I’m going to assume that you are using the Museum Training Resources basic museum security officer training program MuseumDefender™ since you are reading this blog. But it is possible that you are using one of our other programs and have not yet started using our basic security officer program. Briefly, for those few who may not know about MuseumDefender™, it is a thirty-module comprehensive, interactive, computer-based program that is specific to museums, and trains museum security officers on most of what they need to know to do their jobs today. What is missing from that program? Well, we can’t teach your employees about the layout of your building. Only you can give them a tour of your building, tell them the hours the various operating units are open and functioning, and what keys fit which locks.
There are a few topics we address to some degree but only you can provide a complete program. These are topics that are specific to your state or locality such as “What is the legal authority of a security officer in our museum and what is his or her authority to detain an offender or make an arrest?” We provide guidance but only you can provide the specifics.
A comprehensive museum security officer training program consists of the following:
- A daily roll call training program for every security officer on every shift.
- An initial comprehensive training program, i.e., basic training, for each and every new officer before he or she is assigned to a post. (MuseumDefender™)
- Two days of on job training with a senior security officer or supervisor AFTER the new officer has successfully completed the basic training program.
- Independent Study. Each new officer will be given papers like floor plans of the building showing locations of fire extinguishers, security intercoms of telephones, etc. And each employee will be given a copy of the written policy manual that defines the policies and procedures to be followed in every instance. More on this later. But give the employee this manual to read on his or her own time.
- Ongoing specialized training for those needing it. This might include Supervisor Training, Report Writing Training, Command Center Operation Training, CPR and First Aid Training, etc.
- Repeated Training. It is recommended that each officer and security supervisor be re-trained using the basic security officer training program for officers and supervisors each year and repeat the supervisor training program for supervisors annually.
Roll Call Training
Roll Call Training is typically a thirty-minute, paid session at the beginning of each shift where all of the officers on that shift assemble in an appropriate space like a small meeting room or auditorium depending upon the number of officers. The roll call training occurs daily including on weekends and it occurs for every shift.
If the museum is a seven-day operation (or even a six-day operation where the museum is closed to the public one day each week) not every officer can be off Saturday and Sunday. Some will be off Saturday and Sunday, some Monday and Tuesday, etc. to assure that the museum is protected consistently every day it is open to the public. In most museums that are closed, say, on Monday, the public is not present, but contractors and employees are present in the building so security is required. My point is that not every trainee will receive the training at the same time and training will have to be repeated for a week until everyone is trained.
A typical roll call programs consists of the following:
First five minutes:
- Inspection by the supervisor to assure everyone is ready for the shift. Distribution of keys, radios and other post specific items.
- Assignment of posts where the supervisor reads the assignments for the day. “Smith post 1, Jones Post 2, etc.)
Second five minutes:
- Special Announcements. “There is a special event in the large auditorium beginning at 6 pm tonight”. “I need one volunteer who wants to work the event tonight for overtime”.
Next fifteen minutes:
- Training: The Training Officer, or a Supervisor in the absence of the trainer, reads and discusses a training topic such as reviewing a recent incident in the museum and discussing how it could have been handled better, or reads and discusses a training topic like “Our policy on service animals and pets in the café”.
Final five minutes:
- Officers are dismissed and sent to post. Upon arrival at their post, they radio in and inform the command center that they are on post and when everyone is on post, the museum can open to the public for the day.
The Roll Call Training Program serves as the primary method you can use to update all of your post training and present new topics. I can’t stress enough the importance of this program in making your security run smoothly.
Basic Museum Security Officer Training Program using Museum Defender™
A typical basic training functions this way:
Day one:
- He or she begins the journey in Human Resources and fills out necessary paperwork. He or she is then brought to the security department where a uniform is collected and assigned to the employee.
- The new employee is typically given instructions regarding the care of uniforms and equipment assigned to them and what to do if they discontinue their employment and return their equipment.
- The new employee is given basic instructions on how to take the Museum Defender™ training program and is assigned a tablet or PC to take the course on.
A new employee is hired for a vacant security officer position.
Day two:
- The new employee is assigned a place to begin taking the MuseumDefender™ course. He or she can take the course at their own pace but it is to your advantage to encourage them to finish the course as quickly as reasonably possible.
- As the training program administrator, you should check the progress of your employees in training each day to make sure they are making a real effort to complete the program in a timely manner.
Day three through day five:
- Most employees can complete the program in two-and-one-half days. A few may take longer. How long this course takes to complete tells you a lot about your new employee.
On the Job Training
It is important that the new officer be assigned to accompany a senior officer who has himself successfully completed the MuseumDefender™ training program for one or two days to learn your building, opening and closing procedures, etc.
The primary purpose of this two-day assignment is to see what typically happens during a typical day. Of course, you don’t have a fire or robbery or heart attack in your building daily so the new officer won’t see these events in action. But he or she will see the routine operation of the museum.
On the afternoon of the second day, or at some other time during this On Job Training period, the new officer should be taken on a tour of the museum by the training supervisor or other employees. Point out the following:
- Each public area including the main public entry points, the employee and after hour entry point, the loading dock, public coat rooms, the public café, gift shop, auditoriums, rest rooms, libraries, galleries, etc.
- The new officer should be given a floor plan showing the location of each post and a second-floor plans showing the location of each fire extinguisher, fire pull station, fire exit, etc.
- Other marked up floor plans or documents can also be provided for the new officer to read independently showing locations of intercoms, phones, remote monitoring locations, or whatever.
Independent Study
Independent study occurs when you give the new employee handouts and other materials such as policies and procedures and ask them to read the material over the next few days. Set a deadline for completing the reading of the materials.
Ongoing Specialized Training
Ongoing specialized training occurs when an employee needs that training to perform their job. Security officers always need training on topics like using a fire extinguisher or writing a report, Supervisors need training on how to be a successful supervisor, and the command center staff need training on working that critical post.
We will release a supervisor training program soon that is intended for all first line supervisors and management level people in your security department.
Repeated Training
We recommend that employees repeat each course annually. This assures that anything they missed is presented to them and anything they forgot is repeated. Repeating training annually is somewhat of a standard. Most US government employees who are trained using computer-based training are required to repeat it annually.
Once you have achieved the above six elements of a successful program you will be better able to address the types of challenges we face in this modern world.
The Role of the Security Department Policy Manual
The policy manual is the one place that a member of your museum’s top management can go to see your entire security program. A quick reading of the manual will show, topic by topic, how your security department employees address every type of situation. We will address this in a future blog post but Museum Training Resources has available for sale a set of comprehensive policy manual templates that you can use to prepare a museum security department policy manual in a few hours.
Just think that if you have such a manual properly formatted with each policy addressing only one narrow topic, how helpful it would be in your training. In fact, it would for the very basis of your training program.
Most museums using our manual templates give a copy of the manual to every security department employee in digital format and update it as required.
In Conclusion
The MuseumDefender™ program forms the basis of a comprehensive training program for your security officers and defines your overall security program. The other programs and materials fill in the holes and help you achieve excellence.
I hope you find my thoughts on this useful.
Steve Keller
