Report Writing, Observation, and Emergency Response
This domain tests whether you can document an incident accurately and respond safely to an emergency. Reports are often the evidence that decides a civil claim, a criminal case, or an employment dispute. The exam looks for objective facts, a clear timeline, accurate identification, preserved evidence, and appropriate emergency action. A guard’s report should let a reader who was not present understand what happened without adopting the guard’s conclusions.
Core practices
- Record who, what, when, where, how, and who else was present. Use 24-hour time or clearly mark a.m./p.m.
- Separate observation from opinion. Write “I saw a red mark on the left forearm” rather than “he was obviously abused.” Quote statements verbatim when possible and identify the speaker.
- Document actions taken, witnesses, video locations, and whether police or EMS were called. Note the disposition: transported, arrested, released, or referred.
- Write promptly, sign and date the report, and do not alter a submitted report. Corrections should be made by a supplemental report.
- In an emergency, scene safety comes first: call 911, give the location and nature of the emergency, and provide first aid or CPR only within your training. Secure the area without contaminating evidence.
Worked example
A customer slips near a wet floor. The guard should not write “the store was negligent.” The guard should write: “At 14:05 I observed a customer lying on the floor near aisle 4. A yellow cone was 3 feet away. I called 911 at 14:06 and asked another employee to bring a first-aid kit. I did not move the customer. I photographed the floor and cone before cleanup.” That record is factual and preserves the key issues.
Traps that cost marks
Conclusions instead of observations; omitting the time police were called; describing hearsay as fact; failing to note evidence preservation; and rewriting an original report after submission.