Risk Assessment (Low, Medium, High)

Assess Before You Act

Every security response — an alarm call, a complaint from a tenant, a vehicle in a restricted area — begins with a risk assessment. The purpose is simple: decide whether and how to engage before you are committed, so you do not walk into a situation you cannot safely handle.

Quick Answer: Rate every call as low, medium, or high risk before you approach. If you cannot rate it, treat it as high risk until you confirm otherwise.

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The Three Risk Levels

Alberta basic-security practice organizes risk into three levels. The table below summarizes the levels, typical examples, and the expected guard response.

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Risk Factors to Weigh

A risk level is not a guess — it comes from weighing specific factors:

• Environment — lighting, visibility, weather, confined spaces, confined exits, heights, traffic
• Persons involved — number of people, demeanour, intoxication, mental state, known history at the site
• Weapons — anything that could be used as a weapon (objects, tools, vehicles) or signs a weapon may be present
• Time of day — late night and early morning shifts carry higher risk; fewer witnesses, slower police response, more impaired persons
• Isolation — how far you are from backup, how long until help arrives, whether anyone knows where you are
• Your training and equipment — are you trained and equipped for this situation? If not, that alone raises the risk level

A single factor can move a situation from low to high. A routine lockup becomes high risk the moment you see a broken door and hear movement inside.

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Continuous Reassessment

A risk assessment is not a one-time judgement made at the start of a call. Situations change, sometimes in seconds. A cooperative subject can become aggressive; a calm dispute can produce a weapon; a medical call can turn out to involve a hostile family member. Reassess:

• When new information arrives (a second caller, a dispatch update)
• When the subject's behaviour changes
• When the environment changes (lights fail, a crowd gathers)
• When your own condition changes (you are injured, fatigued, or outnumbered)

If the risk level rises beyond what you can safely handle, withdraw and call for police or backup. There is no shame in re-rating a call upward.

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When to Call Police or Backup

Calling police or requesting backup is a professional decision, not a failure. In Alberta, basic-security guards are not police officers — you do not have the authority, the tools, or the training to handle high-risk situations alone. Call police when:

• A weapon is present or suspected
• A person is violent or threatening violence
• A crime in progress exceeds your scope (a break-and-enter with suspects still on site, a serious assault)
• You are outnumbered or cannot maintain a safe distance
• You are unsure of the risk level — treat uncertainty as high risk

Request backup from a fellow guard when the risk is medium and a second person would meaningfully improve safety — for example, a late-night alarm response at a large industrial site.

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Putting It Together

A typical risk-assessment sequence on an alarm call:

1. Dispatch reports a perimeter alarm at the warehouse, 2:30 a.m.
2. You assess factors: isolated location, no visible activity reported yet, poor lighting on the east side — medium risk, possibly higher.
3. You request backup and approach from the lit side, keeping distance and an escape route.
4. You observe a forced door — the risk level rises to high. You do not enter.
5. You call police, maintain observation from a safe distance, and document what you see.

This is the assessment-driven approach the exam expects you to describe.