Why Hiring First Aid and CPR Trained Security Guards Is Essential?

Why Your Security Team Must Know First Aid and CPR
What are your top goals for your security team? If you’re like most managers, you want to make the public feel safer and prevent security breaches rather than respond to them. Security officers are already stereotypically seen as lazy and ineffective. Anything less than a stellar response to a situation only tarnishes your team's image.

One frequently overlooked area among security personnel is emergency medical care. While Emergency Medical Services is only a phone call away, there are several key reasons you need to secure First Aid and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) training for your security staff.

Be the First on the Scene to Respond

When your security team has First Aid and CPR training, they can begin potentially life-saving care long before emergency medical personnel arrive. Such basic training can enable your staff to act in a medical emergency by:

●    Performing CPR
●    Using an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to start a stopped heart
●    Immobilizing a possibly broken limb
●    Slowing or stopping the bleeding
●    Or reopening an airway blocked by food or another foreign object

The above list only highlights a few of the skills taught during First Aid and CPR training. The essential point is that such training equips your staff to protect and sometimes save lives.

Reassure Members of the Public

People are naturally curious. As an injured person is awaiting an ambulance, other visitors to your facility can see and hear that they are being attended to by knowledgeable staff even before an ambulance arrives. This keeps the crowd calm by providing them with evidence of their own safety. It inspires confidence in your security among the public as they witness the organization and reasoned response of your staff. Security staff at the scene are also in a prime position to provide emotional reassurance.

Prepare for Worst Case Scenarios

In many ways, professional security is about anticipating the so-called worst-case scenarios and doing all you can to prevent them or minimize their impact should they occur. Such preparations often take the form of emergency evacuation drills, biohazard training, and Child Find system checks. Since medical emergencies more frequently occur than such scenarios, it only makes sense to prepare your security staff.

First Aid and CPR training will educate, equip, and empower your security team to respond in medical emergencies.

9 Essential Skills for a Security Guard Job

From dealing with drunken brawlers to armed robberies, security guards have a very challenging job. They’re the official go-to person for any security-related concern at any business premises. The constant possibility of threat means that a professional security guard should be active and alert at all times. Here are the nine essential skills that separate a klutz from a pro.

#1: Honesty

As a security guard, you will have to work closely with your employer. Your job will give you access to several restricted areas within your employer’s premises. As a result, you need to be honest and trustworthy to protect and to serve them better. Creating and maintaining trust with your employer is essential for your job.

#2: Preparedness

You need to be properly trained and equipped to deal with all sorts of situations that come your way. Suitable clothing, comfortable boots and proper equipment are a must-have at all times. You may have to buy an essential security gear so as to carry out your duties efficiently.

#3: Rationality

Apart from quick reflexes, security guards are required to make quick judgment calls on various threats and how to respond to each threat. Rationality involves assessing the situation around you and predicting how best to manage any threats arising.

#4: Swift Reflexes

Security guards are required to remain alert and cautious at all times. They must be able to quickly assess whatever is going around them. This alertness should be reflected in how quickly you can respond to a given, potentially dangerous, situation.

#5: Training

When you sign up for a security guard job, your duties will not be limited to fieldwork. You should have basic education as you’ll have to understand all security operations and risks. The better you can grasp key security concepts and client briefings, the more efficient you will become at your job.

#6: Leadership Skills

Some situations (such as community patrols or event security) will require you to work with your colleagues as a team. Other situations may require you to act as the Head of Security and manage a team of security guards. This means that you’ll need certain leadership and team building skills to perform your duty properly.

#7: Fitness & Strength

While you need not have an Olympian physique for this job, strength and fitness can come in handy at your job. Whether you want to outrun a thief or engage with the opponent, you’ll need to be in a good shape to tackle these challenging situations that put your agility to the test.

#8: Communication

Whether you’re managing your team, addressing your colleagues or reporting to your client, you’ll need effective communication skills to explain the situation to them better. Effective communication ensures that your client receives in loop on all the security measures your company intends to take.

#9: Respect

Your job may require you to physically engage with miscreants and intruders. As a professional, you’ll have to make sure not to hit any innocent bystander and to know who your enemy is at all times. This requires extensive training and attention to detail.

8 Vital Tips for Safer Online Banking

Online banking is convenient. It allows you to carry out transactions, without even leaving your couch. But like all good things in life, this feature comes with its own share of risks. Just as you take precautions to stay safe from being robbed at ATMs, you can take a few steps to keep yourself safe from online frauds. Here are eight simple tips for safer online banking, as suggested by the experts at a renowned security company.

