Security Equipment, Communication Systems and Surveillance Technology
Communications discipline
This domain covers radios, telephones, alarms, CCTV and screening equipment. The exam expects clear messages, equipment checks and proper handling of footage.
Core rules
- Radio: identify yourself, state the location, give the problem, then request. Use plain language; use the phonetic alphabet for spelling. Keep sensitive details off open channels.
- Check equipment at shift start: radio battery, charger, CCTV time, alarms, torches, metal detectors and body cameras. Log faults.
- CCTV is for safety and evidence. Record incidents, preserve relevant footage, note the time offset and export a copy with a hash or signature. Do not tamper, delete or share clips.
- Alarms need response and reset procedures. Never ignore an alarm because it 'always goes off'; report the fault.
- Screening equipment supports, not replaces, observation. Follow safe distances and privacy rules.
Worked example
CCTV shows a bag left near a counter. The guard notes the camera time, calls the supervisor, preserves the clip, and follows the unattended-item procedure. Reasoning: footage may become evidence, so time and integrity matter. Deleting or editing it destroys its value.
Traps that cost marks
Giving a client's address over an open channel; letting unauthorised staff view footage; failing to note camera time drift; and treating a faulty alarm as normal.