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Security Guard Services – What Guarding Is All About

Many people know what a security guard is, but not that many know exactly what it is that a security guard does. Ask the majority of people on the street and the most likely answer you will receive is “guarding.” While this is correct in the broad sense of the word, it demonstrates a lack of knowledge about the security services that a guard can perform.

So, let us take a look at a few of the security services that most security companies, such as www.churchill-security.co.uk, provide on a regular basis:

Key Holding

Key holding is not as simple as it sounds, trust me. This security service involves responding to a businesses alarm during the night. Should the alarm go off, the security guard will investigate, check the premises and then reset the alarm. So the business owner can remain safe and asleep.

CCTV Monitoring

As a security service, you would think that monitoring CCTV would be an easy job. This could not be farther from the truth. Rather than just one CCTV screen to monitor, most security guards, especially those who work in retail, will have multiple screens to monitor simultaneously.

Now, many companies choose to leave their CCTV unmanned – taking a reactive rather than a proactive approach by simply using CCTV to prosecute any offenders after the act. But with manned CCTV, security guards have to watch closely, monitor and then act on anything suspicious or criminal that they see – thereby taking a proactive approach to it.

So, all those films you see, where the security guard who is monitoring the CCTV is instead watching a film, are completely false or in most cases anyway!

Access Control

A popular security service at the moment is access control, particularly in the case of public institutions and big businesses. Despite the fact that biometrics is heralding the arrival of totally electronic access control systems, security companies are generally still needed to install the systems. And, in a lot of cases, to back the systems up should they need it.

Access control is often thought to be a lot more advanced than it actually is, thanks to films such as Minority Report and Mission Impossible. However, there have been some very sophisticated advances such as facial recognition technology, which will no doubt hit the security companies in the next few years.

Security Guards

This is the most basic and the most well-used of the security services. Security guarding can come in two forms – static security guards or mobile security patrol.

Static Security Guards

Static security guards remain at one site for the duration of their shift. They not only act as a deterrent but are also on hand to respond at once to any signs of trouble or suspicious activities.

Mobile Security Patrol

Security guards drive to your premises and patrol it randomly throughout the day and night. This random approach to patrolling allows security officers to catch criminals in the act more often than not.

Retail Security

As a security service, retail security is an amalgamation of other security services such as security guards, access control and CCTV. A retail security guard often has to be a jack of all security services trades.

Not As Cut And Dried As You Thought!

So security services involve more just being a security guard. Although services such as retail security and security guarding have a lot in common, there are often subtle differences between them. A security guard is not just a security guard but can also turn his hand at any other aspect of security – something you need specialist training to do. Like most other occupations, once you look a little more closely, the security services are not as cut and dried as you thought!

The Security Company – How We Ended Up Here

A security company sounds like a pretty simple thing doesn’t it? However, ask ordinary people what a security company is and you won’t get the same answer twice. The truth is, modern security companies have become a bit ambiguous – with so many areas in today’s world needing security, it’s difficult to know exactly what a security company does do and can do. So what is a security company? What does a security company do and where did they originate from? If you’re interested in the answers, read on to find out!

The Medjai of the Modern World

Forget thinking that security companies are the invention of more modern times – paying for a security service is nothing new. In fact, one of the earliest recorded instances of a security company and security guards is with Pharaoh Ramesses II, otherwise known as Ramesses the Great.

Ordinary Egyptians were either forced into the army or gladly joined to serve their Pharaoh however, Ramesses the Great wasn’t just any Pharaoh. This Pharaoh spent much of the thirteenth century making Egypt great and expanding the kingdom. Because of this, Ramesses II needed more security than ordinary Egyptians could supply – so he hired the Medjai. Unlike popular belief, the Medjai were not a religious group dedicated to serving the Pharaoh. They weren’t even Egyptian most of the time. Instead, they were what we would call a private security company, specialising in providing physical security to top officials.

As well as the Medjai, Ramesses II would often pay Canaanites, Libyans and Syrians to fight for him or protect him and his officials. So since ancient times, we can trace security companies through the ages, all the way down to our modern security companies today.

