Our Guards: Screening and Training
Every StandBy guard holds an Ontario security guard licence, which means 40 hours of approved training, a provincial test and a criminal record check. Before a first shift we add our own interview, reference calls and police check. Before a new site, the guard walks it and signs its post orders.
From applicant to your site
- Provincial licence40 hours of training, a test and a record check
- Our screeningRegistry lookup, interview, references, police check
- Your siteSite walk and signed post orders
- Every shiftCheck-ins with 24/7 dispatch
The short version
Four layers sit between a job applicant and a guard on your property.
Licence
Individual Ontario security guard licence, checked on the public registry.
Screening
In-person interview, reference calls and our own police check.
Training
40-hour provincial course, then a site walk and post orders for each property.
Supervision
24/7 dispatch check-ins, supervisor site visits and client check-ins.
What the licence already proves
Nobody can work as a security guard in Ontario without an individual licence from the Ministry of the Solicitor General. That licence is the floor, and it is worth knowing what it covers. To get one, a person must:
- be 18 or older and legally entitled to work in Canada;
- finish basic training of at least 40 hours, which includes emergency first aid and CPR;
- pass the provincial test, which can only be booked with a training completion number;
- submit a Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check issued within the last six months, and have no convictions for the offences the regulations list.
The ministry syllabus splits those hours across twelve topics. Legal authorities gets the most time, at a suggested 7.5 hours. Emergency response, communication, report writing, sensitivity training and use of force theory are all covered too.
A licence expires two birthdays after it is issued, and guards must carry it on duty and show it when asked. So a guard who cannot produce a current licence should not be on your property, whoever sent them.
- Basic training40 hours minimum
- Syllabus12 topics
- Legal authorities7.5 hours suggested
- IncludedEmergency first aid and CPR
- Record checkIssued within 6 months
- Licence termTwo birthdays after issue
What we check before a first shift
A licence shows someone met the minimum on the day they applied. It says nothing about how they handle a resident at 2 a.m. or whether they show up on time. So every new guard goes through four steps with us before working a StandBy shift.
Licence lookup
We search the guard’s licence on Ontario’s public registry and confirm it is valid. We do not take a photocopy at face value.
In-person interview
We meet every guard before hiring. We want to hear how they explain a rule to someone who does not like it.
Reference calls
We speak to previous employers or references about reliability and conduct.
Our own police check
We ask for a police check or vulnerable sector check of our own, separate from the one the ministry saw at licensing.
Before a guard works your site
The provincial course teaches general skills. It cannot teach your loading dock, your alarm panel or which contractor is allowed in after hours. That part is ours, and it happens before the guard starts on your post.
Site walk
The guard walks the property: entrances, patrol route, fire exits, panels and the places where trouble usually starts.
Post orders, read and signed
Post orders are the written instructions for your site: duties, patrol times, who to call and in what order. The guard reads them and signs that they have. When the orders change, the guard signs the new version.
How we want reports written
A report you cannot use is wasted time. We show each guard our standard for daily and incident reports: times, locations, names where known, what was seen and what was done, with no guesswork written as fact. If an insurer, a board or the police later reads that report, it has to hold up.
Uniform and conduct rules
Two Ontario regulations set what a guard wears and how a guard behaves. Both put duties on the agency, not only the guard.
Uniform and identification
When a post calls for a uniform, Ontario sets what it must look like in O. Reg. 362/07. The agency’s name or logo goes on the chest, with the word SECURITY in contrasting capitals at least 1.5 centimetres high. An outer jacket also carries SECURITY across the back. The guard wears an identification tag with their name or licence number.
The rules also keep guards from looking like police: no black or navy collared shirts, no rank chevrons and no police-style caps. The regulation puts the duty on the agency to make sure its guards comply, so that is our job, not the guard’s alone.
The conduct we hold guards to
Every licensed guard is bound by Ontario’s code of conduct, O. Reg. 363/07. In plain terms, a guard on duty must act with honesty and integrity, treat everyone equally, avoid abusive or insulting language, use no unnecessary force, keep client information confidential and co-operate with police where the law requires it. A guard must never be on duty impaired by alcohol or drugs.
If you have a concern about one of our guards, call us first and we will deal with it. You also have a right to file a public complaint with the province about any guard’s conduct while on duty.
Supervision after the first shift
Screening and training only matter if someone keeps watching. Guards check in with our 24/7 dispatch line from Hamilton during every shift, so a missed check-in is noticed. Supervisors visit sites in person to see the post as it really runs. And we ask you, the client, how the guard is doing, because you see things we do not.
If a guard cannot make a shift, we send another licensed guard, typically within 1 to 2 hours. The replacement has gone through the same steps. For our agency licence, insurance and WSIB coverage, see Licensing and Insurance.
- During every shiftCheck-ins with 24/7 dispatch in Hamilton
- On siteSupervisor visits in person
- With youCheck-ins on how the guard is doing
- If a guard cannot make itLicensed replacement in 1 to 2 hours, typically
Questions to ask any security company about its guards
Ask us, and ask anyone you are comparing us with. A company that screens and supervises properly will answer all five without hesitating.
Tick each one off as you get an answer.
Reviewed by the StandBy Security operations team. Last reviewed: October 2026.
Questions About Our Guards
Answers to common questions regarding deployment, licensing, and procedures.
Are all StandBy Security guards licensed?
Yes. Every guard we send holds an individual Ontario security guard licence under the Private Security and Investigative Services Act, 2005. We look each licence up on the public registry before hiring, and you can ask for the licence numbers of the guards assigned to your site.
What training does a security guard need in Ontario?
At least 40 hours of ministry-approved basic training, including emergency first aid and CPR, followed by a provincial test. The course covers the PSISA, legal authorities, report writing, emergency response, communication, sensitivity training and use of force theory. A guard cannot apply for a licence until both are done.
Do you run background checks on your guards?
Yes. The ministry already requires a Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check for every licence. On top of that, we interview each guard in person, call their references and run our own police or vulnerable sector check before their first shift.
Will the guard know my site before the first shift?
Yes. The guard walks the site, reads and signs the post orders written for your property, and is shown how we want daily and incident reports written. A guard who has not done that does not start on your post.
Who supervises the guard once they are on site?
Guards check in with our 24/7 dispatch line during every shift, supervisors visit sites in person, and we check in with you about how the guard is doing. If a guard cannot make a shift, a licensed replacement is typically on site within 1 to 2 hours.
What can I do if I have a concern about a guard's conduct?
Call us first at (289) 309-3633 and we will deal with it. Every licensed guard is also bound by Ontario's code of conduct, and anyone can file a public complaint about an on-duty guard with the province's Private Security and Investigative Services Branch.
Want to see who would be on your site?
Tell us about the property and the hours. We reply to quote requests the same business day, and we can send the licence numbers of the guards we would assign.