Armored Guard is my new career

Fongolio

As some of you already know my old career as an outdoor vinyl decking installer was ended last year due to two knee injuries. For the past two months I've been doing career exploration, aptitude testing, resume writing courses etc. One of the things I was told in one course was to ask everyone I know if they know of work available. While talking to a good friend of mine about him playing ball on my softball team this spring I asked him if he knew of any work. He is the part owner and production manager of an Armored Car service very similar to Brinks. He tells me that yes he's looking for armored guards right now and would I be interested? I did a bunch of research and talked to several of his men and after careful thought told him yes. However I would need to get certification in areas I'm not allowed to talk about on the forum and let's just say I'm a very raw rookie in such matters and needed to take a couple of safety courses and pass written and practical exams which I did yesterday. Next step is end of next week take a 4 day "Use of Force" course where I put the stuff learned on the first ones to practical use.

Anyway, this is not the path I could have predicted I'd be going in if you asked me last year but now I'm quite excited. The pay is better in Canada for this work than in the US (guys at this company average between 40 and 50K) after a probation period there is a benefits package including medical and dental. It's basically days (6:00am to 3:00pm) with very little weekend work. Because the boss is a good friend he's already said I won't miss any ball games or tournaments and I'll have a good crack at overtime and weekends IF I want. Obviously the work has a danger element but in 25 years of operating the company has had no incidents. I'm getting dangerously close to 50 years old (May) but he has a few guys older than me working already and the oldest is over 60 so I can do the work.

I think it's a great opportunity and I'm rolling with it. It's just so far away from my construction and technical (computer tech) work history it's just a little difficult wrapping my head around it still. But for a guy my age to land something other than Door Greeter Walmart in this economy is pretty good. Now if I can just get all those heist type movies out of my head.......

dkg999

Congratulations!

But now a Blondie song is running through my head.

punk-roc

congrats man.. that sounds awesome! The guys I see doing that around my town always seem interested in their job.. no one looks unhappy, just stern and vigilant haha

Jason

thesurfer

Good luck, just avoid watching that movie Heat, that one with dinero, and pacino,

zingo

Congrats and be careful; We've had local killings of armored guard personal in the past few years.

amulford

Good Deal! There's risk in everything, just minimize yours, that's all...

zingo

Holy spam'ola!

cfrizz

Congrats!

nadams

Also avoid watching "The Town"

Not a good movie anyway...

Congrats on the new job

gfong

Congrats and hopefully your not doing this in Prince George, Kelowna, Surrey, or Chilliwack! Those 4 BC cities made the highest crime rate in Canada list! 4 outta 10 from BC! Ouch!
Stay safe and alert!

kawizx9r

Congrats!

The only PITA is finding something close-by where you can get certified in your training IE handgun, baton, pepper spray, guard card, etc.

My sister and I did it (she doesn't have a gun permit but she's done the rest) and it's very easy. Wish I got certified for use with a taser. Anyway, best of luck to you!

TECHNOKID

Glad you found an alternative career Fongolio :cool:

I wish you the best of luck and happyness in your new career!

Sherardp

Congrats and don't watch Dead Presidents. Keep the Glock lock and loaded. If they don't issue you one, buy one and ask to carry it. Glock 21 with 25 rd extended clip would be "killer". Stay safe and again congrats bro.

Fongolio

gfong wrote: »

Congrats and hopefully your not doing this in Prince George, Kelowna, Surrey, or Chilliwack! Those 4 BC cities made the highest crime rate in Canada list! 4 outta 10 from BC! Ouch!
Stay safe and alert!

The company is based in Vernon which is about 30 miles north of Kelowna and some of the runs are there. Prince George, Surrey and Chilliwack I can see for high crime rate but Kelowna has to be a statistical anomaly. I've lived in the area for over 30 years and it's much much safer than any other major center in British Columbia.

As for staying safe and alert, 20 years ago I worked for about 5 years as a high steel Ironworker where staying alert and safe was critical. Highest steel I ever free walked (no fall restraint device) was about 200 feet up. Lots of adrenaline in that job. I was (am) a journeyman but I gave it up because too much depended on other people having it together and many of those guys would party like animals and come to work all hung over and my life sometimes depended on them being alert and using good judgment. It was fun and good money for a while but not my thing in the end

AudioGenics

best of luck !

upgrade those armor trucks with some High Fidelity tunes

cnh

Don't worry about it. 50 isn't that old these days. Look at George Foreman's career--he can still knock down most youngsters--just has to get them to stand still first. lol

Congrats! Sounds like a great opportunity!

cnh

blueboxer

A five second taser ride is good times, no... not really... it sucked.

potee

It's great to get a good job in this economy. congrats

PoTee

joeparaski

I worked as a guard for Brinks many years ago when I was in my 20's. Great pay back then. Keep in mind that your biggest danger is yourself. The problem is that the job becomes routine. It goes something like this....you start off as being a "super alert" and aware guard....the years go by, and you become "complacent"....then something may happen that will "wake you up"....and then you become "super alert" again.


In may case, after several years on the job, we were heading to our next customer (a bank) when the messenger realized he had forgotten to get a signature at the previous customer. We turned the truck around, got the signature and continued on our route. As the guard, I got out and went to check the bank, I was holding the shotgun in one hand and was casually going to walk into the back when at that very moment a bank employee locked the door. What happened was that the bank had just been robbed several minutes ago!

Had we not gone back for that signature, I would have casually walked into that bank holding a shotgun with one hand and the armed bandits would have gunned me down in an instant.

Needless to say I changed my procedures and became "super guard" from that moment on. I have several stories where my alertness saved my **** as I became very good at spotting would-be attackers.

