Fort McMurray - Alberta Labour Market Information

Security officers work inside and outside in all kinds of weather conditions. While some of the time may be spent sitting at a work station monitoring electronic security systems, expect to stand for long periods of time, sometimes outside.

Are you honest and law-abiding? Do you have long-term job histories? Do you presently live in Fort McMurray? If you answered yes to these questions, you are what local security companies are looking for in an employee. And there are many opportunities in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (Fort McMurray).

Arch Fisher, vice president at Paladin Security, a full-service security company with a division in Fort McMurray, says that if an applicant’s resumé has long-term employment and no large gaps in their work history (without a good reason), they will be more desirable.

Previous experience will help secure a job but is not always needed. Local companies will take someone with no experience if they’re the right kind person. What is the “right kind of person”? Someone who has worked for the same employer for a long period of time is desirable because it shows they are dedicated.

Employers in Fort McMurray also look for people who currently are residents of Fort McMurray. If they are already living here and have family close by, they are more likely to stay longer.

Besides having no criminal record, applicants must have a clean driving record, pass the drug test and be able to work shifts. High school graduates are preferred, but employers will generally accept applicants with only some high school. Employees must also own steel-toed boots to work as a security guard (some companies will supply them free-of-charge).

“We look for people with good English communication skills, both spoken and written,” says Goldie Wheaton, operations manager with Garda Security in Fort McMurray. A good understanding of English and the ability to communicate fluently is expected for all security positions and other positions where safety is an issue. Employees need to be able to communicate effectively in an emergency.

After being hired, employees must then get safety training, so it is a benefit if an applicant already has it. Depending on where a guard will be working, the safety training needed may include CSTS, OSSA, First Aid and CPR and WHMIS. They may also be required to take Basic Officer Security Training and any site-specific orientation a client may require. Some locations also require their security guards to have their Class 4 driver’s licence, which allows them to drive an ambulance.

What gets someone completely disqualified from a job in security services is failing the security checks that are in place, such as checking for offenses under the Child Protection Act and a criminal record check.

“If you have any history (of problems with the law), it will raise a flag,” says Fisher. “Maybe it was a domestic incident and you weren’t actually charged. As far as we’re concerned, that disqualifies you. We do look at it on a case-by-case basis, but we’re not in a position to cut a person a little slack. It’s the client we’re exposing, never mind our organization. We’re not going to put the client in that position.”

The client, in this case, means the company that has the property that needs to be secured. Clients could include hotels, healthcare facilities, oil sands companies (both for the site and the camp facilities), industrial businesses, or malls.

Security can be a stressful job. If you’re working on-site, a person is generally doing access control, which means guarding points of entry and exit and allowing or denying people and products access to the property.

“If you’re working at the access point, there could be 400 vehicles lined up to get into the site and 400 lined up to get out and there’s so much pressure to get those vehicles moving,” says Fisher with Paladin. “You’re holding up supplies and contractors coming in, but you can’t let an unauthorized person in, or let someone out taking something they shouldn’t have. And you could be doing all this in -30C.”

Salaries vary in Wood Buffalo for security guards with wages starting at about $18 to $23 per hour. Supervisors make about $27 to $30 per hour. Employers have different pay-increase schedules, but most salaries are somewhat reflective of site-specific contracts. That is, staff wages depend on what a client pays the security company for services, which is dependent on a number of things, such as working conditions or guard experience levels.

Where an employee will end up—on-site or in-town—is generally where staff is needed, although Wheaton with Garda says they will work with staff to make the best fit.

“We try to work with staff on their schedules and where they want to work,” says Wheaton with Garda. “We find that by asking staff what their needs are and by trying to work with them, we have a better relationship. I’d rather they come to me with a problem than not tell me and just leave.”

Most security companies operating in Fort McMurray accept resumés in the traditional manners—in person, by fax or by email. See the sidebar (left) for security resources and job links.

The information in this issue of Labour Market News was current as of the date shown. Employment outlook, salaries and educational programs may change. Please verify the information with additional sources before making career or business investment decisions. Contact us for more information.