What makes a security guard proficient? What skills and traits are necessary for truly succeeding in this role? It’s easy to assume competency when viewing a fully uniformed and armed guard standing at a post, but this commanding image does not ensure a full range of required capabilities. There is certainly more involved than the minimum government standards required for licensure.

Protection agents use a variety of tools in the course of their duties, including a variety of deadly weapons. Guns are carefully regulated by state authorities, but a firearm permit for security guards is essentially the same level of safety education and range exercises as a license to carry for a private citizen, with low minimum accuracy and performance grade requirements, and this basic entry-level preparation is entirely inadequate to fully equip a guard for gun usage in a real-world threat situation. Other weapons may have varying degrees of governmental regulation, such as tasers (electrical shock stun guns), pepper spray, batons, knives, and more. A taser is commonly thought to be non-lethal but is legally considered a deadly weapon, as it can cause severe heart problems in a person hit by a poorly aimed charge, which could potentially end in death. It is a powerful tool but it can inflict a lot of pain and injury, so proper training with this weapon is very important. Pepper spray and batons are also regulated and require a license for use in some states, which will include very minimal training.

All of these weapons are valuable assets but only to the extent that an agent is equipped to use them properly, and without the prerequisite training, they can quickly become harmful instead of helpful. Developing proficiency through extensive repetition, including instruction from seasoned professionals and numerous hours of practice, is a critical need for a high-quality protection officer.