Officer & Drivers Safety (Lesson 19 of 25)
Exiting the Vehicle
Often while patrolling, the security officer will be required to leave the patrol vehicle to make a building inspection or check on a security-related matter. It may be necessary to direct the headlights of the security vehicle in the vicinity of the area to be inspected. If the officer needs to enter a building even for just a minute, the car ignition should be turned off and the keys retained by the officer. The vehicle should also be locked immediately after the officer exits the vehicle. If the officer has a radio or cell phone, the officer should notify his/her supervisor or dispatch center they are leaving the vehicle and entering a building, making sure to cite the name and address of the location.
Security personnel should be certain to park the vehicle in a safe manner and out of the way of traffic. If necessary and upon previous instruction, the emergency flashers of the vehicle may be turned on while the officer is out of the vehicle.
At the conclusion of the security patrol, the vehicle checklist should be completed by the officer going off-duty, noting mileage, fuel, etc… along with any significant events that occurred during the patrol.
Bicycle Safety
When patrolling using a bicycle, a security officer must be certain to have the proper safety equipment, notably an approved helmet, side-view mirrors, reflectors, and lighting. This is the most important safety aspect for a security officer to remember.
Use Of A Helmet
Don’t confuse wearing a helmet with biking safety. Wearing a helmet alone will not prevent someone from getting hit by car! While it is a good idea to always wear a helmet, the #1 goal for a cyclist should always be to avoid getting hit in the first place. Plenty of cyclists are killed by cars even though they were wearing helmets. Ironically, if they had ridden without helmets, yet followed the guidelines listed below, they might still be alive today. Don’t confuse wearing a helmet with biking safely. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Following the law is not enough to keep a security officer safe. Here’s an example: The law tells you to ride as far to the right as possible. But if you ride too far to the right, someone exiting a parked car could open their door and possibly cause injury to you.