How Prioritizing Officer Training Enhances Armed Security Services

At Convoy Group, we understand that the effectiveness of armed security services hinges on the quality of training our officers receive. As a premier global security service provider based in Pittsburgh, we’ve seen firsthand how comprehensive training programs elevate the performance of armed security officers and, by extension, the level of protection we offer our clients.

Prioritizing training is likewise important for security officers themselves – as a Security Magazine survey suggests, 78 percent of security professionals believe ongoing training is critical for maintaining effective security services.

A Combination of Individual and Collective Skills Support Armed Security Services

Effective armed security services require a blend of individual and collective security competencies. Our officers are more than just individuals with firearms; they’re part of cohesive organizations trained to prevent and respond to various scenarios.

Individual Armed Security Service Skills

Individual training is meant to focus on developing the competencies that need to be performed by an armed officer to effectively deliver security services.  These skills serve as the backbone upon which the collective security skills must rest.  Examples of individual armed security service skills include:

• Firearms proficiency.
• CPR, AED, first aid, and bleeding control.
• Combatives and defensive tactics.
• Advanced Situational Awareness.
• Knowledge of the legal environment and use of force.
• Defensive driving.
• Communication etiquette.
• Surveillance detection.
• Report writing.
• Verbal de-escalation.

Collective Armed Security Services Skills

Collective training “is the essence of teamwork.”  These are skills that require substantial pre-operation and real-time coordination, and ultimately enable teams to cohesively perform security services. Security companies can prioritize collective skills development through clearly defining the mission-essential tasks required to perform armed security, identifying which tasks need to be trained to deliver client-specific security services, and crafting training exercises to evaluate how the team performs.  Examples of individual armed security service skills include:

• Close Quarters Combat (CQC).
• Close and close protection operations.
• Surveillance team operations.
• Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) response.
• Security incident management procedures.
• Security incident response plans.

Initial Security Officer Training Establishes a Baseline for Effective Armed Security Services

An initial training program sets the foundation for armed security services.  Generally speaking, armed security officer training can be categorized as hard or soft skills focused.  Below is a list of several hard and soft security skills armed officers should train, or be evaluated on, prior to performing armed security services.

Hard Skill-Focused Training for Security Officers

• Weapons handling and marksmanship.
• Combatives and defensive tactics.
• CPR, AED, first aid, and bleeding control.
• Close protection operations and defensive driving.

Soft Skill-Focused Training for Armed Security Officers

• Verbal de-escalation and communications etiquette.
• Ethical decision making.
• Advanced Situational Awareness.
• Legal environment and use of force.

Blending hard and soft skills in the officer’s initial training ensures armed officers are not only technically proficient but also equipped with the interpersonal competencies necessary for effective armed security service delivery. By establishing this robust baseline, security companies set the stage for ongoing development and excellence in their armed security services.

Ongoing Armed Security Officer Training Enhances and Refines Security Service Delivery

Skills are perishable and the security landscape is not static.  Ongoing training for armed officers is necessary to maintain proficiency and continuously deliver high quality armed security services.  Additionally, security companies should invest in developing their armed officers in ways that support two objectives: (1) advancing armed officers within the company, and (2) providing the best armed security services possible for each client.

Advanced Hard Skill-Focused Training for Security Officers

• Advanced firearms and close quarter combat training.
• Executive protection courses.
• Complex surveillance or surveillance detection training.
• Combatives and defensive tactics instructor courses.

Advanced Soft Skill-Focused Training for Armed Security Officers

• Executive protection leadership or management courses.
• Elicitation and investigation techniques.
• Threat Vulnerability Assessment training.
• Intelligence collection and analysis.

Ongoing training is the lifeblood of exceptional armed security services, constantly honing both hard and soft skills to meet ever-changing security challenges. This continuous development enhances the quality of security offerings and provides clear pathways for officer career advancement within an organization. By investing in security officers’ growth, security firms elevate their service standards and foster a committed, highly skilled workforce.

Comprehensive Training Exercises Enhance Security Services

We believe that comprehensive training exercises are the crucible where individual skills and team cohesion are forged into exceptional services. These exercises are the proving grounds where our officers demonstrate their readiness to face real-world challenges of providing armed security services. By subjecting our teams to rigorous, scenario-based training, we ensure that every aspect of our security services is tested, refined, and optimized.

Our training exercises serve a dual purpose: they evaluate both the individual proficiencies of our armed officers and their ability to function as a cohesive unit. Moreover, these exercises provide a critical metric for assessing the overall effectiveness of armed security services. Through carefully designed scenarios that mirror potential real-life security situations, we can identify strengths to build upon and areas that require further development. This continuous cycle of evaluation and improvement is essential.

Training Exercises Evaluate Both Individual and Collective Security Service Skills

• Scenario-based security drills: Real-world situations prepare armed officers for various security challenges.
• Stress inoculation training: Armed officers learn to perform under pressure, enhancing their decision-making abilities in high stress security situations.
• Multi-agency and echelon coordination exercises: Learning how to work effectively across agencies and echelons in emergency security situations takes significant coordination, and practicing this coordination in real-time is necessary to deliver effective services when it matters most.
• Team-based security exercises: These exercises focus on developing collective skills such as close quarters combat and executive protection operations.

Training Exercises Evaluate the Effectiveness of Armed Security Services

• Performance metrics: Establishing clear Measures of Performance and Measures of Effectiveness provides a framework to identify areas where armed security services can be improved.
• After-action reviews: Every exercise should be followed by a thorough debrief for the armed security officers to analyze their performance and extract valuable lessons.
• Continuous improvement cycle: Feedback from the training exercises should be incorporated into training programs to ensure armed security services evolve and remain relevant.
• Real-time scenario adaptation: Exercises should be designed to be dynamic and free-form, allowing for on-the-spot adjustments to test the security officer’s adaptability and decision-making skills.

Empowering Officers to Provide the Best Armed Security Services

The cornerstone of exceptional armed security services lies in the comprehensive training of the security officers. Our approach encompasses a blend of individual and collective skills, establishing a robust foundation through initial training and continuously refining abilities through ongoing professional development.

Security companies should prioritize both hard and soft skills, ensuring their officers are not only technically proficient but also adept at communication and decision-making. Our training exercises, for example, serve as crucibles where individual expertise and team cohesion combine to enable superior security services.

By emphasizing scenario-based drills, stress inoculation, and multi-echelon coordination, companies can prepare their officers for the diverse challenges they may face. At Convoy Group, our commitment to continuous improvement is evidenced by rigorous performance metrics and after-action reviews, ensuring that our armed security services evolve to meet the ever-changing landscape of security threats.  Here is the bottom line when it comes to officer training and armed security services:

• Comprehensive training is essential for effective armed security services.
• A blend of individual and collective security skills is crucial for security officers.
• Ongoing training ensures armed officers can adapt to evolving security challenges.
• Scenario-based exercises prepare armed officers for real-world situations.
• Continuous improvement through performance metrics and after-action reviews is vital.

At Convoy Group, we believe that exceptional security stems from rigorous training and continuous improvement. Our commitment to developing highly skilled officers translates into tangible benefits for our clients. If you’re looking to enhance your organization’s security posture, we invite you to discover the Convoy Group difference.