Armed Securiy Guard Training
Armed security guards must go through extensive training mandated by the Department of Homeland Security before finding work at a private company or government entity. They must also pass a background check, get a handgun license and acquire an armed-security guard license from the state or states they plan to work in.
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Function
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Armed security guards typically need to spend between $500 to $1,000 on their preliminary training. In some cases, potential employers may be willing to compensate you. Security guards must pass a course involving 8 hours of general classes, 47 hours of training in the use of firearms and 16 hours of on-the -job training within the first 90 days of landing a job. Guards may also be subject to further state or local requirements.
Features
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Training is handled in a variety of privately owned, but publicly licensed, security guard educational facilities. In most cases, security guard applicants will be required to pay their fees up front. Most security guards also have the choice between becoming an unarmed or armed security guard. Unarmed guards are not subject to firearm training requirements, but must become licensed in their state.
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Effects
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Most of the training that security guards go through takes place in the classroom. Students are expected to take notes and prepare for exams given at the end of class. A high school diploma is sometimes required by security guard employers, but it is not required to get a license or to undergo firearms training. Many security guard training facilities will help trainees acquire a handgun license in their state.
Misconceptions
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Armed security guards learn how to aim at targets, but are not subjected to the psychological conditioning that takes place in police academies and military boot camps. Only a tiny percentage of armed security guards ever make use of their weapons. The primary training that armed security guards receive is in how to protect themselves, contact the police and how to deter aggressors.
Benefits
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Successfully completing armed-security guard training opens up a number of job options. Guards are needed in airports, warehouses, retailers and more. While it isn't a career path with a substantial amount of mobility, it can be parlayed into work in the police force or in a private, university-run campus police force. Armed security guards are also employed in gated communities.
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Resources
- Photo Credit Brad & Sabrina, Flickr
