SUPERVISING SECURITY GUARD

Code: 06256 Local Competitive

Official job specification

The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator. Source: the official specification page at NJ CSC.

Definition

Under direction, supervises a group of security guards engaged in protecting public property such as schools, libraries, museums, hospitals, housing projects, parks, garages, storage or other public buildings, facilities, and installations from fire, theft, vandalism, and illegal and unauthorized entry, and in protecting persons therein from harm; does other related duties as required.

Examples of work

• Plans and revises work schedules and assignments to meet changes in workload.
• Coordinates security activities with representatives of other units concerning matters of work accomplishment, priorities, and procedures.
• Assigns work to employees or assigns employees to positions.
• Assigns tasks to provide new employees with the experience and training required to perform the work.
• Explains work requirements, methods, and procedures, provides special instructions, and answers technical questions.
• Plans, organizes, and assigns the work of the organizational unit and evaluates employee performance and conduct, enabling the effective recommendation of the hiring, firing, promoting, demoting, and disciplining of subordinates.
• Formulates and issues written instructions and procedures for nonroutine or complex assignments, or to clarify published guidelines.
• Receives and handles grievance matters.
• Formulates training plans for assigned employees.
• Conducts informal training to broaden employee skills and to provide backup skills by cross training.
• Visually inspects window bars, doors, locks, and other fixtures to ensure that they are secure or properly locked and have not been tampered with to prevent theft, unlawful entry, and so forth.
• Inspects assigned areas for conditions that may contribute to fire (for example, discarded burning cigarettes) and checks that fire extinguishers are in place and undisturbed or operational.
• Observes odors in buildings or on grounds to detect source of smoke, gas seepage, and so forth.
• Listens for unusual sounds to detect leaking plumbing, breakage of glass, tampering of locks or windows, and so forth.
• Searches designated areas for explosive devices using flashlight and precautionary measures not to disturb potential explosive and notifies bomb disposal unit. Puts out fires using fire extinguisher.
• Patrols grounds adjacent to public buildings to detect hazards such as fire, theft, vandalism, and so forth.
• Views a monitor screen or electronic surveillance board and remains alert to movement on screen in the viewing area which would indicate the presence of unauthorized persons or intruders in restricted area.
• Maintains orderly flow of individuals on entering and leaving at an assigned post.
• Examines credentials at entry point to a building or facility; and issues special passes to visitors to prevent entry by unauthorized persons and to maintain a permanent record of those using the facility.
• Identifies employees and visitors entering or leaving the building by recognition of faces.
• Requests verbal or written information from individuals pertaining to their destination, identity, and the nature of their visit.
• Accompanies employees from office building to parking lot or street, or rides in motor vehicle to prevent possible theft or loss of money or valuables being transported.
• Visually inspects gauges, meters, and other instruments which indicate that equipment on public property is functional and has not been tampered with.
• Observes persons exiting premises and carrying large or bulky packages and determines if individual warrants searching to detect stolen objects.
• Searches packages of those entering building for firearms or other dangerous objects to prevent the injury of those present in the facility.
• May escort employees to the parking lot after normal operating hours.
• Removes unruly persons from premises after issuing verbal warning regarding a rule violation concerning disorderly conduct, loitering, unauthorized entry, and so forth
• Accompanies detainees such as suspicious or disorderly persons to designated or restricted area for holding until municipal or other law enforcement individual arrives.
• Aids a law enforcement officer by accompanying prisoners to designated location to watch and report on the movements or conduct of the prisoners and/or others.
• Observes individuals entering and leaving the premises for safe and orderly conduct.
• Restrains violent or disorderly persons.
• Notifies other security guards for a person or persons of a particular description.
• Gives verbal warnings to individuals who violate regulations such as disorderly conduct, loitering, smoking, or entry without proper passes.
• Obtains verbal descriptions of person or persons present in the building who may present a potential danger.
• Evacuates building occupants and warns about the impending danger from explosives, fires, and so forth, to ensure an orderly and safe exit.
• Appears in court as a witness to testify against persons being charged with vandalism, theft, fire, or misconduct on government property.
• Provides answers to persons who inquire about the location of persons or services available, physical layout of a facility, and so forth.
• Evaluates the severity of injury and obtains assistance for emergency transportation and medical care.
• Provides emergency first aid.
• Directs traffic.
• Assists pedestrians in crossing busy intersections to prevent vehicular congestion and accidents.
• Checks cars in restricted parking areas such as employee or visitor parking lots for parking authorization stickers, and issues warning or citation to prevent use of these areas by unauthorized individuals.
• Prevents entry or use of a restricted area by unauthorized vehicles.
• Admits entry of vehicle after checking pertinent data such as driver's identification, weight, and size of vehicle, and so forth
• May drives vehicles to avoid obstruction of traffic.
• Records observations on conditions in building or in assigned area, reporting any unusual occurrence, property damage, or mishaps.
• Documents rule violations to provide a permanent record of incidents for police or other investigatory individual or to inform guard on next shift of past activities.
• Attends classroom training programs on work related topics such as bomb detection and first aid.
• Attends roll call to listen to announcement of work assignments and other related information.
• Records the location of missing or damaged signs and warnings, and submits it to supervisor for corrective actions.
• May apprehend law violators and inform them of their rights.
• Questions suspicious persons and may detain and arrest those persons who violate agency rules, regulations, and pertinent laws.
• Records visits at watch stations to indicate that rounds have been completed at specified intervals.
• Reports to supervisor or other appropriate individual on security checks or on any unusual conditions or malfunctioning of equipment.
• Takes temporary measures to correct malfunction to prevent further damage to building.
• Seizes contraband material or stolen property and detains suspects for questioning.
• Escorts unruly persons from premises.
• May, on occasion or incidentally, operate an elevator for security purposes to limit access of persons to and from certain floors and buildings so as to preserve and maintain security of such areas.
• Will be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.

