Ontario Security Guard cheat sheet

Private security is client-funded and contract-based; public police are government-funded and hold broad statutory powers such as arrest warrants, traffic control and detention authority that guards do not have.

A security guard has no legal authority beyond that of an ordinary citizen; powers come from Criminal Code s. 494 (citizen's arrest), the Trespass to Property Act, and the client's authority as occupier.

Allan Pinkerton founded the first private detective agency in the United States in 1850, a landmark in the professionalisation of contract security.

Core guard functions: static guarding, foot/mobile patrol, access control, CCTV monitoring, alarm response, loss prevention, event security and concierge/reception security.

CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) rests on natural surveillance, natural access control, territorial reinforcement and maintenance of the space.

Loss prevention targets shrinkage from four sources: external theft, internal theft, supplier/vendor fraud, and administrative or paperwork error.

Layered physical security follows deter → detect → delay → respond: each layer buys time and produces information for the responding guard or police.

When hired by a property owner or manager, a guard acts as the occupier's agent and may exercise the occupier's authority to direct people to leave the premises.

The Private Security and Investigative Services Act, 2005 (PSISA) is Ontario's statute licensing and regulating security guards, private investigators and security agencies; it is administered by the Ministry of the Solicitor General through the Registrar.

PSISA s. 2 defines a security guard as a person who performs work, for remuneration, consisting mainly of guarding or protecting persons or property.

Licensing conditions include being at least 18, being legally entitled to work in Canada, completing Ministry-approved basic training (40 hours for security guards), holding valid first aid/CPR, and having no prescribed prohibiting convictions.

A licensed guard must carry the licence while on duty and produce it on the request of a police officer or a Ministry inspector.

Ontario Regulation 160/10 (Code of Conduct) requires honesty and integrity, fair and respectful treatment of all persons, avoidance of conflicts of interest, confidentiality, compliance with the law and no excessive use of force.

Guards must not use the title 'police', police ranks or police-style badges and insignia, and must not do anything that suggests they are police officers.

Client and personal information learned on duty is confidential and may be disclosed only as required or permitted by law.

Force may be used only where the law allows it (e.g., self-defence under Criminal Code s. 34, defence of property under s. 35) and only to the extent that is reasonable and necessary in the circumstances.

Post orders are site-specific written instructions covering duties, patrol routes, access control, emergency procedures and reporting; they are read at the start of every shift and take priority over general practice.

Shift handover transfers keys, radio, notebook, incident status and outstanding issues to the incoming guard, with entries signed and timed.

Access control sequence: confirm identity, confirm authorization, issue a pass or escort, record entry and exit, and recover the pass on departure.

Key control requires a sign-out/sign-in log, no unattended keys, restricted issue of master keys and immediate reporting of lost or missing keys.

Alarm response: observe the exterior for signs of forced entry, note vehicle and person descriptions, and do not enter a building alone on an unverified alarm - request police or backup.

Effective patrol is visible and unpredictable: vary route, timing and direction so observation cannot be anticipated by someone with criminal intent.

A perimeter check verifies doors, windows, locks, lighting, alarm zones, fire exits and safety hazards along a documented route.

Evidence protection: do not touch or move items, secure and preserve the scene, restrict access, and record who entered and when.

Notebook rules: record in ink, chronologically, with date, time (24-hour clock) and location; never erase, use correction fluid or remove pages - strike errors with a single line and initial them.

Reports answer who, what, when, where, why and how, in that factual order, and record the time of the observation rather than the time of writing.

Record facts and direct quotes, not opinions or conclusions; put a person's exact words in quotation marks.

Radio procedure: listen before transmitting, identify your unit, keep the message short, use plain language, and confirm critical instructions by repeating them back.

'Over' means the speaker has finished and expects a reply; 'out' means the exchange is complete and no reply is expected.

The phonetic alphabet (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta...) is used to spell names, plates and codes clearly over the air.

Never transmit confidential or personal information (names, addresses, health data) over an unsecured channel unless operationally required.

Incident reports are confidential and shared on a need-to-know basis, including with police and the client's designated representative.

Priority order at any emergency: your own personal safety, then life safety of others, then protection of property, then protection of the environment.

Fire response uses RACE: Remove people from immediate danger, Alarm, Contain the fire by closing doors, Evacuate or Extinguish.

Extinguisher use uses PASS: Pull the pin, Aim at the base of the fire, Squeeze the handle, Sweep side to side.

Fight a fire only if it is small, you have the correct extinguisher class (A ordinary combustibles, B flammable liquids, C energized electrical, D metals, K cooking oils) and you have a clear exit.

On a bomb threat, do not use radios or cell phones near a suspected device; record the caller's exact words, background noise, time and any details offered.

Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act a worker has the right to know about hazards, the right to participate in health and safety, and the right to refuse unsafe work.

During evacuation, use stairs not elevators, direct people to the designated assembly point, sweep assigned areas and report persons unaccounted for.

A guard does not intervene physically in a violent crime beyond their training: observe, withdraw to safety, call 911 and report descriptions and direction of travel.