NSCDC Guard Supervisor Exam flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Span of control

The number of subordinates one supervisor can effectively direct. For routine static posts this is typically five to eight officers; dispersed or complex posts reduce the number.

Progressive discipline

A documented sequence of escalating responses to misconduct: coaching, verbal warning, written warning, suspension, termination. Each step requires a written record acknowledged by the guard.

Pass-down briefing

The shift-start briefing covering post status, open incidents, key issue, equipment defects, special events, and supervisor contact. It ensures continuity between outgoing and incoming shifts.

Abandonment of post

Leaving an assigned post without documented supervisor authorization. It is treated as a serious disciplinary offense because it removes the protection the client contracted for.

Hierarchy of direction

The order of authority: law, then client contract, then post orders, then SOP, then verbal instruction. A verbal order conflicting with post orders must be escalated, not silently followed.

Post orders

Site-specific written instructions stating post location, hours, duties, authority limits, reporting chain, emergency contacts, and required equipment. They govern the guard's daily conduct at that post.

Relief factor

A staffing allowance of roughly fifteen to twenty-five percent added to base post-hours to cover leave, training, and sickness. It prevents uncovered posts when officers are absent.

Key control register

A log recording each key's identifier, holder, issue time, return time, and supervisor signature. It provides an auditable trail if a key is lost or misused.

Two-factor access control

Requiring two different credential types, such as a badge plus a PIN or biometric, before granting entry. It is standard for high-value or sensitive areas.

Tailgating

An unauthorized person following an authorized person through a controlled door without presenting credentials. Controls include turnstiles, mantraps, and guards challenging every unbadged person.

Defensible patrol record

A patrol log supported by time-stamped checkpoint data such as QR scans or NFC tags. A log reconstructed from memory at shift end is not defensible evidence.

CCTV preservation

Exporting and securing footage relevant to an incident immediately, before automatic overwrite. Retention periods are set by client policy and law, commonly thirty days minimum.

Incident report standard

A first-person, chronological, past-tense account covering who, what, when, where, how, and witnesses. It contains facts only, with no opinion, speculation, or conclusion.

Life safety priority

The emergency response order: life safety first, then incident stabilization, then property protection. Assets are never protected at the cost of personal safety.

PASS technique

The fire extinguisher method: Pull the pin, Aim at the base of the fire, Squeeze the handle, Sweep side to side. It applies only to small, contained fires with a clear escape route.

Chain of custody

A documented record of every person who handled evidence, with item description, collector, date and time, location, seal number, and signed transfers between parties.

Citizen's arrest authority

The limited power of a private guard to detain a person based on an offence witnessed or reasonably suspected. It derives from citizen powers, not from the client contract.

Proportionate force

Force that is necessary and matched to the subject's level of resistance. It escalates and de-escalates along the force continuum and never exceeds what the threat requires.

False imprisonment

Unlawfully restricting a person's movement without legal authority. A guard who detains beyond the time needed to hand over to police risks civil and criminal liability.

Trespass authority

The power to ask a person to leave property, derived from the owner or occupier. Reasonable force may follow only if the person refuses after a clear warning.

Risk score

Likelihood multiplied by consequence on a risk matrix. Scores above the site's tolerance threshold, often twelve on a five-by-five matrix, require prioritized controls.

Control hierarchy

The order of risk controls: eliminate, substitute, engineer, administrate, then personal protective equipment. PPE is the last line of defense, never the first.

Lone worker protocol

A safety system for officers working alone: scheduled check-ins, usually hourly, a duress device, and a defined escalation if a check-in is missed.

Shrinkage categories

Losses split into internal theft, external theft, administrative error, and vendor fraud. Tracking each category separately lets the supervisor select the correct control.

Radio protocol

Identify the calling unit, state location, state the message, then acknowledge. Keep transmissions under ten seconds and use plain language on shared channels.

Daily activity report

The shift record of post checks, patrol times, incidents, visitors, equipment status, and handover notes. It is completed before the end of the shift.

Report correction method

Errors are fixed with a single-line strike, initials, and date, using blue or black ink. Correction fluid, erasure, and blank lines through the body are prohibited.

Client reporting cadence

The agreed schedule of daily activity reports, weekly summaries, monthly performance reports with key metrics, and immediate notification of any critical incident.

Conflict of interest declaration

A guard must disclose any relationship with a contractor, vendor, or person under investigation. An undisclosed conflict is a disciplinary offense.

License currency

The requirement to hold a valid guard license and complete refresher training before expiry. Working unlicensed is a criminal offense in many jurisdictions.

Good-faith whistleblowing

Reporting a colleague's misconduct in good faith, which is protected from retaliation. Retaliating against a good-faith reporter is itself a disciplinary offense.

Objective screening criteria

Access decisions based on documented, non-discriminatory factors rather than profiling by race, religion, gender, or nationality. Criteria must be written and consistently applied.