Equipping for Security on the Cheap

Equipping for security on the cheap... there really is no such thing.

Security is not an inexpensive profession to work... Especially not if you wish to progress in the security field.

The cost of a BSIS license guard card is not so bad, but then you add in the additional charge of a live-scan. An O.C. Spray certification is not too much, but then you need to buy O.C. spray and a duty belt and pouch to hold it. A baton permit could run an officer about $150, then one need the baton and the holder for the belt. A Taser/E.C.D. cert runs a few pennies, and then there is the cost of a good Taser, which is upward of $350... Of course you will need a holster for that and a few extra cartridges. Then there is the grand daddy expense... The firearms Exposed Carry Permit, which, of course will require another live scan and permit processing by BSIS and DOJ. Of course the permit does nothing for you if you do not own a firearm, and for that firearm you will need a special holster that meets the retention level requirements to work your post. Additional certifications like CPR, Handcuffing, etc, which make one a well rounded package, add to the total expense. Then, of course, let us not forget the uniform that most every security company in the industry has you pay for out of your first several checks, or the fact one will need a good flashlight as their first equipment priority.

It is not a cheap profession choice at all, though some of us find it very rewarding. Don't forget, one has to pay to renew licenses, have continued training to keep the licenses active, pay for re-qualifications on firearms, and of course, all personal duty equipment and ammunition, which will run between .40 cents to $1 per round, dependent on if it is for your range time practice or your required hollow-points for duty.

How does one get from guard-basic-belt to armed officer on the illustrious salary of a security company employee? One has to plan and budget, and have patience, and do some planing. Overtime helps speed up the process if one can get it. One also has to do a lot of research and comparative shopping.

It is recommended that an officer make a one year plan to go from basic to officer. Yeah, it will likely take some overtime to do it right. There is a strategy though...

One's first several paychecks typically have a small deduction made for a uniform, usually about $25 per check. Those deductions typically stop in five to eight weeks once the uniform deposit is achieved. A good plan is for the next year, budget yourself to bank that extra $25 per check and build up a pot of cash for the next level of training and certification you wish to achieve, that way, if one sets aside the initial deduction for uniform amounts each check, one does not get used to overspending their money each pay period and never really notices how much is going to their equipment as they achieve it.

As discussed in other officer tip articles, one should not go straight from guard card to firearms permit without a recognition of the concepts of escalation of force and liability. An officer who understands these concepts has a much better chance of making himself more valuable to their employer by following a license, permit, training and equipment path that insures that the officer is seen as a low liability to his company, or better yet as a person who's very presence reduces liability.

CPR/First Aid/AED is the best initial compliment certification off the bat. It shows that you care medically about other human beings, and that you have had training that will educate you and limit liability. It is a cheap certification that can usually be achieved online in less than 4 hours.

C.E.R.T. Involvement (Community Emergency Response Team) is a wonderful way to pick up an emergency services disaster card for cheap. There are many benefits to this card, and it ups one's value to an employer to know that there is someone that has been trained in the basic tenets of what to do in a disaster scenario. The training for C.E.R.T. is free in most counties, as it is subsidized by the federal government as part of F.E.M.A. and the Department of Homeland Security... These things look very nice on a resume.

F.E.M.A. Courses are usually free online, and provide certificates. Listing a few of these certificates can up one's value when in consideration for government posts, which are typically very good contract assignments. The information on gets in these courses can open an officers eyes to other worlds they have never thought about in the public safety industry.

Ok, at this point, one is likely thinking "Where is the security stuff?" It all is. and it is all relevant. Many training centers will inform someone of their wonderful program to get a security certification training package, but few programs give one any indication on how to become a well rounded officer in security that will have relevant everyday training, or how to really get from point A to point excellent officer.

So as discussed on other tip pages in this section, one should understand the concepts of elevation of force and liability. In knowing that, and having a plan of attack order for equipping oneself to be the best officer possible on their budget, one can likely work the order of things below over a year with proper budgeting and spending, and be well rounded and recognized by their company for progressive achievements, regardless of if they ever escalate past being an unarmed officer.

