Recall the 3 P’s of access control –

• Physical – security infrastructure and systems
• Presence – bearing and attitude of security force personnel
• Performance – security training, experience and application

Last week we touch on Physical security. This week we address two more of access control’s 3 P’s, Presence and Performance.

Presence of a security force is necessary, and the Presence of the security guard is informative to Coast Guard Inspectors, Auditors, and would-be attackers. In our line of work, we use terms like ‘Officer Presence,” “Bearing,” and “Attitude” to describe this. Do your security personnel make you proud and feel secure? Are they professionals in their appearance and demeanor? If not, what are you – the FSO – doing about that?

Performance is how equipped the security force is and how well they carry out their duties. Are security personnel properly trained, to include facility-specific training and awareness? Do they have the requisite experience you require to guard your facility? Are they confident in applying the security protocols required by the FSP? How well do you sleep at night, knowing that your security personnel are standing the watch at your facility?

Ensuring the 3 P’s is the FSO’s job in conjunction with the security force. Don’t rely solely on your security supervisor, doing so may eventually scare the P out of you!