Category Archives for "ADAPT Blog"

0 MTS for Law Enforcement

0 C6 Training Model

Our ethos is that all policy, training programs and initiatives are guided by the principal that “one is none”. We avoid the single expert model so that we can develop solutions from multiple SMEs that have been tested in the real world. The end user, student and or client all benefit by the C6 process that is based on the collective, not an individual trying to remain relative or transitioning from one career to another sector. In the end, we try not to just push familiarity with what we know or what everyone else is doing… once in a while we are sure to embrace risk for the sake of innovation.

0 People, Passion, Purpose

We are lucky to have a team of professionals that are the best in the business. It is truly rewarding to work side by side with some of the smartest, toughest most committed people in the industry. Our motto of “passion before profit” is why we will continue to grow both in personal development and the company bottom line.

0 Customer Service in the Security Industry

Balancing Service and Safety

What does customer service mean in the security industry? Is it simply the act of meeting customer needs by providing professional, helpful and high quality service? In the hospitality or retail industry, this is a well-established standard. However, in the security industry, outstanding customer service reaches far beyond this surface definition and its significance in protection services can go unrecognized.

Professional customer service is the foundation upon which we should build everything in the private security sector. Approaching every scenario and every interaction with a positive, solutions oriented mindset is more than an invaluable attribute in attaining customer service excellence, it is the framework for all aspects of private security effectiveness.

In many organizations, the security officer is the face of the company. The security officer is the first and lasting impression for every person that passes through a gate or walks through the door because the security officer makes initial contact. The influence and effect of this relationship cannot be overstated. The irony is that all too often, the security officer feels disenfranchised and does not recognize the power and impact he or she has in the culture of the company. But, make no mistake, the security officer is the goodwill ambassador of the organization.    

Case in point: Covered 6 provided physical security officers, rocket transport personnel, executive protection agents and investigation support agents at a well-known private aerospace company in Southern California. In the perception of many Covered 6 staff members, the armed undercover agents were elite positions, and as a result, these were coveted positions for everyone except for Mark, the crossing guard.

After several employees were struck by vehicles, Covered 6 implemented a traffic control team for the client company. Because of extreme weather conditions and physical demands including walking more than ten miles daily, the traffic control position was a less than desirable job. For Mark, however, the crossing guard position was his time to shine because of the initiative, pride and positive attitude he demonstrated each day. Despite risk of personal and great bodily harm to himself, there were no employee injuries or traffic accidents during Mark’s tenure. Closed Circuit Television caught Mark’s heroics in action on a number of occasions as he literally saved lives. One day, a truck veered off the street and slammed into a pole where Mark stood just seconds before. In addition to ensuring the safety and security of persons he helped each day, Mark caught trespassers and identified suspicious individuals before they were able to infiltrate the facility. As a former pro boxer, Mark was a strong presence on the frontline, and as a result, the entire program was recognized as vital to the success of the organization. The program expanded to include more shifts. The “undesirable” outshined the elite.

What caught the attention of the company president – even more than his lifesaving actions – was Mark’s helpful and optimistic demeanor. While waiting to turn into the executive lot one day, the company president noticed Mark’s infectious, energetic smile as he greeted employees crossing the street. She noted the effect his attitude had on those around him, as their faces lit up, as they “fist-bumped” and “high-fived” in the crosswalk. She noted this ritual day after day, as Mark greeted thousands of people with the same contagious attitude. 

Over time, most of the security positions converted to an internal program. During this transition, the president insisted that the only recruit that must be retained on staff was Mark. She related that Mark had become part of the company culture and represented an energetic customer service attitude that set the tone for the entire organization. While this company goes about the business of building dreams and big ideas such as space exploration and planetary colonization, it is particularly powerful to know that the president noticed the “undesirable” position. She noticed Mark. By his shear fortitude and positive mindset, he became vital to their overall success.

Of all the decorated veterans, experienced former law enforcement officers and seasoned security professionals that worked for the company, it was Mark that had the greatest impact. He had no previous security experience and the least desirable position in the organization, but he made a concerted effort to have the greatest positive interaction on every person he encountered each day. Mark illustrates the lesson for all of us that an optimistic, can-do attitude is the greatest single asset in helping any organization successfully meet its security mission.

Remember to balance service and safety.

0 Client Testimonial

On 10:45 pm on Saturday, my wife thought someone was in our backyard. Normally we both think there is someone in our yard but its usually a possum that walks along our brick wall. The flood light from our neighbor casts a silhouette and the outline of the possum usually looks like a head until you see the tail. So when she stated that someone was in the backyard, I was thought it can’t be, its probably a possum, or you hear our son going into the kitchen.

I was wrong. After I went back to the front room, my wife comes back to me with panic in her eyes and whispers that there is someone in the backyard. My heart dropped. First, I realized that this is the second time I doubted my wife. We had an incident like this at her sisters house last Thanksgiving. Family full of people and a guy who had a mental illness ended up on the roof out the house. I’ll tell you that story another time. So here I am against faced with an unknown intruder.  I retrieved my fire arm and remained calm.

I tried to get a good luck out of the back windows of my home and I realized one thing. My neighbor had flood lights and I didn’t. I couldn’t see anything. Her light blocked my vision. Second, practically every light was on in the house so peeking also gave away my position. My wife asked if she should call 911 and I said yes. I hadn’t confirm that I could see someone but at the same time I couldn’t doubt my wife a third time and say well let’s wait and see.

I realized that I had to get everyone to a safe area. My next problem, every room has a window. My son was a the dinning table eating a bowl of cereal, surrounded by windows, my daughter was sleep in our bed because she was sick. My wife was trembling in our bedroom closet and I was thinking how I should have taken your home defense course (haha). I moved my son in the room with my wife, aware of muzzle awareness and my finger was on the side of the gun. I then began to turn off all the lights in the house.

