As a first time security guard in a large public gathering, the first thing you want to do is to look relaxed and listen to your instructor. If you’re not relaxed, a week will go by and your fellow guards will tell you that you look spooked. The public will instantly pick up on the fact you are new. And that will eliminate any confidence they should have for you, as well as not earn you any respect. So give yourself the upper hand and relax while you’re being trained, or are new on duty.
Along with being relaxed, you must lose any personable, friendly smile since you have to separate yourself from the general public. This doesn’t mean to grimace all the time. Just maintain a pleasant but serious look. Remember, you have to look approachable because people will need to come up to you when they have questions.
One of the first things you’ll do is be partnered with an experienced guard that knows the best. Watch him and listen to his suggestions. He’ll tell you how things are done. Get a feel for how he assesses situations and takes action on them. If he takes no action and only observes, take note. Your job is to absorb and learn how he does his job, so you can mimic, and then master it. Before you ask a barrage of questions, let him teach you by showing or suggesting. After a day or so, you’ll have all of your questions answered.
As you walk through the crowds you must move slowly, or “amble” as my trainer, Tony, explained. Ambling ensures you can observe more around you. You’re less apt to miss a possible conflict or rule-breaking person. It also gives a strong security presence to the public. They know you’re close by and may think twice about acting out of order. Ambling portrays a feeling of confidence and being in control. You are not in a hurry to get anywhere, and receive no brownie points for covering the entire event in record time.
One thing you want to look out for is minors drinking. Aside from it being against the law, your fair or festival may lose its liquor license. And a public event with no alcohol may not be very popular the following year. Keep an eye open for “pass-offs,” or adults handing alcohol to minors. This happens close to the beverage stands but can also occur far from them as well, which is a sneakier way irresponsible adults can pass-off drinks. If you happen to see an adult carrying two drinks, keep an eye on him. He might have bought the second for a minor not in the immediate area.
You may need to approach the two-drink holder and ask who the second drink is for. Depending on the rules of your event, you might have to see the person who will receive the second drink. Some customers will feel intruded on, and get angry with you, but it’s your job.
Another alcohol-related issue is the person who drinks too much. You will see him acting up or falling around. Upon approaching the drinker remember to say, “Sir/Ma’am, I’d really like it if you put the drink down. I think you’ve had enough.” Say it firmly. If the person refuses and becomes obnoxious, tell him you really don’t want to escort him out of the park. What you’re doing is giving him a chance. Empowering the person to make the right decision while you don’t appear commanding or telling him what to do.
The same method is used for arguing guests before a fight erupts. You tell them to stop the mayhem because you really don’t want to get the police, who are nearby. Hopefully your rebellious guests will calm down. If not, you may radio your police.
Aside from assessing problems, you will need to facilitate light medical emergencies too. At most outdoor events, guests can succumb to heat exhaustion. Others twist their ankles, trip, and bump themselves. When approaching a guest needing medical attention, remember not to touch them physically. It’s a legal and liability issue that works against the company. Your intention may be to offer emotional support but it’s smart not to touch.
Instead, remember your question asking procedure. Ask the injured person if you may call the EMT (Emergency Medical Team) for him. Ask the guest if you may bring a wheelchair if he needs transporting to your EMT area. By empowering the injured person with the decision, you save the company and yourself from being liable. It’s sad, but many event patrons will indeed follow up an injury accident with a lawsuit.
Each serious medical call, as well as other disruptive occurrences, should be written up in your incident report. Immediately after the medical problem has been dealt with, ask the injured person’s companion for the injured’s name and contact information. Write down exactly what transpired at the time of injury. Jot down every detail. This is important because the injured, once healed, has up to two years to take legal action against your company. But accurate records on your part is the best defense for someone else’s negligence and greed.
Knowing all these pointers is an excellent start for entering security guard duty. If you wish to become professional, there are courses as well. Teaming up with different security partners per day will also teach you different styles of the points I’ve made. So amble along and enjoy your work.
No comments:
Post a Comment