Serve & Protect

Event Security

serveandprotect2016 — Wed, 09 Mar 2016 19:36:31 +0000

There are lots of jobs out there in event security. In these positions sometimes you work for an specific event, like Toronto International Film Festival or Canadian National Exhibition and sometimes for a specific facility like Exhibition Place, Metro Toronto Convention Centre or Rogers Centre. In these position duties would be mostly access control and crowd control.

This category also includes bouncers and club doormen (and their female counterparts). If you work in a temporary event, it will be pretty simple and low pay (starting from minimum wage and not going higher than $17-18 an hour at most for supervisors) but working in event facility or bars and clubs could be a hard and demanding job and the pay is pretty good (starting from $15/hr and goes up to $25/hr plus tip).

Specifically about bouncer position, nowadays it will be pretty hard to get a bouncer position with no experience in security. Let me put it this way, before the bounder used to be less-tact, big, stupid, bully guys who would fight the undesirable person to kick them out and even would beat the person up for no reason we all heard the stories!). Now, the trend I noticed in the industry is, the bar owners like to employ more polite and educated people who can talk the undesirable person down and preferably without physical confrontation satisfy the person to leave. The size still matters but I would say you necessarily don’t need to be a big guy to become a bounder but still need to know some martial art and be able to take care of yourself if things got ugly. Even now we can see bouncers who are bully and stupid and want to start a fight with no solid reason but the number is declining.

Working in temporary events considers to be very basic and even I would say the positions assigned randomly. Personally I have seen people who just got their license became event supervisor, just because they know the the right people. Although, on the other side, these temporary event positions are a very accessible jobs that you can find in one or two days and the exceptions and responsibilities are low to nothing. In addition, it is a good starting point.

There are companies that are dedicated to event security since they are small and those assignments are high and easy pay. During large events it is common to see several contractors subcontracting each other and still the guards (or event staff) receive high compensation rates.

As per every other security job, if you work in-house, the pay rate, the job security and conditions are significantly different. When you work as the employee of a contractor, the customer has much higher expectations, in comparison with when you are working in-house, or even as the permanent long-term staff of an establishment, you get lots of consideration. It is showing its importance, when it comes to the objection to your judgment, where in case you are in-house you get much more support from your employer, but in case of a contract, the client tends to back up their guests and customers.

How to become a Security Guard in Ontario?

serveandprotect2016 — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 09:47:50 +0000

Private security is a growing industry and other than major international companies (Securitas, G4S, GardaWorld and etc) there are many small companies working throughout the province.

As the result, security guard is a highly demanded position to the point where I would say everyone in any state has a chance somewhere in this multi-billion dollar industry.

Unfortunately this caused a flow of people into security services where if someone could not secure any job, they would get a security license and become a security guard.

It is important to mention that there are people who has chosen security because of their preference or the leading edge their education and experience give them in this industry.

OK, going directly to our topic, to become a security guard in Ontario you have to take the following steps:

1- Take a ministry approved training course.

2- Getting your Training Confirmation Number.

3- Book and pass the ministry test.

4- Fill and submit (apply) Security Guard License Application.

Now lets explain each and every step:

1- Take a ministry approved training course:

Since 2008, applicants to hold a Ontario Security Guard License, should be trained and pass “Ontario Basic Security Guard Training” course. There are thousands of companies and academies offering this course. Also as I know Humber college is offering the course once every season.

Since the core contents of the course is the same, for the sake of performance, there is no difference in where you took it. The course fee (including Emergency First Aid and CPR/AED level “C”) is somewhere from $49.99 for some online courses I have seen on Kijiji to $300-400 for some well-known academies.

If it is your first job experience and you have no experience in Military, I would suggest to get your basic training course with some known companies/academies so it gives you a little bit of advantage on your resume.

2- Getting your Training Confirmation Number:

After you finished the training course, usually with in two business days the instructor sends you your training confirmation number. It is good to know that you use this number to register for ministry exam and then if you succeed in the exam, this number will be your license number, so you kind of have it for ever.

3- Book and pass the ministry test:

After you have your confirmation number, you head to ministry’s exam website (http://www.ontariosecuritytesting.ca/) and register for your test. Back when I got my license (three years ago) the exam appointment times were usually 4-6 weeks from when you would book, but now, based on my last information, you can find appointment times within 1-2 weeks.

It is good to know that the test is held at Serco Canada locations (the same place you go for drivers’ license test) and the time is usually early evening, around 5-6 PM.

4- Fill and submit (apply) Security Guard License Application:

After you did your exam, within two business day, on the same website you can check your exam results and if you have passed your exam, you can apply for your security license with Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services online through Service Ontario website (ONe-key account). Check the website below:

https://www.ontario.ca/page/security-guard-or-private-investigator-licence-individuals?_ga=1.142371442.156612166.1452244520

I believe ministry still accept paper applications as well (I did my first application on paper) but generally speaking, if you are even a little bit familiar with computers, or you know someone who can help you with your online application, it is much easier and faster to fill out the application online.

Remember that you still need to print the guarantor form, fill it, ask your guarantor to sign it and scan it.

Any mistake you make or if you submit the wrong documents, will delay your application process. In this case you will receive an email from ministry asking you to correct the error and resubmit your application.

Once you successfully submitted your application, within one week your application will be approved and from that point on your are a licensed Ontario security guard. For the time before you receive your plastic card in mail, you can print your digital license which will work exactly as your plastic card for the purpose of the Private Security and Investigative Services Act.

If you have a question I will try my best to answer that.

Welcome to my blog

serveandprotect2016 — Fri, 19 Feb 2016 08:46:16 +0000

Hello Here I will share my thoughts and ideas as well as my experiences in private security industry with you. A little bit about me: I’m in mid-twenties. I am working for couple of private security companies in Toronto as well as doing security detail for events from time to time on occasional bases. I look … Continue reading