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In the News: Security Guard Shot at Family Research Council’s D.C. Headquarters

This isn’t the first time you’ve likely seen a headline like this and it likely won’t be the last. The fact is that security guards put their lives on the line every day to protect people and places and things. They do a very important job and they take on a lot of risk in order to do their job well.

On August 15^th, Reuters announced a story about a security guard that had been shot while on duty while working for a conservative Christian lobbing group, the Family Research Council.

A gunman wounded a security guard on Wednesday at the headquarters of Family Research Council, a conservative Christian lobbying group, police said.

The male guard was shot in the arm when he confronted the gunman in the lobby of the building in downtown Washington, a police spokesman said. (The National Post)

How Can You Avoid Being Shot?

So the big question is, if you’re a security guard, how can you avoid being shot while protecting people, places, and things on the job? It’s not completely out of your hands.

Here are some steps you can take:

1. Be extra aware at entry and exit points. Entry and exit points are often dangerous because your scope of vision is minimal. You can only see what is directly outside the door and if it is dark you might not be able to see much farther that the entry or exit way. Go slow and listen carefully. Trust your instincts as they are often right. Look for things that might be out of place and suggest that someone might have been there recently if you are familiar with the area. Use all of your senses and be extra careful.
2. Be ready to diffuse public disturbances and be aware of the body signals and behaviors that people around you are displaying. Is there someone that looks especially nervous? Is someone playing with something in their pocket? Keep alert and watch other people that are in the vicinity.
3. Wear protective body armor if possible. If you are in a situation that is more dangerous than usual, it would not be out of line to ask your employer to provide a bullet proof vest for that occasion.
4. Never let your mind wander. Many of the incidences that involve the shooting of a security guard have happened when the security guard was caught unawares.