This was in Montreal, where at that time the popular thing with criminals was to drive up and shoot the guards when the money was in transit, grab the loot and go!

Here's another quick story....on a Wednesday we were picking the deposit from a liquor store when I spotted a suspect in the mall corridor. I half-pulled my gun out of the holster, made eye contact with the creep, and motioned for him to make his move...he didn't. But the next day he shot and killed the messenger (that's the guy that signs for the package) and the guard on that run lost complete control of his emotions and pretty much emptied his gun on the wall and ceiling of the mall and went running out screaming. I wish I had been on that run, and maybe Ray would still be alive.

Anyway, just be careful, stay alert, LOOK alert, move your head around as if you can see everything and the crooks will think twice about messing with you.

Joe

cokewithvanilla

Sherardp wrote: »

Congrats and don't watch Dead Presidents. Keep the Glock lock and loaded. If they don't issue you one, buy one and ask to carry it. Glock 21 with 25 rd extended clip would be "killer". Stay safe and again congrats bro.

I had one of those. the extended mag is much too much. Imagine sitting down in a car with that on your hip.... I don't think it's possible.

Fongolio

joeparaski wrote: »

I worked as a guard for Brinks many years ago when I was in my 20's. Great pay back then. Keep in mind that your biggest danger is yourself. The problem is that the job becomes routine. It goes something like this....you start off as being a "super alert" and aware guard....the years go by, and you become "complacent"....then something may happen that will "wake you up"....and then you become "super alert" again.


In may case, after several years on the job, we were heading to our next customer (a bank) when the messenger realized he had forgotten to get a signature at the previous customer. We turned the truck around, got the signature and continued on our route. As the guard, I got out and went to check the bank, I was holding the shotgun in one hand and was casually going to walk into the back when at that very moment a bank employee locked the door. What happened was that the bank had just been robbed several minutes ago!

Had we not gone back for that signature, I would have casually walked into that bank holding a shotgun with one hand and the armed bandits would have gunned me down in an instant.

Needless to say I changed my procedures and became "super guard" from that moment on. I have several stories where my alertness saved my **** as I became very good at spotting would-be attackers.

This was in Montreal, where at that time the popular thing with criminals was to drive up and shoot the guards when the money was in transit, grab the loot and go!

Here's another quick story....on a Wednesday we were picking the deposit from a liquor store when I spotted a suspect in the mall corridor. I half-pulled my gun out of the holster, made eye contact with the creep, and motioned for him to make his move...he didn't. But the next day he shot and killed the messenger (that's the guy that signs for the package) and the guard on that run lost complete control of his emotions and pretty much emptied his gun on the wall and ceiling of the mall and went running out screaming. I wish I had been on that run, and maybe Ray would still be alive.

Anyway, just be careful, stay alert, LOOK alert, move your head around as if you can see everything and the crooks will think twice about messing with you.

Joe

Thanks for sharing that Joe. I really do need to hear stuff like this because it's a reality of the job I'm getting into and does snap me to attention. Just because this company has a 100% safety record doesn't mean that crazy things can't happen when you least expect it. I am grateful that I'll be working in a relatively "safe" region but even here in small town British Columbia we have organized "gang" crime including HA's but shootings of any kind are rare, although bank robbery attempts are becoming too common. It's usually dope feinds and rarely organized. None the less a person has to be vigilant. I'm a big guy for my height and am told with my long hair and goatee I look somewhat intimidating and "biker" like. The boss says I can keep the long hair but it has to be in a pony (which it always is anyway) and be neat. No "Animal does security" look. In that job I don't mind looking a little scary and intimidating but if it seems like the thing to do I'll cut the hair. Anyway thanks for the head's up reality

Kelvin

snow

joeparaski wrote: »

Anyway, just be careful, stay alert, LOOK alert, move your head around as if you can see everything and the crooks will think twice about messing with you.

Joe

Great advice the key to staying alive is to always be aware of your surroundings, it doesnt matter if it's in a war zone or at a prison setting or working in a tough nightclub or in a job that attracts trouble usally you can see spot trouble and either avoid it "best choice" or stop things before they get deadly.

REGARDS SNOW

ben62670

You'll be fine Bro. I did bridge and other industrial work. Trust me you are much safer being a guard.
Congrats

engtaz

Congrats

Fongolio

Thanks everyone for your good wishes, tips and advice. It's really appreciated.

Kelvin

George Grand

Good for you man.

Fongolio

Well day two of the Use of Force Amoured Car Guard training. I'm becoming comfortable with the "tools" of the trade but am a little disappointed with my accuracy. They say this will come with a few more days. I'm a complete rookie at this sort of thing and I'm sure it shows somewhat. There is another guy in the course with similar non-experience so I'm not alone. We did some physical training today as well where we had to first run to the end of the range comeback and from crouch position apply the "tools" repeatedly. I'm feeling some of those cheezecakes and pizza's after doing 6 of those. Why can't we just get skinnyer as we age instead of fatter? Must admit it is kind of fun though. But these guys are very big on safety which is perfect for me. They do inject humor into it now and then just to keep it from being to heavy. Anyway, more of the same tomorrow except they ramp it up a notch or two. Now off to bed to get a good rest for tomorrow.

joeparaski

Good for you! We didn't do any of that kind of training at Brinks back then...I guess things have changed quite a bit.

Joe

obieone

Congrat's. I'd recommend an XDM 3.8, or their compact.
As far accuracy goes, that will take some practice, and learning the right stance, grip, sight picture, breathing etc.
You may not like this 'tool' but your life may depend on it, so respect it, and learn how to use it effectively.

kevinpoe

I hope you won't have to deal with robbers.

janmike

Best of luck in the new career Kelvin. Congrats and be safe.