I had to give Dan's buddy in Georgia, Mike Blinsk, a call to answer this one.
Unarmed Security Guard Requirements For Louisiana
Security Guard & Officer Legal Requirements In Louisiana
Here on SecurityGuardTraining.io we want to provide you with all of the information you need to successfully become an Unarmed security guard in the state of Louisiana!
You're standing in the dark on a hot, steamy night.
The sun has gone down over the horizon and the sounds of the bayou are wafting through the humid air.
You peer into the darkness wondering whether or not the twigs are snapping beneath the claws of a gator or the boots of a thief.
Reaching for your flashlight, you scan the darkness but see nothing in the thick underbrush.
Your heart races as you wonder what is hiding behind the trees and whether or not it intends to charge you as you let your guard down and return to the guard shack.
Sounds exciting, right?
It's the stuff of Hollywood movies and vampire legends, but the reality is that being a security guard in Louisiana is considerably less frightening. In fact, the greatest threat you're likely to ever face will be a wayward reveler on a drunken journey through Mardi Gras, a wild dog or pig emerging through the parking lot, or an unarmed burglar seeking to gain entry to a store or warehouse that you're protecting.
There are plenty of options for security professionals in Louisiana. With a bustling port and transportation network New Orleans, Laplace, and Reserve are great places to work if you have sea salt coursing through your blood. The ships that pass in and out of these busy ports every day carry cargo all over the world and the ports are always looking for highly trained security guards to keep the commerce flowing.
With over 4,000 ocean going ships and nearly 55,000 barges passing through the area every year, there's plenty of shipping to protect at the mouth of the Mississippi and some of busiest ports in the world.
In addition to working for the ports themselves, several companies have set up operations within the port system. These include companies such as Archer Daniels Midland and Occidental Chemical. Both have highly sensitive operations that require a high-degree of training to protect. If you want to be the best of the best, these are great places to get the on-the-job training you need to reach that goal.
If working in the port doesn't pique your interests, you can always find a position working for some of the state’s largest healthcare facilities. The Louisiana State University Health Center in New Orleans, Willis Knighton Medical Center in Shreveport, and Ochsner Hospital in Jefferson are great places to work and with thousands of employees and patients in each location, there's considerable need for security professionals to keep everyone safe.
Maybe you prefer an academic setting and consider Animal House to be one of the best movies ever made. If you have fond memories of your glory days, you'll love reliving them from a different perspective as you put on a uniform and go to work at Tulane or the University of New Orleans. Both schools are top notch institutions and there is no greater reward in life than helping to keep the bright and budding minds of their student population safe and sound.
Minimum Requirements
Must be at least 18 years old
Training Curriculum
Fees Schedule
$40.00
Due when application is submitted
$55.25
Wherever you work, be aware that Louisiana is hot in the summer months. On a scale between Hades and burning lava, it ranks in the neighborhood of blast furnace. You can definitely leave your winter parka at home because the summer temperatures easily reach into the 90's and it feels much hotter with the high humidity the region is known for. Fortunately, it cools down in the fall and winter when temperatures are in the 60's and 70's. Even during these cooler seasons, the nightly temperatures rarely drop into the mid-40’s and typically hover between 50 and 60.
Another thing to consider is the rain. Louisiana is a coastal climate and the state receives between 5 to 6 inches per month on average. This cools things down, but it also makes it more difficult to move across terrain and it can make it nearly impossible to see things at a distance on a darkened night. As such, if you want to be a top-quality security guard your employer can rely upon, then you will need to use your senses of sight, hearing, and intuition to be effective. And, remember. Not everything that goes bump in the night is a bad guy. In Louisiana, that bump just might be one of the state's "tiny" mosquitoes trying to get into your shack to have a drink with you...or rather, from you.
Of course, all work and no play is no way to spend the day. There is plenty to do when you are off duty, and that is why Louisiana is such a popular location. Everyone knows about Mardi Gras and it is still one of the biggest parties on earth.
If you are a sports fan, you will love watching the Saints, the Pelicans, and the dozens of other professional and semi-professional teams in the state.
However, the biggest draw to the state is naturally the water. The Gulf is right there, and there are plenty of places where you can do a little fishing, throw some skis behind the boat, or simply go for a midnight cruise on the bayou with your friends and a bucket of beer.
Whatever your choice, you will find plenty of ways to fill up your free time with fun activities to enjoy.
Finally, what about the worst case scenario?
Being on the coast and with much of the state below water level, some of the first images that come to mind about working as a security guard in Louisiana stem from the flooding that occurred in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Indeed, that was one of the worst disasters to ever strike the state. When it struck, looting and violent crime skyrocketed in the immediate aftermath. It was a dangerous time to be in New Orleans and many other communities. It was also a time when the private security professionals proved their true value as they helped protect businesses, hospitals, and transportation points.
Working closely with police, security professionals stood tall and strong against the rising tide of crime before National Guard troops were able to arrive and assist them. It wasn't quite The Alamo, but it was pretty darn close and security companies throughout the state were working overtime and doing double duty trying to keep the public safe while protecting their employer's property. Since those dark days, businesses have planned for and contracted security professionals to protect their businesses against a possible repeat. This makes working as a security guard in the state a stable profession that will continue to see high demand long into the future.