Security Companies with Many Faces

Security was a simpler thing in ancient times. You were hired, you got paid and you protected your charge until you either moved on or died. In modern times though, a security company isn’t just about security guards anymore. There are many different types of security and a lot of the time, this is what causes some confusion. So let’s take a look at the different types of security a security company can offer;

Physical Security
Physical security can cover a lot of different facets, from security officers and guards to security patrols, body guards, hired mercenaries – a whole range of things and without a doubt, the most basic and historical type of security.

IT Security

This is the newest type of security and confusing for anyone outside of the IT security business. This type of security can cover networks, data, information, biometrics and application security.

Political Security
Again, an historical segment of security that is even more widely used today. Political security includes homeland, national and international security – think Medjai.

These are the main types of security that companies deal in however, there is also financial security and aviation security you can add to the list if you want to. Today, most security companies such as www.churchill-security.co.uk take a holistic approach to security. By this I mean that they incorporate all these kinds of security into their security company.

More Security Than You Can Shake a Stick At

Security is big business right now. The rise in violent crime, business crime and general vandalism that goes with having a contemporary society has a lot of people worried. Resources are stretched thin and the Police simply can’t do everything. So enter the security company. Companies like Churchill Security get paid to provide IT security, physical security, CCTV and perimeter security amongst other things, to a number of different businesses and public and private bodies. Even with the massive demand for private security forces, there’s still a lot of competition out there though. But what can we say – we’re simply following tradition, the Medjai of the modern world.

Key Holding – Ian’s Night

G’morning folks. My name’s Ian. I’ve worked as a security guard for most of my life, working for different security companies. Now I’m not much of a writer but it’s been a little quiet now I’m on the nightshift so I thought I’d give it a go. Thought I’d have a bash at writing about key holding seeing as how nobody seems to know about it, nobody but businesses that is. But in a few places key holding is becoming quite popular with just ordinary people who want to make sure their houses are OK while they’re away. Good idea if you ask me.

So about ten to midnight when I started the graveyard shift, we gets a bell. Mr Ahmed down at the wholesale food store, he had to go take his little boy to the emergency doctors before, he tells me. Can’t leave his little boy because his wife is with her family for the time being so could I mosey on down to his store and switch the alarms on and all the rest of the paraphernalia (good thing I have a dictionary.) So at about two minutes past the hour, I down at Ahmed’s wholesale store. I have his set of keys from out the safe, layout of the place and the alarms codes. Takes me fifteen minutes to give the place a quick check over, as a good security officer should, then I set the alarm and the security lights and off I trot. Now it’s about 1.45am. Tried to draw the paperwork out for a bit once I got back but there’s only so much you can dramatise a simple call out. Since we got a new day time secretary, there’s been hardly a thing to do between call outs! Mind you, the last security company I worked for was mad busy, on the go all the time, so it makes a bit of a change!

So while I’m here and doing nothing, I may as well tell you a little about key holding hadn’t I? Not that I’m a trying to imply I sit here whistlin’ Dixie all night, because I don’t – some nights get so busy that you’d swear the horsemen of the apocalypse had been set loose! Now where was I? Ah, key holding!  So at my security company we have different divisions – we have security guards and a full range of security services like IT security, retail security and security patrols, things of that nature. One division is key holding, which I like to do because it’s mainly a night time job. So with key holding anyway, we key holders nip to your business when the alarm goes off or if you’ve left it unlocked by mistake and can’t make it back and sometimes, just if you’re paranoid and like someone to check your business out every once in a while. Now as well we have none-business people asking us to key hold when they’re on holiday or to look after their holiday home. I think it’s more off a – oh, here we go, an alarm this time, department store!

Back door keys, check – now, let’s open the door quickly and quietly and get to the alarm box. Now, put the number in aaand…bliss! Alarms like that are enough to wake the dead! Right then, let’s check things out.

Hmm. I’ve just had a check of the store and right at the smallest window in the front there’s a smashed window. Only a small smash mind, more like a teenager worse for wear’s put his elbow through when he’s been staggering home. Not for me to speculate though is it eh? Have to take care of the security procedures now though, each person or business who wants key holding gives us a set of instructions to follow y’know. So, switch the lights on, ring emergency contact numero uno and explain the situation. Numero uno in this case is the boss and seemed a nice chap despite that I’ve just woke him up. Asked for details and asked me to get it fixed up before I left, he’d take a look in the morning. Said to get myself a coffee, so don’t mind if I do! After I ring the emergency repair company we use (who’ll have a board to board up the window and take measurements to fit the glass first thing when the world wakens up) I went and checked that the CCTV booth was secure – so the owner can find out what happened once he comes in tomorrow. I sweep up the glass and finish my coffee just as the repair company pulls up.

’Still workin’ the graveyard Bob?’ I says to the older one.
’Ar, s’long as it pays me wage Ian me lad!’ he says back, cackling. A good bunch, these night time lads!

Once they get done and we say our goodbyes I check everything over again, wash my cup, switch off the lights and switch the alarm on. Lock the door too. Think I might go make my nightly patrol to Mrs. Hanlon’s next, check her house is OK and leave the cat food out for her cat like she asked. Not that we’re pet feeders or anything – but it doesn’t hurt to lend a hand for an old dear does it? I’ll just double check this lock then be on my way – job’s a good ‘un!

Office Furniture – The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

From past experience, do you know what the best part of working from home is? You can work comfortably. No stuffy work clothes, no uncomfortable shoes and no office furniture that feels like it has been designed by Lucrezia Borgia. Working from home, you could quite happily have your bed as your office chair – and there’s nothing quite as comfy as that!

For the majority of people though, working from home simply is not viable. And if you can’t allow your employees to work from home then the very least you can do, is to provide them with some comfortable office furniture. Why not spoil them a little more too? Spring for some stylish office furniture while you’re at it!

Good Office Chairs Could Be Your Best Friend

If you have a heart, when you choose office furniture, choose some decent office chairs. Some employers simply go for the flat pack, mass produced office chairs that collapse if you weigh over 10 stone and the only guarantee these kinds of office chairs come with, is a guaranteed curvature of the spine in your later years. Proper office furniture businesses such as www.officefurnitureonline.co.uk like to offer customers a range of stylish, comfortable, supportive and cheap office chairs, none of which could cause your chiropractor to cry.

An Office You Could Live In

You have the office chairs – now you need the rest of the office furniture and luckily, www.officefurnitureonline.co.uk has you covered. We have stylish office desks – from traditional manager’s desks to crazy-shaped desks, brightly coloured desks and desks with lots of storage space. We have office boards and presentation furniture. We have sofas and bookcases and decorative tables, reception furniture, filing cabinets and cupboards and office furniture for the café. In short, we have it all. If our office furniture store sold beds, you could quite easily live at work!

Offices tend to look the same the world over – clean, functional spaces that could set you off yawning just looking at them. So you could even try a few crazy ideas to jazz your office up a bit and enthuse your staff – like add a book case and a couple of comfy chairs somewhere. Or add a book case and fill it with arty objects and a few vases. Forget routine and choose four different colours for your office chairs and maybe those Monday mornings won’t depress your staff as much!

A Service Second To None

A lot of warehouse furniture is simply a case of one size fits all, but we aren’t like that. One size, definitely does not fit all – especially when it comes to office chairs. So www.officefurnitureonline.co.uk offers a live chat service on the website. You can take a look at office furniture whilst talking to one of our trained members of staff. They can help you to decide what would suit your office best, what furniture you can fit into your office and what furniture you actually need. As well as that, they can also get you the best price available and 24 hour delivery if you want it!

Just To Reiterate…

Good office furniture an important part of business. Staff who are uncomfortable and bored by their surroundings simply won’t be as productive. Comfortable and supportive office chairs are a must – cheap out on these and you’ll know about it! At www.officefurnitureonline.co.uk is an online furniture store that offers funky and traditional office furniture at low prices. We can help you decide what you need and even get it delivered the next day. Not only that, we can help keep your staff happier – after all, if you have to work, you may as well be comfortable while you’re doing it!