Guard Shack Enclosures that make Your Business Effective

Types of Guard Shack Enclosures to make Your Business Effective

You’re wondering about guard shack enclosures because you have a facility that needs a security guard, or perhaps have a company that offers guarding services and you want to upgrade and offer better, more professional services. Well, you are on the right track because shack enclosures don’t just add a professional look to your guarding efforts, but they actually allow your guards to be more efficient.

Imagine this: A would-be vandal is bored and out to have some fun in the local industrial park. He walks around, looking for somewhere to throw a rock and smash a window, or just cause trouble. What is going to deter him more: A security guard who just parked his car in a back corner of the parking lot to eat his lunch, or a well-lit booth, clearly marked “security”, with detectable motion inside?

An actual security booth can offer much more than shelter from the rain for your guards: the guardshack actually becomes part of your security system.

The Value of Guard Shack Enclosures

When you first think about giving your guards an enclosure of some sort to use, you might think that it doesn’t matter what kind of security guard shed they have, as long as it puts a roof over their head and keeps them out of the rain or other inclement weather. But the fact is that there is a lot more to a guard shack than simply acting as a big umbrella.

• A guard booth is an advertisement, alerting potential rabble-rousers to the presence of a security force.
• A booth is a station on which to place motion lights, cameras, and other security technology.
• A guard booth is a home base; a place for guards to meet up, coordinate activities, and communicate with leadership.
• A booth is a storage unit that gives guards a place to store their equipment and technology, and that allows them to monitor cameras, communications, and more.
• Finally, a booth keeps your guards out of weather while still allowing them to effectively watch the grounds.

Securing the perimeter of your building and property is important. As such, a guard booth is essential. Why? Because it serves as a mobile office for security, helping your team be the most effective they can be.
But can’t you just stick them in their car? Or some other existing enclosure instead of buying or building a guard booth? Sure you can. But remember that for any employee, their work space is going to impact the quality of their work. Let’s consider some guardshack enclosures you may want to consider for housing a security guard.

Different Type of Guard Shack Enclosures

There are many different buildings that people use as guard enclosures, with some working better than others.

Following is a list of some of the most common circumstances guards find themselves in:

• No enclosure
  Some people opt to skip the enclosure altogether and just let their guard continuously walk the grounds. Sure, this keeps your guard mobile, and can help them perform rounds and stay on the go. But there are a number of disadvantages to simply having a guard walking the premises, including:
  • • There is no home base from which to work, which can leave a guard unfocused, and undirected, and also make them hard to find if you need them.
    • The guard has nowhere to go for protection during inclement weather.
    • If the guard needs a break to sit down, you have no idea where they are because there is no formal rest zone.
    • There is nowhere to store equipment besides for the guard’s pocket or belt.

  There is limited communication and monitoring ability since the guard doesn’t have access to all video screens and communication systems at any given moment.

• A car
  We have all seen security guards at shopping malls, movie theaters, and other facilities just sitting in their car. There are some benefits to this. The guard is somewhat mobile. The guard isn’t going to follow someone over a fence or through a skinny space between buildings, but he or she can drive in circles around the building, checking all entrances and keeping an eye on things. A car can also be comfortable, for a time; your guards can lay the seat back and take a nap. Actually… that sounds like a problem waiting to happen, so we’ll consider that part of the disadvantages list below:
  • • It is easy for a troublemaker to hide from a guard in a car. These guards drive their cars slowly around the grounds, giving someone with bad intentions ample time to hide until they pass by.
    • The guards view is limited when inside a car, making it difficult to see 360 degrees around himself.
    • It takes time to unbuckle and exit the car if the guard needs to check something out in a hurry.
    • Many employees don’t like using their own car as it generally means excess miles, gas, and maintenance, and it is possible that their insurance company will not cover damage incurred to a vehicle that is used on the job.

  

  Want to know what some security guards think about using their own car for patrol? Check out this blog. Spoiler alert: most of them don’t like it.