1.  Keep a Strong Password

Almost all online banking websites and mobile apps require a username and a password for access. To stay safe, make sure your password is strong. You can do so by including upper and lower case letters, special characters and numbers in your password. Avoid using any common phrases or words or using your own name initials in your password.

2.  Select an Account that Provides Two-Factor Authentication

Before opening an account, look for a bank that offers a two-factor authentication for online banking. This includes a unique code that is generated every time you try to log in. Although the code can be easily read, it does offer additional protection to the log-in process.

3.   Don’t Click-through Emails

As a rule of thumb, remember that there is no bank or other financial institution that will ask you for your log-in details through an email. Be aware of all links in your emails that appear from your bank. This technique is often used by fraudsters to obtain your confidential information. If you do get an email that looks suspicious, you can forward it your bank and ask for a double verification.

4.   Secure Your Computer

Your computer security goes a long way in ensuring safe online banking. As a minimum, you can keep your anti-virus up-to-date and your firewall active at all times. These measures will keep your computer safe from malware and Trojan, which, in turn, will keep your online banking details safe.

Related Read: 7 Steps to Take Immediately, If You've Been a Victim of Credit Card Fraud

5.   Log Out when you’re done

It is always a good idea to log out when you’re done- be it your email or social media account or your online banking channel. You might want to wipe out your browsing history and prevent the browser from remembering your username and password, as an extra precaution.

6.   Access all Accounts from a Safe Location

As a best practice, always connect to your bank account through computers and networks that you trust. If you do need to access your bank account online through a remote location, you should consider getting a VPN (Virtual Private Network).

7.   Keep a Check on Your Account

Monitor your bank statements each month. Be on a lookout for suspicious and unauthorized transactions. Look for deposits that you didn’t make. Online banking allows you to view your bank statements whenever you want to. You can check your statements, say, weekly.

8.   Opt for Account Notifications, if possible

Many banks offer a notification facility. This alerts you, via email and/or SMS, every time your bank account is accessed online. They also alert you on every deposit and withdrawal made. This way, you can always identify any suspicious activities and unauthorized access to your accounts.

10 Questions You Need to Ask Your Security Guard Company

Private security guards are primarily responsible for protecting people and properties. This means that security guard companies are held accountable if their guards fail to deliver what they promised. As a result, choosing the right candidate for the right job is important.

As security companies deal with several clients at a moment, they sometimes skip through their selection criteria. This holds true if they have several clients and experience staff shortages. Since your security is important, you cannot leave anything up to chance.

Take out some time to interview a security company before hiring them. This will allow you to assess their capabilities and seriousness for the job. If you’re struggling with the right questions, here’s a list of ten questions you need to ask them.

1.    How long has your company been in business?

2.    Does your company have any prior experience of working in our industry?

3.    How do you perform background checks on all your security guards, before hiring?

4.    How long, on average, do your employees stay and work at your organization?

5.    What are your staff training procedures on how to handle a fight at work?

6.    How do you train your staff to deal with confrontational people and miscreants?

7.    What skill set do you look for when hiring security guards?

8.    What are some of the most common problems your organization has faced?

9.    How have you addressed those common problems faced?

10.    Are your services insured and are your guards trained in firearms?

What Next

Towards the end of this interview session, you will be in a position to decide whether or not to hire this person for the job. It will also help you choose the right guard for the right job. For instance, if you’re a museum manager looking for a night guard, you need not hire an armed guard.

What to Expect

Your security company should be licensed and insured. They should have several years of experience in your industry. Their security officers should possess basic education so that they can comprehend your decisions better.

Security guards often work in team to deliver the best results. Therefore, security companies invest a lot of time on team building. In addition, their background checks procedures are extensive. This makes sure that the security guard(s) they deploy for your premises do not have a past criminal record.

Armed vs. Unarmed Guards

When it comes to choosing the right guard, there is a debate. Many believe that armed guards deliver better results as their firearms are enough to keep intruders at bay. Others argue that armed guards will only add more to your security problems as there are no checks and balances to stop them from going rogue.

Whatever the case is, the final decision is up to you. If you believe that your premises needs extra protection or faces a risk of heist or armed intrusion, then consider hiring guards with extensive firearm training. For all other purposes, a normal, unarmed guard team will suffice.