Good Practice Guidelines: Alarm response

Launched in June, the NZSA’s New Zealand Security Industry Good Practice Guidelines provides clear guidance on a range of security guarding topics. In this excerpt we step through alarm response.

According to the New Zealand Security Industry Good Practice Guidelines, mobile security patrol is a security service provided by security guards travelling to multiple sites that are physically distant from one another, within a defined period of time.

Along with alarm response, the document lists noise and smoke control, community patrols, security escorts, parking enforcement, lockups or unlocks, bed-downs, internal or external checks, issuing trespass notices, animal control, business park patrols, freedom camper enforcement, and council park patrols as the various roles of mobile security patrols.

The Guidelines cover the minimum standard for a mobile security patrol guard carrying out an alarm response. Including the procedures covering the steps involved in approaching a site, arriving at site, leaving the patrol vehicle, conducting external and internal checks, dealing with an offender on site and taking follow-up action.

The following excerpt should be read in conjunction with the Guideline’s chapter ‘Guidelines for mobile security patrol guards’, which covers additional information relevant to alarm response, including risk management and escalation plans.

Approaching the site When going to the site, you should be aware of vehicles and people present at or leaving the site. As you get within a block of the scene and when it is safe to do so, turn off your headlights, wind down your windows and slow down. This approach: • enables you to listen for and observe any possible offenders leaving the area. • is a more covert way of approaching the scene, giving anyone still on site less warning that you are coming.

Note: Only adopt this approach where it is safe to do so and no other traffic is on the road.

Skilled alarm response techniques make the difference between catching offenders, either on site or later, and missing offenders and contaminating scenes. Although most alarm activations are false alarms, you should treat every activation as live until you are certain it is not.

There is always the possibility that a mobile security patrol may arrive and disturb an offender who is still on site. If this happens to you, you must ensure your own safety first but also immediately escalate the situation and remain in a safe position where you can safely observe and monitor the offender(s) and site until the Police arrive.

Arriving at the site When you are arriving on site, it is important to conduct an immediate

assessment and identify a safe assembly point (SAP). A SAP is a specific location you have identified as part of your risk assessment. It is a place where you can park your vehicle close to the building or site in activation, yet it will also provide you with an immediate exit from the location and/or will be a place of safety if you need it.

It is important to point your patrol vehicle in a direction of immediate escape to give yourself a safe method of exiting.

Your patrol vehicle can help protect you. When you arrive, we recommend you park at the SAP and remain in your vehicle until you feel it is safe to leave it. When you arrive at the site, you should: • advise your operations centre that you have arrived. • observe and look for evidence that offenders have been or are still on site (use a spotlight to help you).

Note: If you observe any evidence that an offender has been or is still on site, move to a safe observation point and escalate to the Police while continuing to

observe the site. If the situation escalates before the Police arrive, remove yourself from the area to a place of safety and inform the Police.

Leaving the vehicle Once you have completed observations from the safety of your patrol vehicle and when it is safe to do so, carry out observations around the area close to where you have parked. You must carry the equipment you need when you leave the patrol vehicle. This equipment includes: • personal duress device or system. • communications equipment. • torch or light (minimum 250 lumens). • keys, tags or codes.

Make a special effort to closely scrutinise any area known to be a hazard or where security breaches may occur.

Note: If you observe any evidence that an offender has been or is still on site, MOVE to a safe observation point and escalate to the Police while continuing to observe the site. External check When you are ready to start an external (perimeter) check of the premises, do not unset the site alarm. If the alarm is still set, your operations centre will be able to notify you of activation sites inside the building if an offender is still on site while you are there. You only unset the alarm after you have completed this external check.

Physically check all doors and windows as offenders have been known to close doors or windows behind them after entering a site. Stay as close to the building as possible to minimise scene contamination.

It is good practice to tag all doors during this check as it will help you identify exit points if an offender is still inside. Remember to use the STOP, LOOK, LISTEN method for both internal and external checks.

Note: If you observe any evidence that an offender has been or is still on site, move to a safe observation point and follow your company escalation response procedures. Your external check should include the following.

Perimeter fence: Check the perimeter fence for signs of damage, intrusion, or need of repair. Gates: Check gates for condition and locking devices such as chains and padlocks. Buildings: Check buildings for signs of damage or illegal entry. Check windows and doors are closed and not broken. Turn off lights, heaters and water taps where possible.

Note: During your external check of the building, if you reach a corner of the building and you cannot see what is around that corner, maintain a wide patrol. Keep the greatest safe distance you can as you are moving around the corner to minimise the risk of any potential threat in the area you cannot see. • Vehicles: Regularly check company and private vehicles that remain on site at a customer’s premises.

Internal check After you have completed an external check, if you have found no evidence that an offender has been or is on site, and if you have the keys: • enter the premises. • unset the alarm. • begin an internal check.

When conducting an internal check, even if you have found no signs of external tampering it is important that you ensure your own personal safety.

Remember to use the STOP, LOOK, LISTEN method for both internal and external checks.

Before entering the site, it is important that you note the specific details of the alarm activation or activations. This information may give you a clue of the activation or specific movement involved in the building when the alarm was activated.

If the building is dark, turn the lights on so you gain the best view for your internal check.

Offender on site If you believe one or more offenders have been or are still on site, follow these steps to keep safe: MOVE immediately to a place of safety (such as your patrol vehicle). HOLD in your place of safety. TELL by calling the Police and activating your duress alarm. OBSERVE from a safe distance inside your vehicle. ASSIST the Police when they arrive by explaining the facts and giving them access to the building if required.

Where it is practicable, you should display a ‘Move, Hold and Tell’ response sign prominently on site to remind staff of the best response during an emergency.

Other ways to help the Police are: • take care not to contaminate the scene by removing or disrupting evidence. • make a note of where you have walked. • not touch areas the offender may have touched. • not smoke in the area or spit on the ground (the Police may mistake it for evidence from the offenders and use specimens for

DNA testing). explain where the break-in has occurred. explain only the facts (e.g. if you saw an offender running away tell Police how long ago and where you last saw him, rather than where you think he went based on the direction of the noise). accompany them into the building.

Follow-up action Once the Police have completed their work and the keyholder has taken control of the premises: • complete reports in line with your security company’s process. • advise your operations centre when you have left the site.

You can then leave the scene unless the keyholder wishes you to remain for their safety.

You can view or download the New Zealand Security Industry Good Practice Guidelines on the NZSA website at https://security.org.nz/ security-industry-good-practiceguideline/.