What happened to Security Guards in New York, and around the United States?
Covid-19 has quickly transformed our planet. We are slowly coming to terms with the changes and understanding our role in this new world.
Security guards are not exempt. As the Pandemic continues to threaten our way of life, around the globe, security guards are seeing their roles evolve into vital communities and the government support roles to help combat the COVID-19 in what may have once been deemed as non-traditional security roles.
This has also made the security guards in New York and across the country change their tactics and behaviors to to adapt to the new norm.
This can be seen as a positive turn for Security guards as these new changes reinforce how the role of a Security Guard is vital to keeping businesses and society safe and secure. For example, security guards outside your local shops in New York have become key workers to ensure the safety of us shoppers and to ensure social, or physical, distancing is maintained in the shopping areas.
Here are few list of places that the role of the security guard has become even more vital:
Healthcare Sector
Security guards have increased their efforts in helping local communities and governments cope with the growing pandemic on the ground. Security guards have been of tremendous help in hospitals dealing with admission of patients who have been infected with the corona virus (Covid 19). Control of various travel routes within and around the hospital area, as well as providing directions to ensure safe movement. They have not only helped physically, but also have acted as comforters for family members who are not allowed to see their loved ones.
Hygiene Protocols
Within the hospitals, the stores and all places security guards are present, we have seen an instrumental transformation in trained staff to help enforce and guide on optimal hygiene protocols by helping to educate the public on the importance of following protocols.
Personnel Safety Measures
Shop owners and other businesses have seen the need to hire extra security guards to ensure that not only the property and the business is protected, but that key business personnel feel safe and are protected without compromise. They help control traffic in and out of the facilities and they may be involved in temperature checks, population control and flow, or simply advising on best practice during these uncertain times.
Business Protection
As many businesses remain closed, security guards in New York, across the United Stated and even the world, have seen further expansion in their responsibility to ensure the security of empty offices, stores, and any commercial outlets are not compromised. The duties include but not limited to provision of alarm response hubs, CCTV monitoring. Fire alarm systems management, and as a first point of contact or communication with management if there is a false alarm. This helps manage the further intervention of the police by providing important first hand information of what is happening on ground.
We should never forget that whilst our precious security guards may not be formally recognized as often as front-line heroes like the medical personnel, security guards are indeed heroes and are working behind the scenes to support critical systems that would otherwise be under pressure from vulnerabilities resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Thank you for your service.