Dropping your kids off at school should not be something that makes you nervous. You should feel as safe with your kids at school as you do when they are at home. However, recent events have made many people worry about the safety of their children at school. As more and more events happen in the news, many schools are beginning to take more steps to ensure school security. Security guards are one of the ways they do this. A school guard is going to operate differently than a guard elsewhere, so there are some things you should consider.
Experience
You need to think about the resume and/or experience of the guard you might be hiring. Working with children and teenagers is especially difficult. Also, schools tend to be crowded and hectic spaces, especially during class changes. That means that any security guard is going to have to be thoroughly vetted for high-stress situations. Having hundreds or even thousands of teenagers rushing back and forth definitely counts as a high-stress situation, and that occurs in between every class period.
One way to know that a guard has been trained in high-stress environments is through experience. Retired or off-duty police officers definitely have the training to handle stressful situations. In Georgia, a regulatory board licenses guards, so anyone working school security in Atlanta or elsewhere should have been vetted by that board.
Versatility
A school security guard is going to be required to interact with people frequently. A guard working after-hours security or even in a large business might not have to interact with customers or employees. In a school, people are going to be in close proximity all day long, and it is impossible to avoid them. Therefore, a school guard needs to have good interpersonal skills.
Also, schools tend to not want a bunch of guards walking around, creating a prison-type feeling. Because of this, one guard might have several duties. He or she might be required to monitor cameras, check certain areas, and respond to complaints, among other tasks.
Reliability
There are certain jobs or assignments that lend themselves to a flexible schedule. Teachers and administrators can tell you that education is not one of them. Anyone who works in school security will have to be incredibly reliable as well as determined. You cannot simply miss days of work. The school day must go on.
When you are looking to keep your kids and other children safe at school, a security guard might be a great option. He or she has to be even more reliable than other security guards, though. In a corporate setting, guards are usually protecting material wealth such as products or raw materials. In a school, a guard is protecting the lives of children. Click here for more information.
