When people think of security companies, or companies that are requisitioned to provide private armed security in cities like New York, they think of these monolithic private armies whose resources are only rivaled by the amount of people at their command, but the truth is significantly more mundane. A private security company is a company like any other, and thus requires a lot of things to simply exist. As for what those things are, here is a short list of the most important.
Private Patrol Operator License
The first thing any security company needs to become a full-fledged security company is to qualify for being a regular old security guard. That may sound strange, but it’s the truth. The folks who usually become CEO’s of security companies are often people who were security guards beforehand, who then went independent. So anyone who wants to start their own company first needs to earn their private patrol operator license. This license is required in order to operate as a security officer, even actual police officers assigned as security for an event must earn these licenses.
Money
A security company is an expensive company. Especially if you want to expand into fields such as private armed security and international partnerships. Not only do you need to hire a lot of personnel, you have to make sure they have access to weapons, vehicles, passports and enough money to pay for plane tickets, and a whole lot more. Taking out a hefty loan from the bank is expected in this business, but luckily these companies make more than enough money to make it all back.
Private Security License
The last license you’d hypothetically need to apply for is a private security license, and to do that, you would need to complete an application form. Though differing in specific contents depending on what state you’re in, generally speaking, this application requires you to submit two photographs for a passport, something called a “fingerprint clearance card”, and a record of the motor vehicles you’re certified and licensed to operate. And if you did any service in the military, a record of that is also required.
These are not instructions for how to start your own security company, as a lot of stars need to align for this career change to pay off in your favor. However, it’s always interesting to know how these sorts of companies get their start. And if you’re in the market for a security company, you’ll find none better than GISS International.
