OR Security Guard cheat sheet

Oregon DPSST unarmed security professional certification requires a criminal history check, fingerprinting, and a minimum training course before a private security provider license is issued; certification must be carried or verifiable while on duty.

Use-of-force authority for private security is the same as any private citizen: reasonable physical force only to prevent imminent harm, defend self or others, or effect a lawful citizen's arrest; deadly force is limited to defense against imminent death or serious physical injury.

Citizen's arrest in Oregon requires the offense to be committed in the guard's presence (or a felony with reasonable grounds plus immediate pursuit); the guard must deliver the person to a magistrate or peace officer without unnecessary delay.

Post orders and client policy may narrow but never expand legal authority; when post orders conflict with law, law controls and the guard documents the conflict and notifies the supervisor.

Observation and reporting standard: record who, what, when, where, how, and how many, using objective sensory facts; conclusions such as 'suspicious' or 'angry' require supporting observed behavior.

Patrol fundamentals: vary route and timing, check doors, windows, lighting, and fire equipment, log every check with time and initials, and never leave a post unattended without relief.

Emergency priorities in order: life safety, incident stabilization, then property protection; calling 911 precedes internal notification unless post orders state otherwise.

Report writing: complete entries in ink, correct errors with a single line and initials (never erase or use correction fluid), and never pre-date or back-date a log entry.

Access control: verify identity against an approved list or credential, issue and retrieve visitor badges, and log name, time in, destination, and time out for every non-resident.

Signal priority: fire and duress/panic signals are dispatched or called through before burglary and supervisory signals; medical and hold-up alarms are treated as life-safety.

Two-call verification rule: attempt contact with the site (call-back) and, per policy, a second contact before dispatching on a burglary alarm; duress and panic signals skip verification.

Use the passcode challenge: ask for the on-site password or code phrase; if the responder cannot give it, treat the alarm as unverified and follow the duress procedure rather than assuming a false alarm.

Zone and point identification: state the exact zone number, description, and alarm type to responding units; never say only 'the alarm went off' because responders need the location to enter safely.

Alarm handling sequence: receive signal, identify account and zone, verify per policy, notify responders and the call list in order, log time of every action, then close the event with disposition (dispatched, cancelled, false alarm, tested).

False-alarm causes to check before dispatch: opened doors or windows, pets on motion sensors, HVAC or drafts on glass-break detectors, low battery, and recent construction dust.

Put the account on test before any planned work and remove test status immediately afterward; an account left on test will suppress a real alarm.

Open/close (exception) reporting: compare actual arm/disarm times against the scheduled list and flag early, late, or unscheduled activity to the keyholder.

Data integrity: log the operator ID, exact time, signal code, and action taken for each event; never alter an earlier entry, add a correction entry instead.

Crowd density limit: keep standing audience density at or below roughly one person per 0.5 square meters (about 2 persons per square meter) in the pit; above that, surge pressure makes self-extraction impossible.

Capacity control: the posted occupancy load is a legal maximum; count entrants and subtract exits continuously, and stop entry when the count reaches the limit.

Ingress screening: bag check and prohibited-item list at every entry, wand or pat-down per posted policy, and a separate re-entry procedure to prevent tailgating.

Crowd management over crowd control: use visible stewarding, clear signage, wide approach routes, and staged queues; force is a last resort after communication and positioning fail.

Egress rule: exit routes and fire lanes stay clear at all times; never block a marked exit with barricades, merchandise, or vehicles, even briefly.

Front-of-stage safety: maintain a pit barrier, watch for crowd surfing and compression at the rail, and have a pre-agreed signal to pause the show for a medical or crush emergency.

Radio discipline: use assigned channel and call signs, keep transmissions short, and use plain language; 'code' words are used only if defined in the event operations plan.

Incident handoff: for ejections and medical events, record time, location, description, and disposition, and hand the person to EMS or police rather than releasing them unobserved.

Credential tiers: distinguish artist, crew, press, VIP, and general credentials by color and access zone; challenge anyone whose credential does not match the zone they are entering.

Oregon DPSST executive manager and supervisory manager licenses are separate credentials above the unarmed professional certification; each requires its own application, fee, and training or experience requirements.

Supervisory manager: oversees and directs security personnel at a client site or shift; executive manager: holds company-level authority over operations, contracts, and compliance.

Continuing education: licenses carry renewal cycles with required training hours; a lapsed license means the person may not perform licensed duties until reinstated.

Supervisor liability: the supervisor is accountable for post orders being current, for officer training records, and for documenting corrective action; undocumented instruction is treated as not given.

Incident review: supervisors conduct a post-incident review covering timeline, policy compliance, use of force, and reporting quality, and route findings to the client and licensing authority as required.

Staffing rule: never assign an officer to a post requiring a credential or equipment the officer does not hold; verify license status before assignment.

Record retention: keep training certificates, license copies, post orders, and incident reports for the period required by the licensing authority and client contract, whichever is longer.

Client contract boundaries: the manager confirms scope, hours, and authority in writing; officers may not accept payment or direction that conflicts with the contract or with law.

Escalation path: officer to shift supervisor to account or operations manager to executive manager; life-safety events go directly to 911 regardless of the chain of command.