Anyone know much about armed security?

[Guest Bigryo]

Hey guys I'm planning on getting my ccp and i am looking into getting an armed security job, i don't have any experience in that field yet but i was wanting feedback on requirements, pay, and if anyone has any insight on this profession thanks I'n advance

[c.a.willard]

Pay varies for most places from barely above unarmed pay (minimum wage) to upwards of 17-18 an hour, with the majority falling into the lower pay band.   With special skills you may be able to find employment at one of the higher end private security providers.   You must complete a armed guard course and be certified through the state.  Guns and leather in Greenbrier offers the class.  I believe its around 215 for the class, ammunition, and fingerprinting.

 

The majority of them require your to provide your own weapon and equipment, duty belt, flash light, holster etc.

[UncleJak]

You can make as much unarmed as armed. I can tell you who to use and who not to. Pm me if you want to know. Sent barefoot from the hills of Tennessee

[TripleDigitRide]

The elite guys with specialized skills and/or training can make good money working with high-profile clientele. Mall Ninja, Armored car driver, etc., not so much. 

[Guest Bigryo]

Also does anyone have any info on armored truck drivers and the people who ride with them?

[Patton]

The armored car drivers and runners are making about $11 an hour across the state. I have never met a single one that was happy after just a few months. Really it won't be a hard job most places but dealing with managers who have never had to do your job will drive you insane. It can can take a couple of months to get your license from the state and will cost about $300 total. Expect to get laid off frequently, you will always find work around the holidays though. As far as armored car companies Brinks is one of the better, Loomis has screwed people by giving them bad references even though the were great employees.

[Patton]

The elite guys with specialized skills and/or training can make good money working with high-profile clientele. Mall Ninja, Armored car driver, etc., not so much.

Most any good paying job goes to off duty law enforcement or someone with a good resume with police work and/or elite military. Edited January 11, 2014 by Patton

[Guest Bigryo]

Thanks for the good feedback guys. Anyone have any suggestions as to any good jobs I'n the security field

[Patton]

Really it is a matter of luck and geography plays a huge factor. The best gigs are government contract or government employee. There are some people making $70k plus a year at DOE and TVA sites but they really have the portfolio to work there, prior Federal service most of the time. I don't have a clue if there is anything like that around Nashville. Most of the private owned nuke sites pay even more than TVA but still if you aren't military and/or excop forget about it. Edited January 11, 2014 by Patton

[Guest TankerHC]

I can give you my take on Federal Armed Security. Six years ago I was making $28 per hour and getting 60+ hours per week. Time and a half after 6 PM, double time on Holidays. I was looking for something to do between contracts and stay in the States for a while, found it. Federal Armed Security. The company I worked for was SCG Global. (Security Consultants Group). I believe they exist but under a different name. Federal Security is different than the civilian Armed Security companies.

 

For one, you have to certify under the Federal Armed Security Officers program. You can go two ways, one is to become an ASO, the other is direct contract, still have to certify under the Federal Armed Security program but to guard Federal Building's and other Federal locations.

 

The classes I took to certify and re-certify were taught by the JPD and Mississippi Highway Patrol working off duty for the Federal Government. It consists of marksmanship training, situational training (Where you have to watch videos of situations on a big screen, then the Officers test you on how you would react), baton, first aid, takedowns, handcuff's and any other piece of equipment you may carry. You are also tested on the CIVILIAN use of deadly force, which is NOTHING like military. And the thing that took the longest was the "moral" use of deadly force, or something like that. you have to certify on the same range the officers teach you marksmanship on, to the same standard as they have to. Shooting around corners, behind structures and all of that other stuff. And qaulification is qualification, you miss, you miss and do it again. Under the standard they had us up to, you fail to qaulify twice and you were sent home. There was a bunch of other classes and weapons qaulification was every six months under the same standard, twice and you go home, had a lot of people those cops took to the range who didnt come back to work. 

 

Some of the benefits I know of.

