Writing an incident report in the security industry
Tweet
Working in the security industry comes with a lot of responsibility. One of the responsibilities you will come across when working as a security guard or police officer is writing an incident report.
What is an incident report?
An incident report is a detailed write up and accurate report of an event. Your employer should provide you with guidelines on when you will need to complete an incident report. A good report gives a thorough account of what happened without leaving out any important information.
Each workplace or employer has a different protocol in place when it comes to dealing with and filing an incident report.
When do I start writing the report?
Incident reports are normally filled out in the first place because a significant event took place that needs to be recorded. It is important you start writing the incident report as soon as possible. Waiting a day or two later can create fuzzy memories and you do not want to doubt yourself on specific facts (for example: the colour of someone’s hair).
If you cannot write it instantly, write down key facts to ensure you remember them correctly. The more information you have the better.
How important is the information I provide in an incident report?
It is extremely important to provide accurate and honest information in an incident report; especially in the security industry. Providing misleading or wrong information can affect your reputation and future employment options. A few things you will definitely need to include are:
- The time of incident
- Date
- Specific location
- Your name
- ID number (if applicable)
- Witness names
As well as any other information you see relevant. The more facts you can accurately provide the better.
Also describe things like:
- Why you were there
- How you got there
- Anything suspicious you noticed
- Your name
- ID number (if applicable)
- Your objective
When describing what happened in an incident report you need to be thorough and write everything you remember. Be as accurate as possible and do not include things you think ‘might’ have happened. Use clear writing to ensure anyone reading the report will understand what happened.
The most important part of writing any incident report is to be honest; being trustworthy is integral in this industry.
Written by Shenoa Gittins
Shenoa is the Operations Manager and co-owner of RAM Training Services.
You can connect with Shenoa Gittins via Google+ and Facebook.
RAM Training Blog Feed