After two decades in law enforcement and seven years building Solaren Risk Management’s training programs, I’ve learned that the security industry’s future depends on how we prepare today’s officers. Here’s why comprehensive training matters more than ever and how we’re developing the next generation of security professionals.

Security training in America has reached a critical crossroads. State minimums vary widely, many companies prioritize speed over quality, and the industry faces unprecedented staffing challenges. Proper training isn’t just about meeting legal requirements — it’s about building professional competence that protects lives, property, and the industry’s reputation.

My experience transitioning from Davidson County Sheriff’s Office deputy to CEO of one of Tennessee’s fastest-growing security companies has demonstrated that training excellence creates competitive advantage. Companies that invest in comprehensive education attract better candidates, retain employees longer, and deliver superior client service.

At Solaren, we’ve built training programs that go far beyond state requirements (https://www.solarenrm.com/training/). Our approach combines law enforcement expertise with private sector innovation to create security professionals who can handle any situation with confidence and competence.

What’s Wrong with Current Security Training Standards?

Most states require minimal training for security officers — often just four to eight hours of basic instruction. This approach treats security work like an entry-level job requiring no specialized knowledge or skills. The results are predictable: high turnover, poor performance, and client dissatisfaction.

Tennessee requires four hours of general training that covers basic legal issues, use of force guidelines, and fundamental security principles (https://www.tn.gov/commerce/regboards/psb/). While this meets legal requirements, it doesn’t prepare officers for the complex situations they’ll encounter in the field.

Real security work demands much more than basic awareness. Officers must understand criminal law, emergency procedures, report writing, communication protocols, client relations, and industry-specific requirements. Four hours of training cannot possibly cover these essential competencies adequately.

The industry’s staffing crisis makes inadequate training even more problematic. As Bethany Gill, our Chief of Operations, notes: “A lot of people are just, security is not the most appealing industry anymore. It’s hard to find people who genuinely are just passionate about this kind of industry.”

When training programs fail to develop professional competence and pride, security work becomes viewed as temporary employment rather than career opportunity. This perception creates a cycle where poor training leads to high turnover, which perpetuates the staffing crisis.

How Should Security Training Programs Be Structured?

Effective security training requires systematic progression from basic concepts to advanced applications. Students need foundational knowledge before they can master complex skills like emergency response or specialized client requirements.

Our training programs follow a structured curriculum that builds competency systematically:

Phase 1: Legal and Ethical Foundations

• Constitutional law and individual rights
• Criminal law basics and citizen’s arrest authority
• Use of force continuum and legal limitations
• Professional ethics and conduct standards

Phase 2: Core Security Skills

• Report writing and documentation requirements
• Communication protocols and radio procedures
• Emergency response and first aid basics
• Observation techniques and situational awareness

Phase 3: Specialized Applications

• Client-specific procedures and expectations
• Industry-specific regulations and requirements
• Advanced emergency response techniques
• Leadership and supervision fundamentals

Each phase includes both classroom instruction and practical exercises. Students must demonstrate competency at each level before advancing to more complex material.

What Role Do Experienced Instructors Play?

Instructor quality determines training effectiveness more than any other factor. Security training requires instructors who combine current field experience with teaching ability. Academic credentials alone don’t qualify someone to prepare officers for real-world challenges.

Our training coordinator, Darrell Webb, exemplifies the instructor profile we seek. As Bethany Gill explains: “We have our training coordinator, Darrell Webb, he’s phenomenal. He’s active law enforcement and he knows his stuff for sure. He does a lot of the training through the law enforcement agency, the department that he works in.”

Active law enforcement experience provides several crucial advantages:

• Current Knowledge: Active officers understand recent legal changes, emerging threats, and evolving best practices that retired officers might not know.
• Practical Examples: Current experience provides realistic scenarios and case studies that help students understand how principles apply in actual situations.
• Credibility: Students respect instructors who currently perform similar work and can speak from recent experience rather than outdated examples.
• Professional Networks: Active officers can connect students with career opportunities and provide ongoing mentorship beyond formal training.

We supplement law enforcement instructors with industry specialists who understand client expectations, business operations, and private sector requirements. This combination ensures students receive both technical competence and business acumen.

How Do You Teach Skills That Save Lives?

