Joe _K
Established
I am currently gainfully employed as an armed security officer working for a large private company that has a longstanding contract with a large 3 letter .Gov entity. The company I work for provides all the armed and unarmed CONUS physical security, building and perimeter patrols, access control, first response in the event of an Active Killer threat and more for the .Gov entity.
The vast majority of the armed officers are equipped and outfitted like Barney Fife. 100% poly Dress/Parade type uniforms, antiquated equipment, horrendously bad “training” and no incentives to seek out training at the individual, small group/shift, or facility level. Ideas, suggestions, and input is shunned, ignored, or mocked by Supervisors, Management, and Corporate leadership. On the contract there are at least 4 separate uniform types issued and worn by the differing types of officers, and different types of jobs performed as well as based off of location.
There are repercussions for discussing in detail or revealing, uniforms, equipment, training standards, and anything to do with security posture or operations, which is why Im not posting pictures of gear, equipment, uniforms, or naming the Company or .Gov client.
The client pays through the nose for my employers services, turnover rate among employees is exceptionally high for the wages paid individual entry level officers. A continual complaint from officers leaving, and those that have been here for over a decade is “the stuff they give us sucks”.
What I, and every other officer I’ve met and spoken too would like to see happen:
- Practical yet Professional looking general purpose uniforms issued to all Officers.
- Safer footwear issued, or allowed to be individually purchased and worn. (12 hours in Coraframs on asphalt is not conducive to long term podiatry health, nor do the current issued footwear allow for ease of mobility/running/walking, plus no safety toe working in industrial and sometimes areas under construction or remodel.)
- A current duty grade duty belt and Level II holster.
- An actual functioning flashlight issued.
- Ball Caps or no hats at all for interior posts.
- 1 inclement weather jacket/coat issued instead of the 3 we are issued.
- Medical first aid kit issued.
- A more realistic firearms qualification course of fire. (You could pass the current Qual half asleep and shooting one handed)
- Training beyond qualifying once a year with our issued gear and firearms.
- At a minimum semi-annual training not including annual qualifications on our gear/equipment and firearms.
My question is how could I best approach this problem in an attempt to get things changed for the better for my fellow officers, and the client?
I can’t walk away from this job right now, this is how I support my family.
I can’t see much use in reiterating the same concerns that the Head Shed guys have heard and ignored for the umpteenth time will help.
And it drives me nuts that such a large group of folks are not receiving good training and equipment to allow them to more effectively and safely do there job, especially when good info and gear is so readily available.
The vast majority of the armed officers are equipped and outfitted like Barney Fife. 100% poly Dress/Parade type uniforms, antiquated equipment, horrendously bad “training” and no incentives to seek out training at the individual, small group/shift, or facility level. Ideas, suggestions, and input is shunned, ignored, or mocked by Supervisors, Management, and Corporate leadership. On the contract there are at least 4 separate uniform types issued and worn by the differing types of officers, and different types of jobs performed as well as based off of location.
There are repercussions for discussing in detail or revealing, uniforms, equipment, training standards, and anything to do with security posture or operations, which is why Im not posting pictures of gear, equipment, uniforms, or naming the Company or .Gov client.
The client pays through the nose for my employers services, turnover rate among employees is exceptionally high for the wages paid individual entry level officers. A continual complaint from officers leaving, and those that have been here for over a decade is “the stuff they give us sucks”.
What I, and every other officer I’ve met and spoken too would like to see happen:
- Practical yet Professional looking general purpose uniforms issued to all Officers.
- Safer footwear issued, or allowed to be individually purchased and worn. (12 hours in Coraframs on asphalt is not conducive to long term podiatry health, nor do the current issued footwear allow for ease of mobility/running/walking, plus no safety toe working in industrial and sometimes areas under construction or remodel.)
- A current duty grade duty belt and Level II holster.
- An actual functioning flashlight issued.
- Ball Caps or no hats at all for interior posts.
- 1 inclement weather jacket/coat issued instead of the 3 we are issued.
- Medical first aid kit issued.
- A more realistic firearms qualification course of fire. (You could pass the current Qual half asleep and shooting one handed)
- Training beyond qualifying once a year with our issued gear and firearms.
- At a minimum semi-annual training not including annual qualifications on our gear/equipment and firearms.
My question is how could I best approach this problem in an attempt to get things changed for the better for my fellow officers, and the client?
I can’t walk away from this job right now, this is how I support my family.
I can’t see much use in reiterating the same concerns that the Head Shed guys have heard and ignored for the umpteenth time will help.
And it drives me nuts that such a large group of folks are not receiving good training and equipment to allow them to more effectively and safely do there job, especially when good info and gear is so readily available.