Recommended Plan: First Year

  1. Get your guard Card ($30 up plus Live Scan fees and State fees)
    • (You will need this to get an interview)
    • (Several online and in person classes available, 8 hours)
    • Laminate your card, make xerox copy and put in folder. Scan it to your computer. ($2)
  2. Get a hair cut ($15)
    • (You will need this to be hired during your interview)
    • (A barber knows the haircut, and is cheaper than a stylist, sorry ladies)
    • (After hired with new haircut, give a copy to your employer, be seen in the office)
  3. Buy boots ($35 to $200)
    • (Make sure they fit and you have good socks/insoles, remember, feet swell from standing and walking.)
    • Get boot Polish/scuff remover (Dollar Store)
  4. Buy a basic Duty Belt ($20 to no limit)
    • (Nylon is fine, but leather is better for many reasons)
    • (Ebay/Amazon are OK, but try a few local surplus stores and Craigslist for better quality and a good deal. Used is fine for first belt.)
  5. Buy a flashlight (5$ to $70$)
  6. Buy a spare Wallet (for all the permits and licensees you will be getting) ($1 to 10$) (Dollar or Discount Store)
  7. Get extended Security Course Certifications ($80+) (32 hours)
    • (Shows your employer you are serious)
    • (Some posts require this to work) (Several online and in person classes available, 40 hours)
    • Laminate your card, make xerox copy and put in folder. Scan it to your computer. ($2)
    • (Give a copy to your employer, be seen in the office)
    • Takes you from working liability to asset (If you pay attention)
  8. CPR/First Aid/AED (Some posts require this to work)
    • (Several online and in person classes available)($30 and up)
    • Laminate your card, make xerox copy and put in folder. Scan it to your computer. ($2) (Give a copy to your employer, be seen in office)
  9. O.C./Pepper Spray/Chemical Agent Certification (Several online and in person classes available)
    • Laminate your card, make xerox copy and put in folder. Scan it to your computer. ($2) (Give a copy to your employer, be seen in office)
  10. Buy a high quality O.C. spray and holster for your duty belt. Attach it. Stretch the case. Practice drawing it.
    • One is more likely to use O.C. spray in their defense than any other defensive weapon in their career in security.
    • Understand this is the lowest liability defensive weapon.

11. Get Handcuff Certified ($30 to $50) (Several online and in person classes available)

    • In person classes preferred

12. Buy a set of quality handcuffs

    • Buy an extra key (or 3) ($15)
    • Buy a belt case that matches your duty belt ($20)
    • Break them in by ratcheting them for a day
    • Practice using them

13. Get Taser Certification (Several online and in person classes available) ($150)

  • Laminate your card, make xerox copy and put in folder. Scan it to your computer. ($2) (Give a copy to your employer, be seen in office)

14. Buy a stun gun or a taser ($20 to $1,000)

    • Get the appropriate matching pouch or holster for your belt. ($20-$100)
    • Practice drawing it.
    • Take a hit from it to see what it feels like
    • Understand that this is a moderate liability defensive weapon.

15. Take a Baton Certification Course ($150 and up) (Typically in person courses)

    • Laminate your card, make xerox copy and put in folder. Scan it to your computer. ($2) (Give a copy to your employer, be seen in office)

16. Buy a baton (Asp Style most popular) ($60 to $130)

    • Get the appropriate belt holder for your baton length and style. ($20)
    • Practice drawing it.
    • Practice pointing with it.
    • Practice control holds with it.
    • Practice swinging it at legs.
    • Understand that this is a very high liability defensive weapon, and it takes mastery to use.

Recommended Plan: Second Year

By now you have had plenty of work starting as a basic guard with an empty belt and a flashlight guarding some parking lots, construction sights, party events, shopping malls and the like, gradually being placed with your companies trust in positions of greater and greater responsibility. You have gained experience, and have likely learned that at the moment you are comfortable at your post, something can happen that requires you to use or consider using one of your non-lethal defensive items and the training you have had. Hopefully not. Hopefully your posts have been incredibly uneventful, but In a years time you have likely encountered some form of conflict, and had opportunity to really consider and hone your people skills in de-escalating situations. You have probably logged a good amount of overtime, and may even have started saving for your firearms certification and licensing.

It has been a year, so you should be reviewing your licenses, updating the permits that need a refresher course (more money, sigh), and moving forward with the next phase of your plan if you are looking for that next pay increase and a new world of post options like banks, armored vehicles, high end events, patrol driving and military/civil order contracts. The next phase of your plan should be the exposed firearms permit, if you wish to advance further in this industry.

Again, it is time for you to reflect and consider escalation of force and liability. It is also time to get a good examination of your mental state, and examine why you want to work carrying a firearm as part of your work. Id it something you really want to do? It is a large amount of responsibility, and any mistake you have ever made as an unarmed officer in dealing with a conflict is amplified at higher risk when one has both a badge and a firearm. If you have thought it out, then look at the path below:

1) Go to the range and learn gun safety, and how to handle and fire a weapon. Get a range safety card. Test fire a variety of weapons in both 9mm and .40 caliber. Find out what you like. What feels good in your hand. What has a hip wight you are willing to be chained to 10 hours a day. Ask for a qualifier silhouette target, and meditate on the fact that the silhouette is the outline of a human form. Meditate on the fact that as an armed security officer, you may have reason at some point to pull the trigger on something that is not paper but flesh. Still good with the idea of going armed? Read on.

2) Acquire your DOJ compliant travel gun safe and locking ammo box. Why this first? because one best get in the habit of locking up their weapon and keeping it safe from theft and from hands that should not be touching it. Because safety first. Because California requires it to transport it when an officer is not going to or from their assigned armed post. Because the death of another human being as a result of your improper storage of a weapon is something you do not want. Still good with the idea of going armed? Read on.

3) Acquire your firearm and your duty holster. ($$$)

  • Read the Manual, then, read it again.
  • Disassemble your weapon and reassemble your weapon, repeatedly.
  • Buy "snap-caps" ($20) and practice the functionality of your weapon, clearing a jam, loading, reloading, pointing the weapon at a target. Getting a feel for the squeeze on the trigger before the hammer falls is important. keeping the weapon steady on a target point without anticipating a bang is important. Dry-fire training has been proven to increase accuracy... and it is cheaper than the range.

4) Go to the range and practice with your firearm. This seems contrary to the methodology of progression above of year one, but think about it. This is a whole different type of defensive tool that carries a lot more consequences for use, and requires a lot more skill to be effective with. It is the top of the escalation of force pyramid that one should hope they never have to use, and carries the highest liability should one actually have to use a firearm in the course of their job. Still good with the idea of going armed? Read on.

5) Now that you have put a few boxes of ammunition through your selected duty weapon at he range, and you have some accuracy and an extended understanding of your firearm, contemplate one last time after the expense of shooting a few boxes of ammunition, and realize you must now commit to buying that much ammunition every few months in order to maintain your certifications through state mandatory re-qualifications. Realize you are committing to a new lifestyle, which is, in fact, the way of the gun. Still good with the idea of going armed? Read on.

Ok, so you have made the decision to go armed. You are going to have to take a BSIS certified course and have a BSIS range day. ($230 and up, plus ammunition cost) Things are going to start adding up again real quick. So one goes to the minimum 14 hours of combined lecture training and on range qualification testing (keep in mind, no one there is going to teach you how to shoot, the assumption is you know how already, which in itself, is quite costly). NOW you can apply with the state... and yes, that cost money. You will need another live scan ($87+ depending on where one goes) and state fee for the Exposed Weapons Permit processing. And guess what... Your re-qals will cost you every few months for the instructor who writes you off as good AND the ammunition AND your submission of your re-quals. You had best hope you get a lot of steady armed work at the new pay rate.

Good officers make the sacrifice of time and money, and stay up to date, and eventually find a great home at their company when they bring forth their other talents. Bad officers tend to let everything lapse, and soon loose their exposed firearm license, never to go through the process again. Think hard about which you are before making the investment.