What Are The Roles of Security Guards During an Emergency?

Security guards are trained to respond in any kind of emergencies. However, their role in a certain emergency situation is often determined by their client or employer. This is one of the main things that should be documented before security guards work on site.

For instance, an emergency response to an intruder alarm depends on the employer’s preference. The security guard can either do the following:

Call the clients and the police and wait for their arrival
Investigate the main cause of alarm and secure the area.

Either way, the security guard will act based on the protocol given by the client.

Responding to different types of alarms:

Security guards respond to alarms. Therefore, they should understand the basic principles of protective and fire alarm systems. Here are some of them:

Infrared Alarms: These are the most common alarms that detect motion in large areas by picking up the changes in heat.
Seismic Alarms: These detect physical shocks in different frequency ranges like breaking glass.
Ultrasonic Alarms: These are a rare type of alarms that detects motion using bouncing sound waves.
Physical Contact: These alarms go active when the two parts of a sensor come apart when a door or a window is being opened.
Photo-Electric Beams: This type of alarm goes active when it detects a visible or infrared beam being broken.
Microwave: This detects movements using bouncing microwaves.
Vibration: This alarm detects movements using sensitive sensors mounted on structures like fences.
Trip wires: It detects when someone physically bumps a strung wire.

When responding to an alarm, guards should inform a supervisor, another guard, or the dispatcher if possible. If a crime is witnessed, the guard should immediately call the police and observe the area from a safe distance. In times like this, the security guard’s safety should be the priority.

Tags: alarms, emergency response, Security guards

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