Armed Guards

Armed guarding is a serious step and should be matched to a serious risk. It is typically considered for:

• Premises that handle or store cash, such as fuel stations, wholesalers and cash offices
• Warehouses and yards holding high-value stock, copper, fuel or machinery
• Isolated sites with long perimeters and slow access to outside help
• Residences or offices of people facing specific, credible threats
• Sites that have already experienced armed incidents

For many homes, offices and shops, unarmed officers supported by alarms and armed response are the more proportionate choice. The risk assessment helps you decide.

Every armed officer is PSIRA-registered at a grade suited to the post and holds the firearm competency required under the Firearms Control Act, along with relevant specialised training. Firearms remain under the company's control and are issued, carried and stored in line with the law and our internal procedures, including records of issue and return.

Officers are trained that a firearm is a last resort for the protection of life, used only within the strict limits of South African law. Their primary job remains the same as any officer: deter, observe, control access and raise the alarm early.

An armed officer may hold a fixed post at a high-risk point, such as a cash office entrance, a vehicle gate at a distribution centre, or the main door of a residence. On larger sites they may work alongside unarmed colleagues, who handle routine access control and visitor management while the armed officer covers the critical position. Duties include observation, controlling access to sensitive areas, accompanying staff during higher-risk tasks on the premises and responding first to incidents according to site instructions. Escorting valuables off-site is a separate service, covered under secure escorts.

Because the stakes are higher, so is the scrutiny. Armed officers are screened for registration, competency, background and temperament before placement. Supervisors check that they are alert, correctly equipped and following procedure, and occurrence books are reviewed. Any discharge of a firearm, or any incident involving a firearm, is reported immediately to management and the relevant authorities and to you, and is fully investigated. We operate a zero-tolerance approach to misconduct.

Armed posts are usually part of an ongoing guarding contract, but they can also be arranged for short periods: a stocktake, a period of heightened threat, or a temporary storage arrangement. The proposal specifies which posts are armed, hours of cover, supervision and reporting. Armed cover can be combined with CCTV and alarms so that officers are alerted early.