Security officers often serve as first responders before police, fire, or medical personnel arrive. Training programs must prepare officers to handle medical emergencies, natural disasters, and life-threatening situations with competence and confidence.

Our Tactical Emergency Casualty Care (TECC) program represents advanced medical training that goes far beyond basic first aid. Students learn tourniquet application, wound care, CPR, and emergency medical procedures that can prevent deaths during critical incidents.

The program’s value was demonstrated recently when one of our officers used TECC skills to save someone’s life outside a Nashville venue. As Bethany Gill recalls: “One of our guards, a guy ran up to him while he was working at one of the bars; he was on the street doing ID checks. A guy ran up to him, he had been stabbed in the arm. And this officer that we had applied a tourniquet, not everybody knows how to apply a tourniquet. So, the fact that he had that know-how, and he was trained in that capacity, and he actually used that knowledge in the field to help save a life.”

That officer didn’t hesitate because training had created muscle memory and confidence under pressure. Medical emergencies don’t wait for perfect conditions — officers must be prepared to act immediately with whatever resources are available.

We also provide specialized training for different emergency scenarios:

• Active shooter response and evacuation procedures
• Natural disaster response and crowd management
• Chemical spill containment and hazmat awareness
• Fire emergency protocols and building evacuation
• Medical emergency recognition and response

Each program includes hands-on practice with realistic scenarios. Students must demonstrate practical competency, not just theoretical knowledge.

What’s the Difference Between Training and Education?

Training teaches specific skills and procedures. Education develops judgment, critical thinking, and professional understanding. Security officers need both training and education to perform effectively in complex, unpredictable situations.

Training focuses on standardized responses to common situations: how to write incident reports, operate radio equipment, apply handcuffs, or conduct building searches. These skills require practice until they become automatic responses.

Education addresses the “why” behind procedures and develops decision-making abilities for unusual situations. Officers learn legal principles, ethical reasoning, communication psychology, and business operations. Educational components help officers make good decisions in situations not covered by standard procedures.

Our comprehensive approach to professional development combines both elements through varied instructional methods:

• Classroom Instruction: Legal principles, ethical reasoning, and theoretical frameworks
• Practical Exercises: Hands-on skills practice with immediate feedback
• Case Studies: Analysis of real incidents and decision-making processes
• Role Playing: Communication skills and conflict resolution techniques
• Field Training: Supervised experience with experienced officers

This combination produces officers who can both follow procedures correctly and adapt to unexpected situations using sound judgment.

How Do You Address Industry-Specific Training Needs?

Different security environments require specialized knowledge and skills. Officers working at schools need different competencies than those protecting corporate facilities, entertainment venues, or residential properties.

School security officers must understand child psychology, educational law, emergency evacuation procedures, and specialized threat assessment. They work with vulnerable populations and must balance security needs with educational missions.

Healthcare facility security requires HIPAA compliance, medical emergency response, patient rights awareness, and mental health crisis intervention. Officers must protect sensitive information while maintaining therapeutic environments.

Entertainment venue security involves crowd management, alcohol-related incident response, noise ordinance compliance, and coordination with local law enforcement. Officers must balance safety with customer service in high-energy environments.

Each specialization requires additional training beyond basic security fundamentals. We customize training programs based on client needs and assignment requirements.

As Bethany Gill notes about our training approach: “We hold in-person courses, regularly. Anytime we hire a bunch of people for unarmed, for example, we invite them all to come out to a class and we do that state regulated four hour training session for unarmed.”

This targeted approach ensures officers receive relevant preparation for their specific assignments while maintaining overall professional standards.

What Technology Tools Enhance Security Training?

Modern training programs must incorporate technology that officers will use in the field. Students need hands-on experience with communication systems, surveillance equipment, and documentation platforms before they encounter these tools during actual assignments.

Our training includes instruction on multiple technology platforms:

• Communication Systems: Radio protocols, mobile applications, and emergency notification systems
• Surveillance Technology: Camera operation, monitoring procedures, and evidence documentation
• Documentation Platforms: Digital reporting systems, incident tracking, and client communication tools
• Emergency Systems: Alarm response, access control, and coordination with first responders

As we’ve integrated advanced security technologies into our operations, training has evolved to cover AI-powered surveillance, license plate recognition systems, and mobile command capabilities.

