On Site Security Guards: Are They Right for Your Business?

When Using On Site Security Guards Make Sense

One of the most common and most well-known types of security is on-site security guards. There are many reasons why. Security guards are a flexible type of security. They can protect everything from residential buildings to retail stores to warehouses to construction sites and much more. The way they work is quite simple.

On site security professionals are often stationed at entry points to perform access control duties. They may also walk throughout the property to check for suspicious activity and potential security threats. In some properties, on site guards may also be responsible for monitoring security cameras and performing various other duties.

The Benefits of On Site Security Guards

On site security guards work as active security protection. This means they can react to situations and work to resolve issues before they become more serious. If a guard sees someone suspicious lurking around the fence at a construction site, for example, they can head to the location to investigate.

This will likely resolve the situation and deter the criminal from striking. Compare this to an alarm system, which will only sound once the criminal cuts through the gate or smashes through a window on the property. Active security solutions deter crime, they don’t just alert you to something that has already happened.

Potential Disadvantages of Using Security Guards

There are potential challenges to working with security guards. One of the most prominent is cost. Hiring security guards to watch over a property 24/7 can quickly get costly. This is especially true if you have a large site that requires many guards to keep it secure.

Another issue is that, no matter how many guards are stationed at a property, it is often impossible to watch the entire property at once. Cost factors into this issue as well, since the more guards you hire to secure a large property, the more it will cost.

However, on site security guards aren’t the only active security option that can keep a property safe.

Understanding Live Remote Monitoring

Live remote monitoring makes it possible for security professionals to watch over an entire property remotely. By using cameras, sensors, and two-way speakers, agents can view what’s happening at a site and respond to potential issues. Much like security guards, they can react to a situation and work to resolve it before it escalates into a crime.

There are several advantages to using live remote monitoring when compared with on site security teams, including:

• Security cameras can be installed so that agents can watch an entire property. This usually isn’t logistically possible with guards. Even if you have multiple guards walking throughout a site, they won’t be able to keep their eyes on absolutely every inch of your location. This is possible with remote monitoring.
• If guards perform multiple duties at a site (access control, watching security cameras, responding to security incidents, etc.) they could potentially be distracted from one area while tending to another. For example, if a guard notices an issue on camera and walks to the parking lot to investigate, they will be leaving the cameras unmonitored and potentially the security desk empty as well. With remote monitoring, agents can respond using two-way communication, lighting, etc. and still be able to watch the rest of the property at the same time.
• Unfortunately, criminals may try to overwhelm, intimidate, or even injure security guards. If they arrive in a large group or they show up at a property holding weapons, guards may be unable to stop them. Remote security teams do not have this potential issue.

In some situations, both on site security guards and live remote monitoring agents work in tandem. This may happen on sites that have unique security requirements or those where security is enhanced due to an abundance of caution. In these situations, monitoring agents watch over the property and, if anything requires intervention from a guard, agents will contact security to respond.

For more information on how live monitoring keeps properties safe and how it can work in conjunction with on site security guards, please contact Birdseye Security Solutions today. We will help you understand the advantages and disadvantages of various types of security and assist you in finding the right tools to protect your business.