Hi Guys

I'm doing some voluntary security work overnight for 8 nights for charity who had some huge marques stolen at this same event last year-so we don't want £40k going down the drain and the premiums going up!

I need some advice on gear-i will be sleeping in the marquees!

I will have my dog-a black lab which is soft and daft but can really bark-if the thief just said "here boy" he'd role over and shut up lol!

I will also have a sleeping bag, FAK, PSK and large Maglite, radio-we are all connected, there is 4 of us!

Have you guys got any ideas for any gear i should also carry!

thanks

mark

Baseball bat? <img src="images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Matt

You need to decide ahead of time whether you will be satisfied with a decent attempt to disuade / avoid burglary or intervene / prevent / capture burlars. If you plan on engaging the criminals then you need to give strong attention to whatever permissable weapons you might be able to deploy. If you plan on trying to scare them off but backing down if that doesn't work then you need to think defensively and think about signaling. If they aren't scared off by the radio / whistle / loud blast from air-horn / barking dog. They may be of the type that would wish to silence witnesses who have made themselves obvious.

add a loud whistle for each, at least one cell phone, and a plan. By plan I mean you should sort out who is to do what and where. As in, who responds to trouble and who calls the police. Oh yes, make sure the police know you will be there. At the very least, if its a slow night they may stop by to chat which makes for excellent security.

Chris

A comfortable folding chair, some reading material and a portable reading light, and/or a portable radio with an earphone (not headphones, you want to be able to hear what's going on around you) - 8 nights with nothing to do can get pretty long.

I would second the advice to take a baseball bat (or cricket bat, I suppose <img src="images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> ) - I wouldn't go looking for trouble, but if the thieves decided to come after me, I'd want something that would make them think I wasn't such an easy target. If your back's to the wall, the police are on their way, and you have a big heavy club in your hand, then they're going to leave you alone; or at least, one of them is going to have a pounding headache on the way home <img src="images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

A portable phone (cell-phone) programmed to call 999 would be a good idea for at least one of you.

Decide in advance what you're going to do with the thieves if you catch them. I wouldn't try doing the "citizen's arrest" routine, I think your choices are between quietly calling the police or trying to scare them away.

If the thieves stole £40k worth of marquees, they must have had a truck or van to carry the loot. Examine the exit routes - can they be blocked off? A spiked belt laid across the exit would mess up their getaway; however, I would be very, very careful to check the legality of this beforehand (make sure you're not breaking any laws by doing so, because I suspect you would be). It wouldn't be difficult to make; I imagine a plank of wood with long nails driven through it and sticking out at a 45 degree angle would even form a "one-way" barrier, so cars entering the grounds wouldn't be damaged, only cars trying to leave. (But I wouldn't want to test this on my own car, and I would definitely check with the police on the legality of it. <img src="images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> )

My approach to Threat-Risk assessments breaks security up into three parts - threat, vulnerability, and asset value. It's like the fire triangle - reduce any one of these and you reduce the risk.

Threat = a burglar; Vulnerability = an unlocked window; Asset = your silverware. Risk = a burglar comes in through the unlocked window and steals your silverware.

You can try reducing the asset value - spray paint your name on it in big purple letters to make it harder to resell. (This may not be an option, but most hotels used to embroider their names on the towels. Same idea.) You can reduce the vulnerability (e.g. Lock the window.) Or you can reduce the threat (e.g. Increase security patrols.)

Try thinking like the thieves - examine the area as if you were going to burgle the place. How would you get in? How would you get out? What is there worth taking? How difficult would it be to carry? How big a truck am I going to need to haul it away? How am I going to deal with that big black Labrador retriever? What could go wrong? (In your case, what could you *make* go wrong for them?)

