As we continue to navigate our new normal due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for security guards holds strong. All of us have encountered significant changes in our everyday lives. States open and close, and government officials create new regulations and need citizens to comply. The ultimate goal is to keep everyone safe from COVID-19 to stop the spread.

The people enforcing the new rules are often security guards. You have probably seen an uptick in guards. Whether it’s a security officer doing your temperature check or monitoring crowd control, guards have additional roles to play in this new world.

Security guards are now employed at drive-thru test centers, malls and shopping areas, community events, and more. While their job is to keep everyone safe, companies must take appropriate precautions to keep security guards safe as well.

Many businesses are implementing mobile technologies so guards can do their jobs without taking extra risks. These solutions track your officers, allow them to report digitally, streamline communications, and ensure your company runs efficiently.

Read why, during this health crisis, a mobile solution for guard tracking and management is crucial.

Less contact between guards

With social distancing guidelines in place, it’s essential to keep guards at a safe distance from each other. At the same time, you want to make sure all areas are covered, and workers are where they need to be. GPS tracking is one way to do this, but it has its limitations, such as poor indoor tracking capabilities. Using NFC RFID tags in addition to GPS, however, ensures security officers are making rounds and hitting necessary checkpoints. NFC RFID tags are easy to install and it’s impossible to copy a tag.

With this technology, you can track guards in real-time, which means you can make sure they are not all scheduled to be in one place at one time – maintaining proper social distancing. Not only can you track when employees go on and off shifts, but you can also see when they take breaks. If you have a designated break area, this will help ensure only a few guards are in that area at a time.

Safer data Entry

In an effort to keep security officers six feet apart, mobile data entry is a must. Using a smartphone application to enter data is not only a time-saver, but it also keeps multiple people out of an indoor office. Guards can create incident reports in real-time and either automate the reporting process or have a manager review the report before going to the client. Ideally, officers can use speech-to-text functionality as well as a keyboard and take pictures and videos to accompany the incident report.

Eliminate manual filing and reporting

If all officers need to go to one central location to print tickets and enter citations, it will mean a lot of overlap of people - not to mention your guards will all be crowded in an indoor place touching the same computers and equipment. Filling out forms in person is not only a waste of time, but now, it’s also a potential safety hazard. Mobile technology provides a way for guards to stay apart and keep all forms updated.

Additionally, to keep officers separate and safe, technology should allow mobile printing. Guards can print parking citations on the go, eliminating the need for manual filing and reporting.

Review daily reports and make changes

We’re all learning how to navigate this “new normal,” which means a continual review of processes and changes are necessary. Companies require a way to look at and understand data. If you send a bunch of data to managers and expect them to interpret it on their own, it might be a waste of time. Instead, mobile apps condense data and pinpoint problem areas, which then allows managers to take action.

You may find that, for example, you need to shift guard schedules because too many are entering or exiting at the same time. Or you may realize that guards routes are overlapping, which you can then change. Without a holistic look at your security guard time, it’s impossible to make necessary safety changes.

Keeping guards safe

As more and more security guards are staffed to keep crowds and individuals safe, it’s important to take a step back and understand how to keep your guards themselves safe. The need for security personnel will increase as COVID-19 continues, which means protections and safeguards for officers are even more crucial.