Staying calm is essential in what makes a good security guard great. It is at those times that you will value having a trained and experienced security guard. During a crisis, the best asset a security guard has is not his phone or pepper spray, it is staying calm. In the moment of panic, most people freeze, run or take the wrong action.
At GPS Security, security guards are trained in the best possible manner exactly for this. So how do we do this?
Visualization
It’s impossible to put trainees in a crisis situation, so the next best thing is done –they are put through visual scenarios. This psychologically helps them build scenarios which they can expect on their job. These are scenarios from real life incidents – from dealing with a rude customer to aggressive hooligans to even armed robbers.
Channeling the Adrenaline Rush
Adrenaline triggers the most basic primeval instinct in a human – flight or fight. It is impossible to think straight when this instinct takes over. Anyone can have an adrenaline rush during a crisis when an armed robber points a weapon at you or a fight is about to explode.
However, an adrenaline rush can be useful if channeled right. It gives a security guard an energy boost to take the right action.
Evaluate
With little time, which options should be chosen? GPS security guards learn how to evaluate the options they have and identify which is the best one. This is vital because when a crisis strikes, he doesn’t have sufficient time to compare different options.
This is the most important part of staying calm when under pressure. The main cause of giving into panic is because you feel there aren’t any viable options. This is not so for a trained security guards. There are always options, it is just a matter of choosing the most viable one.
In-Tune with your Plan
Whether you are a hotel or oil facility, there will be some contingency emergency plans. The first thing a security guard does when he is hired is to ensure that he is aware of them. This way he makes sure they are executed. Plans are instrumental for staying calm. A security guard has something to fall back on. They are especially good in case of a fire or other emergencies.
Deal with the Problem
By staying calm, a security guard is able to deal with the problem at hand in the right manner. ‘Under pressure’ can come in all kinds of forms -a racist employee, an intoxicated guest in a hotel or an operational problem at the oil facility. Each problem dictates a different solution. Violence should never be the norm, in fact, GPS security guards are quite capable of steering away from violent situations.
A crisis doesn’t happen until it happens and you will be glad that when it does, you have a calm, trained and professional security guard on your team.