Experience

Three (3) years of experience in the safeguarding of property and/or persons.

License

Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform the essential duties of the position.

Knowledge, skills and abilities

• Knowledge of problems involved in safeguarding large areas including the buildings and grounds in that area.
• Knowledge of security measures in detaining persons.
• Knowledge of fire prevention.
• Knowledge of procedures used in making arrests and prosecuting violators.
• Knowledge of problems encountered in work involving the care and custody of varied types of persons deprived of their liberty.
• Knowledge of problems involved in safeguarding persons, buildings, grounds, and properties.
• Knowledge of techniques used in maintaining order among groups of people congregating on public property.
• Knowledge of problems and procedures involved in enforcing traffic regulations.
• Knowledge of problems and operations used in controlling traffic.
• Knowledge of methods used to prepare reports of conditions noted and actions taken.
• Knowledge of investigative procedures.
• Knowledge of current laws, procedures, and trends governing search and seizure actives.
• Knowledge of laws affecting arrest procedures.
• Knowledge of the amount of force required to make arrests.
• Knowledge of procedures to follow in dealing with an emergency.
• Ability to understand, remember, and carry out oral and written directions.
• Ability to analyze problems.
• Ability to learn quickly from oral and written explanations and from demonstrations.
• Ability to note significant conditions by observation and to take proper action in accord with prescribed procedures.
• Ability to work effectively under a variety of weather conditions.
• Ability to work harmoniously with associates, visitors, and other groups and individuals interested in security problems.
• Ability to deal effectively with persons being detained because of violations of laws, rules, and regulations.
• Ability to understand the emotional, adjustment, and other problems of persons who have been deprived of their liberty.
• Ability to perform repetitive operations without loss of equanimity, patience, or courtesy.
• Ability to remain cool and decisive in emergency situations.
• Ability to follow prescribed procedures.
• Ability to detect unauthorized persons, malfunctioning equipment, or fire.
• Ability to detect possible hazards such as fire, gas seepage, and so forth
• Ability to detect unusual sounds such as leaky plumbing, tampering of locks and window, and so forth.
• Ability to follow precautionary measures with regard to dangerous objects, explosives, or armed persons.
• Ability to learn and apply regulations and guidelines pertaining to protection security systems.
• Ability to react promptly to situations requiring action.
• Ability to remain alert while performing repetitive duties.
• Ability to maintain order among visitors.
• Ability to be courteous but firm with the public or when controversies arise.
• Ability to give clear, accurate, and informative directions.
• Ability to administer first aid.
• Ability to make judgments about the proper use of first aid.
• Ability to maintain records.
• Ability to organize assigned work and develop effective work methods.
• Ability to prepare clear, sound, accurate, informative, and legible reports of significant conditions noted and actions taken.
• Ability to deal with people. Ability to physically restrain mentally disturbed, unruly, or violent persons.
• Ability to cope with and handle verbal abuse from a person or a group.
• Ability to give suitable assignments, instructions, and advice to subordinates and to review and evaluate their work performance.
• Ability to plan work assignments for subordinates.
• Ability to adjust work activities to meet emergency or other changes in operations and/or to improve the services rendered.
• Ability to coordinate and integrate activities of the unit with that of other organizational units.
• Ability to ascertain training needs and formulate plans to meet those needs.
• Ability to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
• Ability to read, write, speak, understand, and communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication.
• Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform the essential functions of the job after reasonable accommodation is made to their known limitations. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.

Note

The definition and examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed.