Communication, Reporting and Documentation
A security function is judged largely by its paper trail. Reports become evidence, support insurance claims, defend disciplinary action and guide the next shift. The exam tests report structure, objectivity, radio discipline and record retention.
Writing a defensible report
Cover who, what, when, where, why and how, in time order. Use the 24-hour clock, full names with designations, exact locations, and direct quotes where relevant. Separate what you saw and heard from what you were told, attributing the source. Write in plain, short sentences, past tense, first person or neutral third person according to house style. Do not leave blanks; strike through errors so they remain legible. Sign and date, and never alter a submitted entry - add a dated addendum instead.
Language that survives scrutiny
Replace opinion with observation. "Guard was rude and probably drunk" fails. "At 22:14 the guard raised his voice, used the words..., and I smelled alcohol on his breath from about one metre" is evidence.
Radio and escalation
Use standard phrasing, keep transmissions brief, confirm receipt, and never send sensitive detail over an open channel. Know the escalation matrix: what you handle, what the duty manager handles, what goes straight to police or emergency services.
Worked example
A visitor reports a laptop missing from a meeting room. Weak report: "Laptop stolen, probably the cleaner." Correct report: time reported, reporter's details, room, asset description and serial if known, last confirmed sighting, access records for the room, actions taken (area searched, CCTV preserved, police advised), and witnesses named. Note the suspicion was reported, not concluded.
Traps
Hearsay presented as fact; missing times; late entries; storing incident books where anyone can read or remove pages.