I realized that my wife wanted to know if the guy was still in the back of the house and I had to check. I opened our master bathroom window and use my flashlight on my gun to scan the backyard. I also realized that if there is someone armed that I could die right there as they have the advantage. I sliced the pie in probably the worse way possible. It was more like, stir the batter for the pie. I frantically scanned back and forth. I realized that I gave away my position but I also need to see who was out there.

The light on my gun worked better than I expected. I was able to illuminate the entire backyard practically. I also realized that I didn’t get the adrenaline dump that I expected to get because of the situation. It was almost like another on of your drills for me except without the timer going off. I was constantly thinking and not reacting and I think it may have helped calmed my wife as I wasn’t panicking with a loaded gun near my family.

My wife told me that the deputies would be here in 60 seconds. I closed the window and realized that the threat probably escaped or was hiding but we were safe as no attempt to make entry was made. When the helicopter lit my house I was relieved that someone else could get eyes on what I couldn’t at the time.

I put my firearm back in the safe as I wasn’t aware if any deputies were on site. The helicopter team relayed to the pilot and said that our side gate was open if we were aware. We never leave the gate open as we have an 8 month old puppy who would find a way to escape.

The pilot expanded their search awareness while the deputies searched our backyard and shed. They checked every storage container and trashcans. My wife handed me the phone and I continued the conversation with the operator. She happened to mentioned that the guy was wearing a motorcycle helmet.

I thought to myself that’s out of the ordinary unless this was some zombie/rioter with bat, shield and helmet like you see on TV when the Left and Right meet at a protest. I recalled at that moment that our neighbor converted his house to accept adults with disabilities.  Earlier that day I noticed that they were loading a man into a van and he was wearing a helmet with clear face protection. I relayed this information to operator. Shortly after that, the pilot mentioned that they found the man on the next street behind our home. He was hiding from the helicopter.

The deputies checked with the neighbor who stated that they had a person who fit that description in their home. He was sleep upstairs, they told the deputies. They asked to check and low and behold he wasn’t there. Somehow this man with the mental capacity of a 3 year old managed to escape and ended up in our backyard.

The operator told me to meet the deputies outside our home. They gave the all clear, and returned the Latino man back to the home.

After action report

I should have had my holster belt in the closet. I used to keep it there but my wife hated how it looked and it was always out of place. I haven’t gotten my closet safe yet. This is now on my to do list.

I didn’t grab the spare mags in the safe. I have 1 mag loaded and two spare mags in my drawer safe. I even used to practice grabbing my gun and the extra mags when I dry fired. I only grabbed the gun. Time to dry fire more.

TECC training. Again on my to do list and would have come in handy if I shot the mental disable adult or if me or someone in my home or community would have gotten hurt. On my to do list.

No flood lights in back of house or cameras on my property. I had no situation awareness. Easy fix would be to install lights in the back and cameras all around. The front and sides of my house were lit, but not the back.

Didn’t lock the kids play area (Tuff Shed). There is no reason why the shed shouldn’t be locked when not in use. I got too comfortable, that will change.

Need to figure out a safe area for the family. I’m thinking the car in the garage. There are no windows in the garage it provides an multiple escape routes.

Follow up

If you are out this way (Carson/Long Beach) sometime I would like for you to give me some pointers on what I could have done better. I understand that no situation is the same but with your experience I think we could stop by my home and you assess and say hey here are somethings I may have done better that would be greatly appreciated. I would compensate you for your time.

My family members all said that my training with your organization came in handy. I’m glad I understood what was at stake versus me just having a emotional response and possibly making the incident worse.

I’m grateful to have worked with you and your team over the years and I feel that the training you have provided is invaluable to me.

Regards,

Michael

0 Better…because they have to be.

What is a “Physical Security Specialist”

Many private organizations recognize that the threat environment today is comprised of both domestic and international extremists, “lone wolf” individuals with ideologies of hate, deranged persons, and criminals. Some of these modern offenders are deploying tactics, weapons and technology that rivals that of law enforcement and the military.

These same subjects are carrying out their attacks at large public venues, universities, schools corporations, stadiums, government buildings, and military bases. In the past these “soft targets” with ease of access or detection have had little or no capable private security that offer much more than a small measure of deterrence. Law enforcement has offered only a response and post investigation with little or no effect on events in progress. An active shooter is over in the first 5 minutes before the police can intervene.

To meet this threat head on, private organizations are seeking companies that offer more sophisticated professional security services and personnel. This readiness demand has spawned a need for the more advanced a training of security officers, not the lower and rarely enforced minimum industry standards in place at a State level.

A Physical Security Specialist (PSS) is trained at the same level as law enforcement in a condensed version of a quasi-police academy. Different in that the curriculum is developed specifically to meet the needs of the private sector. A PSS must know advanced skillsets such as response to imminent threat, tactical defensive firearms, de-escalation, defensive tactics, canine detection, technology integration and first responder medicine (to name a few). All of these skills must be accomplished by maintaining a cornerstone of balancing “service and safety”. None of this expertise is offered or required under the current National Standards…until now.

In 2017, the Covered 6 team began working with the US Department of Labor to create the first National Program Standards for “Private Security Specialist”. This five-week comprehensive program exposes students to a variety of critical skill sets created to address the need. A new national standard has been achieved.

For more information on how you can benefit by this government approved program as a security employer, private organization or individual seeking a career in the private sector, contact a Covered 6 vocational advocate today. www.covered6.com/academy