What is a security guard's duty belt?

What every post needs

A radio or a phone to reach dispatch and the client. A flashlight for rounds. The keys, cards or codes the property has issued. Gloves for the things an officer touches on a round. A small first-aid pouch, because officers are trained in first aid and are often the first person at a fall. Pen and notebook or the tablet for the log. On a fire watch, the log itself and knowledge of where the extinguishers are; extinguishers belong to the building, not the belt.

What depends on the credential

A firearm is carried only by a Level III commissioned officer, only on a post the client and the post orders designate as armed, and only in a retention holster. Other equipment that Texas regulates or that a client may not want on their property, such as batons or chemical spray, is carried only where the post orders say so and the officer has the training the equipment requires. Price Protection’s default is the minimum the post needs; the weapons other than firearms article explains the rules for the rest.

Why less is more on most posts

An apartment community, a lobby or a school does not need an officer who looks ready for a riot, and a heavily loaded belt changes how residents, tenants and parents see the officer. The equipment on most of our posts is what an officer needs to communicate, see, open doors and help someone who is hurt. The manner of the officer does the rest.

For officers joining us

The equipment on day one article lists what a new officer is issued and what to bring, and the radio protocol article covers the piece of equipment that matters most.