However, technology training must emphasize human judgment over automated systems. As Bethany Gill observes: “A lot of people think that it takes away from the physical security aspect, but it really doesn’t. If anything, it supplements it. You still have to have somebody that audits what that AI is detecting. It still makes mistakes. The human eye is going to recognize things and be able to process things better than AI ever will.”

Officers learn to use technology as a tool while maintaining critical thinking and independent judgment.

How Do You Measure Training Effectiveness?

Training programs must include objective assessment methods that verify student competency. Testing should evaluate both knowledge retention and practical application under realistic conditions.

Our assessment methods include multiple components:

Written Examinations: Legal knowledge, procedures, and theoretical understanding Practical Demonstrations: Skills performance under observation Scenario-Based Testing: Decision-making and problem-solving abilities Field Evaluations: Supervised performance in actual work environments

Students must achieve passing scores in all areas before receiving certification. Those who struggle receive additional instruction and support until they demonstrate competency.

We also track long-term outcomes to evaluate training effectiveness:

• Client satisfaction ratings for trained officers
• Incident rates and performance metrics
• Employee retention and advancement rates
• Continuing education participation

This data helps us continuously improve training programs and identify areas needing additional emphasis.

What Career Development Opportunities Should Training Provide?

Security training should prepare officers for career advancement, not just entry-level positions. Professional development pathways encourage retention and attract ambitious candidates who view security as a career rather than temporary employment.

Our training programs include leadership development components that prepare officers for supervisory roles. Students learn personnel management, operational planning, client relations, and business fundamentals.

Most of our field supervisors started as entry-level officers who demonstrated competence and leadership potential. As Bethany Gill explains: “Nine times out of 10, it comes from people who have worked for us out in the field and have really done a good job. We’ve got plenty of people that we’ve pulled in from out in the field to become field operations coordinators, people who work in the office and supervise multiple people because they’ve just proven themselves out in the field.”

Promoting from within creates career incentives while ensuring supervisors understand field operations from personal experience.

We also provide specialized training opportunities that expand career options:

• Instructor certification for teaching roles
• Investigation techniques for private detective work
• Emergency management for disaster response
• Corporate security for executive protection

These programs help officers develop expertise in specialty areas while building the professional network connections that enable career advancement.

How Should the Industry Standardize Training Requirements?

The security industry needs uniform training standards that ensure professional competency regardless of state or employer. Current variations in requirements create confusion, limit officer mobility, and undermine professional credibility.

Federal legislation should establish minimum training requirements for all security officers, similar to standards for other regulated professions. These minimums should include:

• 40 hours of basic training covering legal, ethical, and practical fundamentals
• Specialized training requirements for different security environments
• Continuing education requirements for license renewal
• Instructor certification standards for training providers

Industry associations should develop curriculum guidelines and testing standards that ensure consistency across training providers. Professional certification programs should recognize superior training and competency achievements.

My background and experience in both law enforcement and private security has shown me that professional standards elevate entire industries. When training requirements increase, the quality of practitioners improves, public perception becomes more positive, and compensation levels rise accordingly.

What Does the Future Hold for Security Training?

Security training must evolve to address emerging threats, new technologies, and changing client expectations. The next generation of security professionals will face challenges that current training programs don’t adequately address.

Cybersecurity integration will become increasingly important as physical and digital security converge. Officers will need basic understanding of network security, data protection, and digital forensics.

Building companies from startups to regional leaders requires continuous adaptation to market changes. Training programs must remain flexible and responsive to industry developments.

Mental health awareness and crisis intervention training will become essential as security officers encounter more individuals experiencing psychological distress. Officers need skills to deescalate mental health crises safely and compassionately.

Environmental emergency response training will expand as climate change increases the frequency of natural disasters. Officers must understand evacuation procedures, emergency sheltering, and coordination with disaster relief agencies.

The security industry’s future depends on our commitment to professional development today. Companies that invest in comprehensive training will attract better employees, serve clients more effectively, and help elevate the entire profession.

Training the next generation of security professionals isn’t just about meeting today’s needs — it’s about building the foundation for tomorrow’s industry leadership and professional excellence.