If you have determined that your building, or business requires 24-hour security guards, then you need to take some things into account. When you place 24-hour security on your grounds, and you have in-house security personnel, you are likely to have have guards that are supervising themselves for portions of the work day and completely on weekends and holidays. You can avoid this by partnering with a contract security guard service to deliver your staffing 24 hours a day.
This places the responsibility of supervision during off hours on the contract security provider
They can also help you make sure you are hiring dedicated professionals to safeguard your premises.
Identify the areas on your property that you feel require a 24-hour guard. It may be that only a portion of the property needs constant physical surveillance, which will help cut your costs. You will also want to make the determination as to whether or not you may need multiple guards or a mobile patrol on your property.
Work with a security professional to draft an effective 24-hour security plan. Make sure they develop policies about how security will interact with your employees, the responsibilities of security officers and the procedures a guard will follow in any given situation. This manual may wind up being very comprehensive, but a set of security policies created with the help of a professional can reduce your liability if something should happen on your property.
A reputable guard company should require that all applicants be trained in professional security measures, and be fully certified and screened. When deciding how many guards to hire, use the plan you developed regarding what needs 24-hour surveillance to determine manpower. Make sure your security provider is up to the task of fully staffing your needs.
Make sure your provider requires security guards to conduct pre-appointed rounds of the premises throughout their shifts. Have guards fill out a log of each round, or use an electronic "guard tour system" to record activity.
