Security guards are called on to both prevent and respond to security threats for their clients. Their duties might include restricting access to a location, reporting crime and creating incident reports when lapses occur. However, security guards also have to respond to medical emergencies. When a medical emergency arises, a security guard is often the first person on the scene and the leader in providing an appropriate response. Here’s why every security guard should have CPR training in order to be fully prepared to respond to a medical event.
When a medical event occurs, people are going to look to you for what to do. It’s your role to be a leader in how to respond and provide the appropriate help quickly. When others don’t know how to respond or react, your training can kick in, and you can take control. Knowing CPR can help you provide an appropriate response until someone with more advanced training can take over.
A security guard is often the first person on the scene of an emergency at their place of employment. They’re often able to provide lifesaving care several minutes before emergency personnel arrive. When cardiac arrest occurs, a time difference of several minutes can mean the difference between life and death.
When the heart stops, the tissues in the body stop getting the oxygen that they need to survive. This can happen in only a few minutes after cardiac arrest. As the tissues lose blood, an individual’s chance of survival shrinks quickly.
CPR is a process that mechanically sends blood through the heart and through the body when the heart isn’t able to perform that function on its own. This gives the tissues the oxygen that they need to survive until the heart starts beating on its own or until the individual can receive an electric shock to restart the heart. There’s a good chance of getting a good result from CPR if you’re able to begin it quickly when cardiac arrest occurs. If you can begin CPR until someone with more training can take over, you may be able to save a life.
With 1,600 incidents of cardiac arrest in the United States each day, there’s a good chance that you’ll use your CPR training during your career. According to the National Academy of Sciences, a person suffering cardiac arrest is much more likely to survive when they’re able to receive immediate care. In fact, the survival rate more than triples when a person in cardiac arrest can receive CPR quickly. With so many people needing CPR each day, there’s a good chance that you may have the chance to use your training with a good result.
If the security incident you face is one with multiple casualties, it may not be enough to have only one person or a few people trained in CPR. Emergency personnel may be overwhelmed or far away, and they may need you to perform CPR until they can get more help on the scene. If you know CPR, you can fill in the gaps and provide life-saving care to someone who will be glad you did.
CPR and first aid training may be a requirement for your job. You may be able to find new career opportunities with your employer or with a new employer if you take the time to advance your skills by learning CPR. If it’s between you and another candidate, knowing CPR can help you stand out. Being able to write on a job application that you’re CPR certified can be the exact thing that you need to make an employer say yes.
When you know CPR, you can approach your work with the knowledge that you can handle any situation. When an incident occurs, you don’t need to panic. CPR training teaches you how to respond in an appropriate manner. All you need to do is let your training take over. Having the confidence that you know what to do can help you approach your job each day with enthusiasm and confidence. Your confidence can ripple throughout your department and have a positive impact on your overall job performance and your entire team.
It’s part of doing your job well
When you work in security, you want to provide the client and their patrons with a full range of competent security services. You never know what might happen on any given day. Chances are, you’ll respond to several medical events during your career. Knowing CPR can help you save a life and provide great service to your client.
