Post Orders, Shift Management & Working with a Partner

What Post Orders Are

Post orders are the site-specific written instructions that govern a security guard's duties at a particular post. They are not suggestions — they are the operating manual for the site, and a guard is expected to follow them exactly.

A complete set of post orders typically includes:

• Duties and rounds — what to patrol, how often, and what to check at each point
• Emergency contacts — site supervisor, client contact, police non-emergency, fire, EMS, alarm company, key holders
• Access control rules — who may enter, what credentials are accepted, how visitors are logged
• Alarm response procedures — which alarms, what to do, who to call, in what order
• Exceptions and special instructions — deliveries expected, contractors on site, events, known risks
• Reportable incidents — what must be reported, to whom, by when, and on what form
• Equipment list and location — radios, keys, flashlight, first-aid kit, fire extinguishers, AED, cameras

If a situation arises that the post orders do not cover, you contact your supervisor — you do not improvise a new procedure on your own. Deviation from post orders without authorization is a disciplinary matter and can create legal liability.

Shift Start

A professional shift starts before you assume the post. The shift-start routine:

1. Log on — sign in with dispatch or the site system; your tour of duty has officially begun
2. Read the previous shift's notes — the handover notebook, occurrence reports, and any open items
3. Check your equipment — radio charged and working, flashlight, notebook, pen, keys, PPE, hi-vis vest
4. Receive a briefing or handover — speak directly with the outgoing guard on anything still in progress: a suspicious person last seen near the loading dock, an alarm that hasn't been reset, a door that won't latch
5. Confirm the post orders and any new instructions — check for notices, memos, or temporary amendments posted since your last shift

Shift End

Leaving the post correctly is as important as starting correctly. The shift-end routine:

1. Complete outstanding tasks — finish the current round; don't hand off a half-done task without flagging it
2. Brief the oncoming guard — face-to-face handover of everything in progress, every open item, every known risk
3. Complete the shift report — occurrences, patrols completed, incidents, equipment status, any deviations from post orders
4. Log off — only after the oncoming guard has acknowledged the handover and assumed the post

Never simply leave the post. Walking off without a proper handover leaves the site unguarded and creates a gap in the security record that can become a legal problem.

The Notebook

Your notebook is your legal record of the shift. Entries must be:

• Contemporaneous — made at the time of the event, not reconstructed hours later
• Chronological — in order, with date, time, and location for each entry
• Factual — what you saw, heard, and did; not opinions or speculation
• Legible — written in ink, not pencil; corrections are single-lined and initialed, never erased
• Complete — names, descriptions, plate numbers, times, and actions taken

A well-kept notebook protects you. If an incident goes to court months later, your notebook is often the only contemporaneous record, and it may be the difference between a credible witness and an unsupported one.

Working with a Partner

Many posts are two-guard assignments. Working with a partner is safer than working alone, but only if the two guards actually work as a team. The building blocks:

• Communication — agree on signals, radio channels, and check-in intervals before the shift starts; brief each other on what you see and hear throughout
• Mutual cover — one guard makes contact while the other observes from a position of advantage; the covering guard watches hands, exits, and bystanders, ready to call for help or intervene
• Buddy system for high-risk tasks — approaching a suspicious person, checking an alarm, or clearing a dark building is done together, never solo
• No freelancing — do not split up to "cover more ground" unless the post orders specifically direct it; two guards in one place are safer than one guard alone in two places

graph TD
    A["Two-Guard Post"] --> B["Pre-Shift Briefing<br/>agree signals, channels, check-ins"]
    B --> C["Contact Task"]
    C --> D["Guard 1: Makes Contact"]
    C --> E["Guard 2: Provides Cover<br/>watches hands, exits, bystanders"]
    D --> F{"Threat?"}
    E --> F
    F -->|"No"| G["Resolve & Document Together"]
    F -->|"Yes"| H["Call Police / Supervisor<br/>maintain cover, do not both engage"]

Radio Etiquette

The radio is the lifeline between guards, dispatch, and supervisors. Poor radio discipline wastes airtime and can delay an emergency response. Basic etiquette:

• Think before you press — know what you are going to say before you key the mic
• Identify yourself — "Unit 4 to Dispatch" or "Dispatch to Unit 7"; say who you are calling first, then who you are
• Keep it short — one thought per transmission; release the button and wait for a reply
• Use plain language — avoid codes unless your site specifically uses a code system; "suspicious male, blue jacket, north parking lot" is clearer than "Code 4 at the bird"
• Acknowledge — say "copy" or "10-4" so the sender knows the message was received
• Keep the channel clear for emergencies — pause non-urgent traffic when an emergency call is in progress
• Never transmit sensitive personal information (full names of minors, health information) over an open channel — switch to a secure channel or phone

The Shift as a Cycle

A well-run shift is a cycle: start deliberately, patrol consistently, document contemporaneously, hand over completely. Each guard who follows that cycle leaves the post safer and the next shift better prepared than they found it. That is the professional standard the ABST program trains you to meet.