Security guards on duty.
Providing protection for all types of retail and industrial facilities is an essential job that must be performed by trained security guards. As a certified armed security guard you will be ready to respond to any emergency and life-threatening situation that threatens the property you are responsible for.
Basic qualifications
Although each state has different qualification and training requirements for security guards, some similarities exist. Applicants for an armed security guard license must first meet the requirements for an unarmed security guard license. The states require that applicants for a security guard license be 21 years old, pass a criminal background check, physically able to withstand the rigors of the job being applied for, and successfully complete the basic training to be certified as an unarmed security guard. The fee for a security guard license and training varies from state to state. You should check with the state department of licensing in the state you live for specific requirements.
Job description
The Glendale Community College in Arizona security guard training program has an excellent job description, "patrol and inspect property to protect against fire, theft, vandalism, terrorism, and illegal activity. Security guards protect their employer's investment, enforce laws on the property, and deter criminal activity and other problems."Armed security guards are not police officers and do not have authority to track down and apprehend law breakers. Armed security officers are only authorized to use a weapon to protect human life.
Training Requirements
Arizona law prescribes 16 hours of training in addition to the eight hours required for the unarmed license. Armed and unarmed security guards must be employed by a security company before the license can be issued. Arizona law requires eight hours of annual training before license renewal. Washington state licensing law states that you must first be licensed as an unarmed security guard, be 21 years old, have a current firearms certificate issued by the Washington State Justice Training commission, and pay the required fee.
California Requirements
Completing firearm training
California law stipulates an initial 40 hours of training and an annual eight hour refresher course to be a security guard. Part of the initial training must include an eight hour Power to Arrest course prior to placement on a post. You must complete an additional 16 hours of training within the first month of employment, and an additional 16 hours of training within six months. To upgrade to a armed certificate you must pay the additional fees, complete an approved training course, qualify on the firing range with the caliber of weapon that will be carried, and have an evaluation by the state that you pose no safety risk to the general public. Certification to carry a weapon as an armed security guard does not allow concealed carry of a weapon.
New York Requirements
In New York, the Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) "provides administrative oversight for private security training." (See Reference 4) After being certified as an unarmed security guard, you must complete two additional training courses at a school approved by the state using certified instructors. You must complete a 47-hour firearms course, which must include seven hours of training in the Use of Force (NYS Penal Law Art. 35), and a written examination. Then you must complete 40 hours on the firing range, and weapons qualification. Your training school will issue a training certificate that must be sent to the New York Department of State with your registration application. As an armed security guard you are required to complete eight hours of annual firearms refresher training, including three hours on the Use of Force and a written examination.
