Security Responder

10/13/2026

🚨 When you call 9-1-1, are you giving dispatchers the information they actually need?

Security professionals are often the first people on scene when something goes wrong. The information we provide to 9-1-1 can make a real difference in how effectively emergency responders handle an incident.

But what do dispatchers need to know? What are the most common mistakes? And how can security professionals become better partners in public safety?

🎙️ Episode 3 of Code 3 Podcast by Security Responder is now LIVE!

We sit down with Nicolas Guertin, Acting Superintendent of Communications and Acting Public Information Officer with the Ottawa Police Service, to discuss how security professionals can communicate more effectively with 9-1-1.

Whether you're working in residential security, mobile patrol, event security or any other part of the industry, this conversation has valuable lessons you can put to work.

Knowing when to call for help is important. Knowing how to make that call count is what makes us better security professionals.

▶️ Watch the full episode on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/oc0lCiQqyQo

👍 If you find it valuable, please like, subscribe and share it with another security professional.

💬 Have you ever experienced challenges communicating with 9-1-1 during an incident? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

P.S. Have a topic you think deserves a conversation on Code 3 Podcast? Send your suggestions to [email protected].

Code 3 Podcast — Connecting the professionals who protect and serve our communities, one conversation at a time.

When a security guard calls 9-1-1, the information they provide can...

10/06/2026

10/02/2026

One security guard can damage confidence in all of us.

When a patron, artist, venue manager or client sees a security guard disengaged, staring at their phone, watching the show instead of the crowd, or otherwise failing to act professionally....

They rarely think:
“That security guard isn't doing a very good job.”

They think:
“Security is useless.”

And that loss of confidence affects all of us.

Every person wearing SECURITY on their back is representing more than themselves. That's why standards have to be actively maintained through supervision, training, coaching and accountability.

Training matters. Awareness matters. Professionalism matters.
But ultimately, confidence matters.

When something goes wrong, patrons and clients need to believe that calling security will make the situation better — not worse.

That's the standard we are working toward.

10/01/2026

Love seeing those Fit2Protect gloves getting a workout. 🥊

This week’s Security Responder Defensive Tactics training included pre-sparring drills focused on distance, timing and defensive techniques against an unpredictable opponent.

There’s a big difference between practicing a technique when you know what’s coming and applying it when you don’t.

Controlled drills like this help bridge that gap — requiring participants to read movement, manage distance, react and make decisions in real time.

We’re not preparing them for the UFC.

We’re preparing them to be Responders who can make a difference — and come home safe at the end of their shift.

Relentless Preparation.

09/22/2026

Teach adaptable principles — not responses to one specific threat.

You cannot predict what a security professional may be attacked with next.

A knife. A machete. A baseball bat. A hatchet — or something we haven't even considered.

A recent incident in Kelowna, where a security guard was reportedly chased by an individual armed with a hatchet taken from inside the store, is a reminder of just how unpredictable frontline security can become.

That's one of the reasons Security Responder™ incorporates elements of Kali into Baton 101, a course that builds on Use of Force / Defensive Tactics certification.

Kali is a Filipino martial art with a strong emphasis on weapons, movement and understanding angles of attack. We're not trying to turn security professionals into martial artists.

We're using principles that transfer:

🥋 Footwork and movement
🥋 Managing distance
🥋 Positioning
🥋 Recognizing angles of attack
🥋 Moving off the line of an incoming strike
🥋 Repetition until those movements become more familiar under pressure

The objective isn't to teach someone to stand and fight an armed individual.

Distance. Barriers. Disengagement. Getting to safety.

Those remain the priority whenever possible.

We can't dream up every object that someone might pick up and use as a weapon.

But we can teach adaptable principles that remain relevant when the unexpected happens.

And if you're going to be issued a tool to help defend yourself or others, you owe it to yourself — and the people you're responsible for protecting — to know how to use it safely, confidently and professionally.

Train for what's possible — not just what's likely.

📅 Next Baton 101: November 7

Open to licensed security professionals. Current Use of Force / Defensive Tactics certification is a prerequisite.

A security guard was chased through Kelowna's Walmart on Wednesday by a man with a hatchet who was threatening to “chop him up.”

09/21/2026

The next issue of Security Responder Magazine will focus on Use of Force & Defensive Tactics.

And we want to hear from security professionals across Canada.

Use of Force is about much more than physical techniques. Training, de-escalation, decision-making, pre-incident indicators, legal considerations, reporting, equipment and post-incident responsibilities are all part of the conversation.

If you’re a security professional, trainer, manager, instructor or industry stakeholder anywhere in Canada, we want to hear your thoughts, experiences, perspectives and ideas.

Have an article to contribute? A topic you think needs more discussion? A different approach being used in your province?

📧 [email protected]

Next Issue Theme: Use of Force & Defensive Tactics

Canadian security. Canadian perspectives. A stronger industry.

09/18/2026

🔊 SOUND WARNING — siren! 🚨

For this CPR drill, we added one simple stressor: a loud siren for the full two minutes.

We checked pulse rates before and after — they shot up.

We’ve been known to bring out the smoke machine too… although that doesn’t always make us popular with the other offices in the building. 😂

What stressors do you add to your training?

09/17/2026

Responder Use of Force Certification – This Saturday | Ottawa, ON

Use of Force training should be more than earning a certificate. It should build practical skills, judgment and confidence for situations security professionals may actually encounter.

This weekend we’ll cover de-escalation, pre-incident indicators, edged-weapon threats, defensive tactics and baton skills, with a strong emphasis on appropriate and professional response.

Train for what’s possible — not just what’s likely.

Professional use of force training for security personnel covering de-escalation, defensive tactics, and legal responsibilities.

09/16/2026

What does Health & Safety really look like in private security?

That was the main topic of this month’s Security Responder Roundtable.

We discussed first aid training, site orientation, preparing guards for foreseeable risks, when to disengage and escalate, client expectations, and the challenges of getting meaningful buy-in for training and safety.

We’ve prepared a full summary of the discussion for Security Responder subscribers.

Want a copy? scan QR code or Sign up for Security Responder updates here: https://security-responder.ca/

Sign up to receive the full summary

Better preparation. Safer guards. A stronger security industry.

09/08/2026

Know Your Kit.

Knowing what is in your pack and where to find it is one of the most basic elements of professionalism.

Our Dump & Pack race was simple, competitive — and effective.