  • A hollowed out port-a-potty
    If this sounds disgusting to you, then good for you – you care about your employees. But believe it or not, some guard companies do this. They buy an old portable toilet, clear out the toilet part, and turn it into a tiny guard booth. Sure, it keeps the rain off, but there are many disadvantages, including:
    • • It’s gross. If this was previously used, you are never going to get the smell out.
      • It’s tiny. Even if you bought a new, unused one, there is barely enough room to stand up and turnaround.
      • Yes, you can cut into the hard plastic sides and add windows, but that isn’t enough.
      • It’s not very durable. A strong wind can blow one over if you don’t anchor it to the ground.

    

    Don’t hate your employees. They deserve better than this. On the other hand, there are some portable restroom trailers that are larger and nicer than the standard portable toilet, which could work as a guard shack. But why force your employees to work from a bathroom, when they can have an official, well stocked professional guard shack for less money? What are some other secure enclosure options you can consider?

  • Inside a main building
    One perfectly valid choice is to have your guards just sit inside the main building they are guarding. It’s easy. It’s there. And in some cases, it’s a perfectly fine option. Many museums have guards that slowly roam the building; it’s a particularly good choice if you are worried that employees could cause trouble or that some patrons may have hung around after closing. But there are disadvantages as well:

    

    • A guard on the inside cannot see the outside. When a building has a lot of entrances, the inside guard may not see someone on the outside attempting a break-in or vandalizing.
    • If an armed team invades a bank while a single security guard is sitting inside the office, that guard might be trapped inside the building with dangerous, highly motivated, criminals. Whether the guard is armed or not, this could lead to a very serious situation where the guard’s life is in danger.
    • In a full size building the guard can easily get distracted, find a comfortable place to just kick back and take a nap.
  • An all-purpose shed
    Another option many companies opt for is to simply buy an all-purpose storage shed and use it as a guard shack. Home stores like Lowes and Home Depot sell many inexpensive sheds and shed kits. These sheds come in all different sizes, many have windows, and you can often get them delivered quickly. But remember that you get what you pay for, and there are some disadvantages here:

    

    • Some of these sheds are plastic or aluminum. A Home Depot guard shack offers no insulation from hot or cold weather, and would be easy for a criminal to kick over, shoot through, or simply break the door down. If you decide to go the route of a shed, consider buying a well built and strong wood shed. However, please keep in mind that this is a far cry from weather guard sheds that are designed for the specific purpose of comfortably and securely housing your security personnel.
    • You usually have to build these kits yourself, so clear your weekend and break out the tools!
    • You will have to add all accessories yourself, including shelves, cabinets, countertops, lighting, electrical boxes, computer monitors, etc.
  • A prefabricated, official guard booth
    Hands down, the best option for giving your security guards a home base to work from is a formal guard booth – a unit that was built specifically with security guards in mind. When it comes to disadvantages, there are not really any, except that it will cost more than having nothing, and perhaps more than a portable toilet. But security booths are very affordable, they add professionalism to a security team, and serve as a deterrent to troublemakers. Other advantages include:
    • • They are built according to custom specifications, and are built to last for many, many years.
      • They can come equipped with whatever add on features you need, including color, signage, electrical spotlights and more!
      • They can be delivered quickly, pretty much anywhere.
      • They provide your guards with a home base so that they can store their equipment, monitor security cameras and communications equipment, be relatively comfortable (but not so comfortable that they sleep on the job), and help them do the best job possible.

    

  Learn More

  When it comes to guard shack enclosures, you need to choose what works best for your company. Consider the premises that need guarding, how many guards you have, their experience and comfort level, as well as your own finances, and make the best decision that you can for your business.

  

  A prefab guard booth – a booth designed for guards — is built specifically with security guards in mind. And, it’s probably not as expensive as you think it is.

  Guardian Booth offers a number of different models, varying in size, shape, materials, and accessories, and we probably have one to fit your budget. We have various finishing options, from basic colors to custom wraps and wooden guard shack shingles. We also allow flexible purchase financing and rental options, to make it even easier to get the guard booth you need. Learn more about Guardian Booth’s options today.