Security Licence NSW Patrol and Incident Management 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A security officer discovers a fire during a routine patrol. After activating the alarm, what is the next correct step?
- Attempt to extinguish the fire regardless of size
- Evacuate the area and guide people to assembly points (Correct answer)
- Lock all exits to contain the fire
- Continue the patrol and let fire services handle it
Correct answer: Evacuate the area and guide people to assembly points
After activating the alarm, the priority is to safely evacuate occupants and direct them to designated assembly points, leaving firefighting to trained emergency services.
Question 2: What does 'chain of custody' mean in the context of security incident management?
- The hierarchy of security officers on a site
- The documented record tracking who has handled evidence and when (Correct answer)
- The communication chain used during emergencies
- The list of keys held by each officer
Correct answer: The documented record tracking who has handled evidence and when
Chain of custody documents the sequence of individuals who have handled a piece of evidence, ensuring its integrity and admissibility in legal proceedings.
Question 3: When should a security officer contact police during an incident?
- Only after receiving written permission from the client
- Whenever a situation involves criminal activity, a threat to life, or is beyond the officer's control (Correct answer)
- Only if the client requests it
- After completing all incident paperwork first
Correct answer: Whenever a situation involves criminal activity, a threat to life, or is beyond the officer's control
Security officers must contact police when criminal activity is occurring or suspected, when there is a threat to life, or when a situation escalates beyond their capacity to manage safely.
Question 4: What is the correct procedure when a security officer finds lost property during a patrol?
- Retain it for safekeeping at home until claimed
- Hand it to police immediately regardless of its value
- Secure it, document the find with details, and hand it to a supervisor or designated lost property area (Correct answer)
- Leave it where it was found and note the location
Correct answer: Secure it, document the find with details, and hand it to a supervisor or designated lost property area
Found property must be secured, described and documented with the time and location of discovery, and handed to a supervisor or designated area in line with site procedures.
Question 5: What information should be recorded when a security officer detains a person for suspected shoplifting?
- Only the person's name and address
- Time, location, reason for detention, person's details, witness details, and actions taken (Correct answer)
- A brief verbal description given by radio to the supervisor
- The retail value of the goods allegedly stolen
Correct answer: Time, location, reason for detention, person's details, witness details, and actions taken
A thorough record of a detention must capture time, location, grounds for detention, personal details of the suspect, witness information, and all actions taken by the officer.
Question 6: Which of the following BEST describes a perimeter patrol?
- Patrolling only inside a building's corridors
- Systematically checking the outer boundary of a site for breaches or vulnerabilities (Correct answer)
- Monitoring CCTV cameras from a control room
- Patrolling a fixed checkpoint at the entrance
Correct answer: Systematically checking the outer boundary of a site for breaches or vulnerabilities
A perimeter patrol involves systematically walking or driving around the outer boundary of a site to detect breaches, damage, unauthorised entry points, or other security vulnerabilities.
Question 7: A security officer notices a door that should be locked is found open during a patrol. What is the correct course of action?
- Lock it immediately without recording the incident
- Document the finding, secure the door if authorised, and report it to the supervisor (Correct answer)
- Leave it open in case emergency access is needed
- Assume staff left it open and take no further action
Correct answer: Document the finding, secure the door if authorised, and report it to the supervisor
Any security anomaly must be documented with time and location, rectified if the officer is authorised to do so, and reported to the supervisor so it can be investigated and prevented from recurring.
Security Licence NSW Patrol and Incident Management 2
A security officer discovers a fire during a routine patrol.
After activating the alarm, what is the next correct step?