BSIS Firearms Training Manual - October 2001 Edition

 Firearm Training Manual  91

In the event anyone is injured during or as a result of a shooting incident, you as a guard on duty, is expected to contact emergency medical personnel and local law enforcement immediately. What emergency medical assistance you provide to the injured person(s), if any, is dependent upon what directions and training you have received from your employer.

Since you may be carrying and using a firearm on the job, you are responsible to be prepared to act appropriately before, during and after a shooting. This includes being familiar with the emergency policies and procedures that your employer expects you to follow. If you have any questions, discuss the matter with your supervisor.

The Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS) receives a wide variety of questions from and about peace officers. Below are some of the most commonly asked questions and answers. The questions are grouped by category, such as active duty peace officers and firearms.

Please keep in mind that different laws apply to different situations. For example, The Private Investigators Act covers private investigators (PI's), while the Private Security Services Act covers private patrol operators and security guards. Both these Acts are included in the Business and Professions Code (B&P Code).

This is further complicated by the fact that active duty peace officers, as defined in the Penal Code, have some limited exemptions in the B&P Code that civilians and retired peace officers do NOT have. For example, a security guard must possess a BSIS-issued baton permit and work in a security guard uniform to carry a baton while on duty. However, active duty peace officers are exempt from this requirement as explained in the Q&A below.

ACTIVE DUTY PEACE OFFICERS EMPLOYED OFF-DUTY AS SECURITY GUARDS (BODYGUARD), OR PROVIDING CONTRACT SECURITY GUARD (BODYGUARD) OR CONTRACT PI SERVICES AND CARRYING A FIREARM OR A BATON

Q1: Is an active duty peace officer working off-duty as a bodyguard in civilian clothes with a concealed firearm required to possess a BSIS-issued exposed firearm permit and guard card?

A: Yes. An active duty peace officer must possess a BSIS-issued exposed firearm permit and guard card to work in civilian clothes as a bodyguard in an armed capacity.

Q2: What BSIS license and permit must an active duty peace officer possess to provide armed bodyguard services for VIPs or celebrities?

A: A BSIS-issued Private Patrol Operators (PPO) license and an exposed firearm permit is