Successful Career in Security in Tennessee

While we would all love to live in a world that does not need security, we do not. Security measures are a core part of every element of our day-to-day lives: from the lock on your front door to the keycard you need to swipe to access the office to the innumerable passwords you have for banking, shopping, and browsing online. 

Fortunately, there are opportunities galore for those interested in pursuing a career in security. Whether you want to provide advanced network intrusion protection or give business owners and the public the sense of relief that comes from on-site physical security, you should have no difficulty finding a career. 

Here are the four essential skills you need to work in the security sector.

Communication in Security 

Communicating effectively is perhaps one of the most important skills you can have as a security professional. On any given day, you will need to be able to work in tandem with business owners and fellow security guards, keeping up to date with the situation on-site and any developing security risks. This is reasonably easy, as you will typically build trust and familiarity with these individuals as you go along. 

More problematic is communicating with the public. As part of your responsibilities, you must clearly instruct and advise a broad range of people, including those actively trying to provoke, undermine, or circumvent you. Your ability to ensure that your directives and requests are obeyed will set you apart from lesser security personnel, so developing this skill can accelerate your career by establishing you as reliable, professional, and competent. 

Ethics of Providing Security Services 

An unappreciated skill, but an essential one, is the ability to act ethically. As a security guard, you will frequently find yourself in situations requiring you to deliberate your behavior. Critical ethical issues that you will encounter include. 

Discrimination 

You cannot, and should not, pre-judge people on any aspect of their nature: race, gender, sexuality, or religion. Doing so is not only morally reprehensible but is also a surefire way to find yourself on the wrong end of a lawsuit or developing a reputation for profiling people, neither of which will be good for your career. 

Use of force 

Another speedy way of ending your security career is through the excessive use of force. You are permitted to protect yourself against physical threats and prevent an individual from escaping (if the situation has fulfilled the requirements of a citizen's arrest). However, doing so excessively will land you with an assault charge and difficulty in finding employment. 

Accountability 

After an incident, you may need to provide a report to your employer or law enforcement personnel. It would be best to take full accountability for your action truthfully and openly. Anything less, and you are simply not doing your job correctly. 

Privacy 

There may come a time when you have access to private information. This could be elevator footage, an individual's contact details, or other personal data. You must only use this information to protect and safeguard the business, people, and property you are hired to provide security. Sharing it or using it for your purposes is massively unethical, and if you are found to have done so, it will ruin your career. 

Security Risk Assessment 

There are two key elements to risk assessment that you should practice: pre-existing and live. Pre-existing risk assessment is where potential flaws in a business's security might be exploited. So it could be that the owner leaves the back door open to increase airflow. Still, there is no one watching this door, for example. The most common type of risk you will likely find will be gaps in the security camera coverage, so being aware of these will allow you to patrol more effectively. 

On the other hand, live security threats can be more challenging to assess. This is because they depend on your observational skills and your ability to determine if there is an issue before it develops accurately. This can include seeing someone drinking heavily and becoming belligerent or if a shopper appears to be acting strangely (and is, therefore, potentially looking to shoplift or rob). 

Early identification here can help you (and the business you are hired to safeguard). You will be able to place yourself in a position to react quickly to any escalation of the risk and take preventive measures (like getting support from your fellow guards or informing bar staff to cut someone off, for example). 

Security Technology 

While the role of a physical security professional is, by definition, more physical than technology-based, you will need to be able to use various tools effectively. These include radios, security cameras, access control systems, and metal detectors. If any of these tools fail or you misuse them, the entire security of the premises could be jeopardized. So take the time to develop an affinity for this business side. 

Of course, most of your skill set will be technology-centric if you work in network or system security. If so, you must continually work to maintain your skills. A degree in cyber security is excellent. Still, it is also outdated rapidly as the technological landscape and the range of threats evolve at a breakneck pace. 

Next Steps 

This is by no means an exhaustive list. The skills you need to be a genuinely successful security professional vary depending on what type of security you provide, for whom, and in what location. Contact the Alliance Training and Testing team. We have over one hundred years of combined experience, giving us the knowledge, skills, and expertise to supercharge your career. 

Alliance Training and Testing

The Security School of Choice in Tennessee 

@guardtrainingtn 

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