Training Requirements and Costs

How does training cost differ between contract and proprietary security services?

The training costs for contracted security services are more affordable when compared with proprietary security services. For starters, the business does not have to spend their time and resources training security guards because this is the burden of the contracted agency.

As such, employees can focus their time and efforts on running the business instead of worrying about training employees. Moreover, contracted services ensure that the business does not have to worry about the cost of hiring, employee benefits, onboarding, paid time off, and other perks. The business may only have to pay by the hour to the security agency - which in turn, is responsible for managing all the costs associated with the employment of the security guards.

Which one costs the hiring organization more: contract security training or proprietary security training?

Simply put, the cost in both human resources and money when creating and maintaining an effective proprietarysecurity training program can be high.

Proprietary security training is more expensive to the hiring organization because they have to plan all aspects of training a new employee. Compare this with contracted security training,which allows the business to outsource all aspects of training.

On the other hand, keeping the training in-house allows the business to foster greater loyalty within their employees. The rewards of proprietary training may not be high enough to justify the upfront costs. Contracted security training is a good choice because it results in qualified professionals and costs less.

What are the security training requirements in your state? How does this differ from other states?

Answer: Arizona requires unarmed security guards to undergo eight hours of training at a facility that is certified by the state. Other requirements imposed by Arizona are:

• Undergoing a background check and submitting fingerprints

• Being a United States citizen

• Being at least 18 years old

• Not being dishonorably discharged from the Armed Forces

• Not having any convictions for felonies or domestic violence misdemeanor

• Possessing at least a high school diploma (or equivalentcertification)

• Undergoing 8 hours of training at a state-certified facility

The training in Arizona will require security gauds to manage everyday situations, including emergencies and filling out reports when dealing with law enforcing personnel.

This is in stark contrast to New York, with at least 90 days of on-the-job training to qualify as a security guard and 8-hour annual in-service training courses. Some states, such as Missouri, do not require a license to work as a security guard.However, states like Florida require security officers to possess a Class "D" license and provide proof of completing at least 40 hours of professional training by a state-certified facility.

Compared to other states that do require minimum training, Arizona has lower requirements to qualify as a security guard.