How security companies are adapting in the face of COVID-19

The global response to the coronavirus, or COVID 19, has been swift and drastic. While completely necessary in nature, this act has completely halted most businesses and communities, valuing human lives above the status quo. Given the unique nature of the security industry, security guards in California have been caught between a rock and a hard place- they have to ensure their own safety and security, but also perform the essential tasks they have in the face of this global crisis.

Primarily, this requires the security industry to be aware of the current situation, and therefore adapt their daily routines to fit the changing needs of the new face of the world. The need of the hour is to implement the correct long term plans to ensure both client satisfaction, as well as safety and security of both the client and the security guards in California. In any such situation, the best thing to do is watch what the most effective methods are, and take inspiration from them. This article has therefore been written with a motive to inform and educate the industry on the various actions that are being taken by the security industry across the world to run efficiently among’st the panic and uncertainty that surrounds us.

• Changes in Scheduling: The most common mode of this virus transmitting is through human to human contact. With this, it makes it impossible to schedule multiple guards together due to the strict social distancing guidelines. Therefore, companies have taken to staggering guards in shorter, but more frequent shifts.
• Adoption of Remote Guarding: Education, work, and the commercial sector have all quickly adopted to working remotely, but until now this was not as common in the guarding industry. However, with the impositions of the virus and the improvement in internet technology, remote surveillance tools, and robotics, remote guarding is now well within our reach. Video monitoring, patrol drones, and high tech security tools make it easy to significantly reduce the number of guards that are required to be present, bringing down the likelihood of transmission.
• Redundancy: Despite the best of measures, it is inevitable that a certain percentage of security guards in California will fall sick. If they are in critical positions, like hospitals, protecting high value targets, or protecting VIPs, it is important that they have a backup at the ready. Due to this requirement, many companies are maintaining a reserve force of guards, who are not required to be physically present, but are on call in case they are needed at any time. This ensures round the clock security, and a quick replacement on call anytime one is needed.
• Increased training: The simplest way to reduce the likelihood of a mishap is to prevent the transmission of the virus itself. To make this happen, training to account for the virus is being adopted industry wide. Not only are companies actively providing PPE and Sanitising supplies to guards, but they are also being trained on safe practices, including washing hands and maintaining distance unless they are required to come closer.

Whether we like it or not, the fact is that the coronavirus is going to be an issue that will plague us for years to come. To not respond to this force of nature would be career suicide, and it falls to the security guard industry to see whether they will weather the test of time successfully, or not. Regardless of the progress of society, security services will always be an important public service, and following the practices outlined in the article will make sure that the industry survives the coming years, and serves the country for years to come.