Look for a way to slow the thieves down, especially hidden ways that they won't see until it's too late - this may break their rhythm and have unexpected results. I read once about a fur storage warehouse that kept getting broken into. Nothing seemed to work - the thieves had it down to a science. They came in, setting off the alarm; grabbed a handful of fur coats off the rack, and were gone in under 5 minutes, long before the police could respond.

Finally, an imaginative police officer suggested that they shouldn't be hanging all the fur coats up with the hooks on the coat hangers facing the same way. They rehung all the fur coats with every second coat hanger turned around - half the coat hangers faced inward, half faced outward.

A few nights later, the alarm went off. The police responded as usual, and just about killed themselves laughing when they arrived. There were the thieves, cursing like mad <img src="images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> about the "stupidity" of the warehouse employees, as they laboriously removed the fur coats one at a time from the rack.... <img src="images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

You're not dealing with rocket scientists here <img src="images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

And always remember, your life is worth more than a canvas tent <img src="images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Thanks Guys - some very good responses-we are a group of fundraising volunteers who said we would do it-and trust me these are no bunch of girl guides-we have 2 hairy ar*ed bikers, a bouncer from a rough club-(the volunteers son). We just haven't thought strategy!

This is certainly going to make us think-we have got until start of september!

I like the idea of baseball bat!

All ideas really appreciated-no matter how daft they seem!

cheers
Mark

You might want to include a digital camera, or a disposable 35mm... If someone does try something, snap a pic of them red handed... Evidence for a conviction.

~Wesley

Sometimes the best gear is something you wouldn't consider: Yourself. Make your presence known. Sitting in a chair for 8 hours will bring on sleep awfully quick. Hourly walk-a-bouts that try to emcompass the entire area help. You become accustomed to where things are and how things are placed. After a round or two you will begin to notice if something looks "out of place". To avoid repetition, reverse the route.

As for the gear, a good flashlight (bigger isn't necessarily better), your radio (FRS?), and a baton seem to be givens.

A Priority Item: Comfortable shoes!!!!

I would like to expand on what others have said. All were good points; IMHO.

Will all of you be carrying flashlights? If so do you have extra bulbs and batteries for each? Do you have a backup light? Same thing goes for all of the radios…extra batteries.

Carry a small notebook, 2 pens and a pencil. Make notes about what you see. As many have said it before, things do have a way of conking out. This is why you need 2 pens. The pencil comes in handy if all pens give out. Also log your “patrols.” It is easier to defend your notes in court than your memory. Write simple things down like, 0030—walked perimeter fence, locks secured (try them each time) etc. This looks good to the police and if you are called to court you won’t look dumb trying to recall if the padlock was locked or not.

Do you have a way to keep warm (or cool) dry and comfortable? Inside of a car with the heater on can be dangerous. The mention of comfortable shoes is extremely important advice. Standing or walking for hours in cowboy boots, for example, will become painful over time.

What provisions will you have for bathroom breaks? You may need an extra roll of TP in case what is provided runs out.

Keep hydrated, drinking fluids (avoid too much caffeine) aids the mind in keeping focused. Also if you are normally a diurnal person the sudden switching to nights will play hell on your body. Staying hydrated actually helps you make a better recovery.

If you have a small AM/FM radio, use it if your client says it is ok. I do not recommend an earphone, rather keep the volume low, but not so much as to not be heard. Change stations about every half-hour or so. Anyone hiding in the shadows will know you are awake and changing stations helps to prevent you from falling asleep.

Have a light snack in case you get hungry. Something like a cereal bar is far better than a full meal, which weighs you down.

Remember; security guards are thought of as fat, old, lazy and their routine is predictable. You want to be the complete opposite. Anything else you can do to vary “routine” will keep you unpredictable.

Good luck.
stargazer


Buried deep within each of us is a spark of greatness, a spark than can be fanned into flames of passion and achievement. That spark is not outside of you it is born deep within you.

warm wet & wind bring the gear to cover all three .Smoke's, toilet paper; don't depend on it being thier when you need it!!!! <img src="images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />