The main function of a security officer is to protect people, property, and assets. However, a security officer needs to be adept when it comes to emergency response in order for their responsibilities to be carried out effectively. Emergency response basically means having a systematic response to an unforeseen or dangerous occurrence to ensure that everything is carried out quickly and efficiently.

On top of technical knowledge and familiarity of proper procedures, effective emergency response requires a few key soft skills, including communication, time management, supervision, decision making, and critical thinking. These skills can be acquired through training and by attending incident handling courses in Singapore. Here are some reasons why undergoing emergency response training is crucial in being a security officer.

What is an Emergency Response Training?

An emergency response training is conducted to prepare security officers for emergency situations, such as accidents and crimes. The training is crucial in ensuring that security officers and trained individuals understand what to do and when to act in order to avoid the further occurrence of the emergency situation. Essentially, this builds up emergency preparedness and a composed mentality for security officers to fall back on to ensure that someone is there to take charge of incidents that might happen at their workplace.

So what are the benefits of going through Emergency Response Training?

• Helps security officers follow standard emergency protocols
  
  The main objective of emergency response lessons is to prepare the security officers or responders to follow standard emergency plans or predetermined protocols. This is valuable and essential as plans and protocols are designed to minimise physical injuries among individuals and reduce damages to assets in establishments. 

  By going through training, these security officers will not just learn how to follow the standard protocols for handling any unexpected events effectively but also learn to guide the public or personnel in a swift and authoritative manner to ensure their safety.

• Improves the confidence of security officers
  
  Being knowledgeable and going through professional training can effectively reduce a security officer’s response time to emergencies when they occur. With such improved skills and thinking, the security officer can develop a higher level of confidence in dealing with dangerous situations. 

  This sense of assuredness can then encourage feelings of personal confidence in their skills but also inspire confidence amongst those that follow their directions during emergencies. They are also equipped to calm and swiftly lead a panicking crowd, being a firm voice when people are unsure of what to do.

• Empowers security officers to utilise safety resources
  
  Without the proper type of emergency response training, many security officers or responders would not be able to utilise the available safety equipment in an appropriate manner. For instance, a security officer who has no idea how to use a fire extinguisher may cause more harm than good in case a fire breaks out in a facility. 

  While all fire extinguishers seem to be the same, different extinguishers are actually used for different types of fires. A class A fire requires the use of a water extinguisher, whereas using a dry powder extinguisher would potentially cause a class A fire to intensify. A security officer can essentially learn all this and more in an emergency response training course.

Conclusion

Ultimately, there are a lot of advantages that come with going through emergency response training. Aside from increasing your knowledge and improving your skills in handling emergency situations, being adequately trained will also boost your confidence and provide you with the encouragement that you need to perform your functions as a security officer more competently.

Apart from undergoing crisis management or emergency response training, completing a few security courses, such as a patrol officer basic course and a threat observation course, will likely improve your competence and confidence as a security officer. Indeed, knowledge and training are the keys to becoming better and succeeding in the security industry.