 

* You get to work with a lot of cops and usually an ICE team (Who are actually over you). I had 17 or 20 (Cant recall) working under me, half of them were cops doing off duty part time work. A lot of younger guys use Federal Security as a stepping stone into Law Enforcement, no one is going to be able to tell someone better how to get into law enforcement than another LEO and all four of those guys are cops today. One is ICE, one, a guy I served with at Polk is a Federal LEO for the VA at the regional office in Jackson, another one was a firefighter, he is now a cop in the same town he was a firefighter in, (Yazoo City) and the other one was a MS Highway Patrol until about 6 months ago when he was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer. Two of the four are still doing Federal Contract Security work and one of them told me two months ago he was making more in off duty Federal Security than he is as a cop. 

 

* You need to have your Armed Security License. The Gov can get it for you in about 48 hours, regardless of what State you are in, and can get you a concealed license even faster.

 

* You get to take your issue weapon home, but cannot carry it after leaving the job unless you have a CC. They are not (But are) responsible for what happens with the gun when you leave the job, your no longer insured when you leave the job, but they want you to practice, so they let you take it with you.

 

* As many hours as you want, you can usually get. Federal installations require security 24/7 including Holidays.

 

* The pay is higher. Usually by at least 5 bucks an hour over anyone else.

 

* Stepping stone to law enforcement. And plenty of cops doing it to help you get there.

 

* Travel, a lot of opportunities pop up to travel around the country if you want to. Guarding Federal equipment and that sort of thing, and it includes per diem and travel expenses. 

 

* Pass your certifications, stay in practice with your weapon and you get to keep your job.

 

The negatives

 

* Hours, whether you want them or not. If your guarding a Federal Building you may at times have to work 24 hours straight then come back in 8 hours later for a 12 hour shift. Doesnt happen ALL THE Time but depends on what Government bigwig is coming to your building that day or if there is a function going on outside. For example, we had a Parade that was going past our building, because the sidewalks were going to be packed with citizens, all 38 or 40 had to be there. Normally outside was cops, but since they had to control the parade, the Fed Security Officers had to stand out there, all day, including those who had already been on duty all night and had to come back in 8 hours later. 

 

* Way too many bosses. I was head of Security but had bosses from 4 different directions. First was ICE, every shift they would inspect. Just like in the military guard mount. Shiny belts, clean weapons and equipment, installation knowledge (You cant guard something if you dont know what your guarding), questions and answers. Whatever Government head is in charge of the installation or building, he or she is also your boss, if you become an ASO then the local head of the TSA is your boss but your flying all the time, and if Federal Installations and Buildings then the local head of the contract company is your boss. Then if you are Security then the Supervisor, the Lieutenant and the Sergeant are all your bosses, so you have 6 bosses. And they are there, ALL THE TIME. I carried a gun, .38 revolver and wore a suit after my first month, but guess what happens if you are short a man or two. Guess where you will be. ICE and your boss sure aint going to do it.

 

* Can all of a sudden find yourself out of a job. If they come up and it is time to re-certify or weapons qualification, it was 2 time no go or two time fail to qualify and you went home, didnt even get to go back to work for the rest of the day, they (We) were just short a man until we called someone.

 

But it is good pay, really good relatively speaking. And Patton is right, I don't know too many who worked for us that made less than 60 per year, thing is of all the people who worked for us, about 40 in the area I worked, only two had no Law Enforcement of Military background. Most of the Law Enforcement guys were cops and had a military background. 

 

No criminal background, can pass a drug test and can pass a physical and it is pretty easy to get into. Real easy with LEO or Military background. REALLY REALLY easy with both. Of course I dont know about TVA, and ASO's require going through the TSA. But most Federal Buildings and Installations are contracts. The simplest way to do it is to go into any Federal Building, and dont ask anyone. Look at their uniform, see what the name of the company is right on their uniform then go online and apply. I dont know anyone I told to do that, that did it and didnt get hired if they were qualified. 

 

Just my 2 cents, YMMV. 

Edited January 11, 2014 by TankerHC

[Patton]

Bigryo, PM inbound.

[Ropin4gold]

Have you thought about corrections?

[will_reed]

I'm a former contract security manager and current employee of one of the agencies that Tanker mentioned, PM me if there's any questions I can answer for you. Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Tapatalk

[DaveTN]

Why not apply to be a cop? Metro pays from $17.36 an hour for a trainee to $22.65 for a Police Officer II with full benefits.