1SC Guarding Media Centre.

Date: 04 March 2020

Coronavirus (COVID-19): latest information and advice

Information for 1SC staff on the outbreak of coronavirus, including the current situation in the UK and information about the virus and its symptoms.

Quality Security Services in London - Serving our clients since 1997 www.1sc.co.uk 

What is the difference between an agency and a specific company, in this case a Security Company?  What does a client think they are getting?

When choosing a suit, we usually visit a tailor or outlet whose expertise is just that, clothing.  Purchasing a car, we usually visit a show room or garage, so why is it when buyers want a specific service, they visit a jack of all?  Is it ignorance or plain I don’t know where to go to get the best service, so I’ll go here, “the jack of all”?

Security Services are extremely specific or at least they should be, time, thought, and effort should be given to the service you require and the Quality and Impression you want to give to those visiting or looking in on your building project and staff within.  Think of it like a first date, have a bath brush your teeth, wear your finest because first impressions count.  Would you spend £15.00 on a shirt?  Well, some of you would want change from £15 but the rest of civilisation couldn’t source a decent shirt for that money never mind wear one. If this is the case, why is £15.00 per hour as a charge rate suitable? I’ll tell you why, its because the jack of all trades can source a person of low intelligence to work for them usually self-employed, that is no holidays pension or employment rights, a body in a jacket earning not a lot of money, but the agency does earn a lot, or a lot more than a Security Company as we have to pay selection, screening, training, P.A.Y.E pensions, holidays tax and insurance.

Well, the chosen Security Company should be aware of the standard BS 7984:2016 and the staff attending site should be trained to this standard and certificated. It’s essential that the provider you choose is professional and employs the calibre of person attending your premises to be suitable, knowledgeable and extremely visible.  Mobile patrols can be a cost-effective solution to a permanent guard and in some instances, this is correct but in the main nothing beats a trained guard on site representing your firm.

If you choose a patrol service specify exactly what you require from the service provider (specification).  You want the service to be highly visible including the officer who will carry out the patrol (the car should be liveried professionally) and the officer in a high visibility vest or coat depending on the weather, day or night, the officer should always be in their full clean polished uniform too!

The service should as a minimum check the external perimeter of the building or site for signs of intrusion or damage (windows, gates and doors). Check the external sounder for activation, if the strobe is flashing the alarm has been sounding for at least 20 minutes (the monitoring station should have informed you).  Mobile patrols should be carried out at irregular intervals and a full report written before leaving site without exception.

Prior to engaging your provider ask to meet the mobile team and question them on their knowledge: Ask them how an intruder alarm works, what constitutes a false alarm and what if anything will set off the alarm, a good quality well installed system rarely activates unless there is a real issue, never the less, it can happen so the officers attending must understand how a system works and what to do in the event of an activation.

As with all purchased services you must feel at one with your provider and they in return should want to demonstrate their ability to you, don’t take their word for it, check!  As an end user, the client, you should always check on what your supplier is telling you.  An inexpensive replacement for static services can prove expensive if what you receive is a cheap quick and ineffective visit by a person dressed incorrectly in a dirty unsuitable vehicle. Never accept cheap but expect what you pay for!

Whilst having my early morning coffee today at Pret around 08:30 a suspicious package, a suitcase was reported to the police.  The shop manager acted extremely well and called the professionals, “The Police”

A blue people carrier with darkened windows and blue lights turned up containing Starsky and Hutch, 1 female officer and 1 male officer suitably dressed in protective vests and hand cuffs on their belts, all the gear and no idea comes to mind.

The two clowns, sorry, I mean officers, Britain’s first line of defence against terrorism, god help us, rushed in and were directed to the lone suitcase, a possible Improvised Explosive Device (IED) not to worry, the female clown, sorry I mean officer, moved towards the case picked it up and shuck it, were upon myself and another ex-military person looked on in horror.  These two idiots, though young, were clearly not aware of the gravity and the lives they placed in danger.  If this suitcase was an IED this note would not be written as i would be residing with a higher being along with pinkie and perky the two idiots dressed as police officers.

In London there will be numerous hoaxes and callouts for the police to attend and assess, I truly empathise with them but I can’t find the methodology for shaking a  suspicious package or case in advice or text books I’ve ever read and I’ve read many whilst in the military and Security Industry, below is an idea of what you should do but I guess it doesn’t apply to the Mets finest: