Orientation introduces new employees to the history, culture, objectives, and available resources of the organization. In large organizations, orientation and training programs may be in the hands of dedicated personnel, frequently drawn from human resources, security, and other departments. However, operational-minded managers generally are involved closely with the training process. They or surrogates are likely to appear at orientation sessions to make new employees feel welcome and to emphasize the personnel concerns uppermost in the mind of the director.
Orientation provides a variety of information to new employees. The process serves as a welcome to new employees from management and usually contains the following elements:
• The history and ethical basis of the organization
• What management expects from all employees
• What employees can expect from management
• What the organization does: its trends, prospects, products, or services
• Characteristics of the department where the employee will be assigned
• The reporting structure (an organizational chart may be provided)
The Orientation 99
• The purpose of security in the organization and the value management places on it
• Security and safety policies in the workplace
The orientation covers certain fundamentals so that all new employees will become familiar with the same organizational requirements and expectations as those who have gone before them. Orientation also covers practical information, such as keys and an iden- tification document to be assigned; hours to be worked; payroll procedures; the restroom locations and use policy; the alcohol and drugs policy; the firearms policy; the personal telephone use policy; personal use of the computer and access to the Internet; and the policy regarding personal visitors. Some employers request that new employees sign a state- ment that they have heard and understood policies discussed during the orientation process.
At such an orientation, new workers complete forms required for tax, healthcare, insur- ance, and other organizational requirements. The company handbook is distributed and may be reviewed in depth with new employees by the orientation leader. At the conclusion of the orientation phase, new workers typically feel upbeat about achieving employment from the organization and are now eager to learn specifically how they are expected to perform.
Training Content
Prior to beginning the training process, the operating manager will identify what infor- mation will be transmitted to new employees. No two employers are likely to be identi- cal in their training objectives, protocols, and needs. Content of the training program will emerge from the ethos and needs of particular employers. Still, some subjects related to security services are likely to be found in most programs. For example, fires in the work- place are not frequent occurrences, but they are emergencies when they do occur.
Therefore, adequate time should be provided for the worker to learn about procedures when a fire occurs and fire suppression equipment is used.
The content of the training material should be related to the job description created for the position being filled. The following are specific training factors for certain types of security personnel:
Pre-assignment Training. Security personnel require training subsequent to orientation, before being posted to a position. The number of hours devoted to this phase of training is variable. For example, the State of New York currently requires 8 hours of pre-assign- ment training followed by 16 hours of basic training within the first 90 days of employ- ment.7 The Task Force on Private Security in 1976 recommended a minimum of eight hours of formal pre-assignment training with a minimum of 32 hours of basic training within three months of assignment. In the Task Force’s standards, a maximum of 16 hours could be supervised on-the-job training. Many employers, however, combine pre- assignment training with basic training before the employee is posted. The number of hours that organizations actually train security employees differs widely. Most train for the minimum number of hours required by law; however, some programs have determined that extensive additional training is necessary due to the nature of the employment.
The trend in the United States and other industrial nations is to increase the level of initial training required before personnel are assigned to posts of responsibility. This is because of the growing legal burden to train security personnel so that they are aware
of their minimum legal obligations in dealing with the public. Failure to understand such principles could lead to a charge of inadequate security in a tort action. Employers may increase the quantity of training because their security employees often interact with complex systems or because further job-specific training is necessary.
Security officers generally require training even if they come to the job with previous experience in police departments, the military, private security companies, or proprietary security departments. This is because the employer wants new employees to share a common denominator with other employees, the uniform curriculum. An exception to this policy is usually made for temporary security employees who work under close supervision and for active police officers who are working temporarily, or moonlighting, in security positions.
The eight-hour pre-assignment training course proposed by the Task Force for entry-level security personnel is divided into four segments: orientation; legal powers and limitations; handling emergencies; and general duties, as shown in Box 4.2. The course is to be used in classroom instruction in conjunction with audiovisual aids, and concludes with a test to assure that the content has been understood and mastered.
This is a de minimus recommendation from over three decades ago, still not adopted in most parts of the country. It is included here to reflect the barest minimum pro- posed by a task force when security training needs were less complex.
Basic Training. As previously mentioned, many employers combine orientation with pre-assignment training and basic training. However, some employers prefer to provide basic training in modules over time for new security officers. The Task Force on Private Security recommends a minimum of 32 hours of basic training in addition to the pre-assignment phase, as shown in Box 4.3. This training should be completed over a three-month period and may include a maximum of 16 hours on-the-job training.
The Orientation 101
Box 4.2 Private Security Eight-Hour Pre-assignment Training Course
Section I: Orientation: Role of a Security Guard (two hours)
• Functions, duties, and responsibilities
• Being proactive in prevention
• Methods of functions: policy, procedures, rules
• Related functions: access control, patrol, inspections
• Public relations
• Deportment and appearance
• Conflict resolution/management
• Providing assistance to employees and the public
• Proper notifications under different circumstances
• Liaison with law enforcement and public agencies
• Security guard’s responsibilities (partial)
• Detect
• Deter
• Report orally and through written documents
• Role of public law enforcement Section II: Legal Powers and Limitations (two hours)
• Arrest/custody procedures
• Justification in the use of force
• When use of deadly force may be justifiable
• Penal law offenses encountered by security guards Section III: Handling Emergencies (two hours)
• What are emergencies encountered by security guards
• Emergency and disaster response and notification
• Appropriate hazardous materials incident response
• Security guard safety
Section IV: Communications and Public Relations (one hour)
• Communications duties and strategies
• Sensitivity and interpersonal communications awareness
• Media and public information Section V: Access Control (one and a half hours)
• Access control
• Security surveys
• Identification systems
• Other forms of identification
• Benefits of access control
• Documentation
Section VI: Report Writing Review (one-half hour)
• Introduction
• Reports: providing information and sequence
• Preparing the report
Source: Based on a model originally prepared by the Private Security Advisory Council, included in their Model Private Security Licensing and Regulatory Statute. This is not an endorsement of the program by the author or the publisher, as the eight-hour pre-assignment training by itself is considered as insufficient preparation for contemporary security guard services.
