This is an 8 hour course required by New York State as the first step in obtaining a security guard registration card from the New York State Department of State. The course provides the student with a general overview of the duties and responsibilities of a security guard. Topics covered in this course include the role of the security guard, legal powers and limitations, emergency situations, communications and public relations, access control, and ethics and conduct. The passing of an examination is required for successful completion of this course.

The Mandatory Department of Homeless Shelters Local Law 124 Training will include:

• Person-centered – An approach tailored to each client. Requires an empathetic, nonjudgmental manner to promote dignity and respect. Being person-centered involves meeting people where they are and solving problems together. It acknowledges the expertise clients have when it comes to their own lived experience.

• Strengths-based – An approach that values a person’s knowledge, skills, and abilities, while encouraging them to use their experience, resources, and connections. The focus is on hope, opportunity, and what people can do rather than what they can’t.

• Trauma-informed – An approach that recognizes the prevalence of trauma and emphasizes the importance of creating physical, psychological, and emotional safety for survivors. It focuses on what happened to a person rather than what is wrong with them.

• De-escalation – A technique used to stabilize a situation by using calm communication. The goal is to reduce tension between parties and find solutions to conflict.

• Sound Judgment - Using best judgment (based on supervisory guidance, agency procedures, and training) when gathering information to make deliberate unbiased decisions.

• Static Patrol – Security personal assigned to a fixed (i.e., stationary) location.