The Orientation 103
Box 4.3 Private Security 32-Hour Basic Training Course
NOTE: A minimum of four and a maximum of 16 classroom hours should be allo- cated in each of the following sections, and a maximum of 16 hours of supervised on-the-job training should be permissible.
Section I: Prevention/Protection
• Patrolling
• Checking for hazards
• Personnel control
• Identification systems
• Access control
• Fire control systems
• Types of alarms
• Law enforcement/private security relationships Section II: Enforcement
• Surveillance
• Techniques for searching
• Crime scene searching
• Handling juveniles
• Handling mentally disturbed persons
• Parking and traffic
• Enforcing employee work rules/regulations
• Observations/description
• Preservation of evidence
• Criminal/civil law
• Interviewing techniques Section III: General Emergency Services
• First aid
• Defensive tactics
• Fire fighting
• Communications
• Crowd control
• Crimes in progress Section IV: Special Problems
• Escort services
• Vandalism
• Arson
• Burglary
• Robbery
• Theft
• Drugs/alcohol
• Shoplifting
• Sabotage
• Espionage
• Terrorism
Source: Private Security: Report of the Task Force on Private Security (1976). Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, p. 103.
The growth of training required for security personnel is similar in some ways to the increased training for public law enforcement officers. In 1973, the National Advisory Commission on Criminal Justice Standards and Goals recommended 400 hours of training for sworn police officers. Since then, most urban police departments require police cadets to successfully pass requirements in a program that is approximately six months in length. Smaller departments also require academy training, but the time allo- cated is closer to the 400 hours proposed in 1973. In policing and security, instruction on legal issues, public relations, and new technology add to the quantity of time required to be fully effective in these jobs.
Extensive Basic Training. Some organizations train far more than the minimum required by states standards. While a state might have a minimum requirement, no state has a maximum one. Some employers design extensive curricula for security officers and their supervisors to meet their considered requirements. An example of such a curricu- lum, in this case for security guards and sergeants of the City University of New York, is found in the companion website for this book.
Firearms Training. The vast majority of private security personnel are not armed in the course of their employment; however, some are. Security officers who are expected to carry firearms in the course of their employment invariably face additional minimum requirements for training. The Task Force on Private Security recommends that security personnel be required to complete successfully a 24-hour firearms course that includes legal and policy requirements, or submit evidence of competency and proficiency, prior to assign- ment to a job that requires a firearm. The course of training is divided into classroom and range components, as shown in Box 4.4.
Weapons proficiency requirements should be met on an annual basis if the employee continues to require the weapon as part of his or her duties. State and local requirements for the possession and use of firearms provide specific regulations about firearms retrain- ing and range experience for that particular jurisdiction. Instructors are recommended to be qualified through the National Rifle Association or other comparable qualifications program. Whether guards should be armed or not is a management policy issue.
The Orientation 105
Box 4.4 Proposed Standards for Security Guard Firearms Training
Classroom-Based Training
Topic I: Legal and Police Restraints (3 hours)
• Rights of private security personnel to carry weapons and the power of arrest
• Statutory references
• Policy restraints
Topic II: Firearms Safety and Care and Cleaning of the Revolver (2 hours)
• Nomenclature and operation of the weapon
• Performance of cartridge
• Safety practices on duty and at home
• Range rules
• Care and cleaning of the weapon
Topic III: Successful Completion of Written Examination (1 hour)
• At least 20 minutes on the above topics with a minimum passing score of 70%
• Should be designed so that persons with other or prior experience can demonstrate competence in the subject areas.
Range-Based Training
Topic I: Principles of Marksmanship (2 hours) Topic II: Single-Action Course (8 hours)
• A silhouette target with a distance of 25 yards is used with 30 rounds fired under different circumstances for qualification of which the minimum passing score is 18 hits (60%)
Topic III: Double-Action Course (8 hours)
• The distance and target are the same, but trainees operate from a crouching position under different circumstances and must score 43 hits out of 72 attempts (60%)
The armored car industry, which requires most service employees to carry firearms, has created its own set of standards. The Training Committee of the National Armored Car Association has proposed an outline of basic firearms training for its employees, as shown in Box 4.5.
Investigative Training. Investigators vary widely according to their assignment type.
Usually, a combination of classroom, home study, and on-the-job training is provided.
For example, the May Corporation, a major retailing chain, has produced a 60-day train- ing program for undercover operatives. Much of this time is spent observing the perfor- mance of highly proficient security investigators. This field experience is supported with study of a proprietary manual. After considerable observation and discussion, the store detective is ready to make his or her own stops of shoplifters with the instructor continuing to act as a coach.
Ongoing Training. This refers to flexible, continuous, individualized programs to ensure that private security personnel are kept informed of pertinent developments in the field. This information is provided in numerous ways and formats. These include: roll- call training; visits from supervisors to security personnel on post; mailed or distributed training bulletins; formal correspondence programs; and teleconferencing and DVD interactive training. Refresher training or security alerts may be provided through printed bulletins, telephone messages, e-mail, and teleconferencing that can inform security per- sonnel of important subjects that are not related to the day-to-day routine. All training resources serve to emphasize best practices. Security procedures should be reviewed and emphasized with testing.