Security Officer Appearance Sheet: Fill & Download for Free

Uniformed security organizations are usually modeled on police agencies, and police agencies use military ranks. It's not surprising, and it doesn't bother me at all.That said, let me tell you a story:My last year in college, I was a dispatcher for the university police department. This was before public safety telecommunications was as organized as it is now, and basically anyone could be a dispatcher. All of the dispatchers at the campus police were students, all working part time. All were criminal justice majors except me, the biology major. I got the job because of my experience as an EMT, and already knew the ten-codes and general procedures. It was a nice job and caused me to seek a job in law enforcement, one I later obtained.I graduated college in the midst of an economic recession, and had few immediate job prospects. It would take me over two years to get an offer to work as a police officer, so I had to do something to keep me in groceries. That year, I had 13 jobs, ranging in duration from five months to two days. This is the story of the two-day one.I answered a want ad for a dispatcher, placed by a largish security company. The company had clients and guard posts throughout what would later be called Silicon Valley. The dispatch office was located on the property of a large defense contractor. A few of the security officers actually worked out of this office, but most reported directly to their posts and communicated with the dispatch office periodically via telephone or radio. I was assigned to the overnight "graveyard" shift.There was basically no training, and there wasn't any need for a lot of it. I was given a three-ring binder with a schedule of contacts and times. I was supposed to call posts according to the schedule, record that I had done so, and whether each post answered. It quickly became apparent that many of the guards I was calling were having their sleep interrupted.Now and then, a roving guard would call me over the radio and report that he had arrived or departed a post, and I recorded that, too. I should point out that everything I was allowed to say over the radio was written on a card, which lay under a sheet of glass on the dispatch desk. It was about six lines. This was not a job where a lot of initiative was encouraged.Guards assigned to the defense plant would come and go now and again, picking up radios or dropping off reports. Few of them did anything more than say hello to me.About halfway through the shift on my second night, a guard I hadn't seen before entered the dispatch office. Where most of the guards wore ill-fitting uniforms issued by the company, this guy's outfit was tailored to his lean frame. None of the guards were armed, and this was the only one I had seen wearing a Sam Browne equipment belt. He didn't have a gun, but he did have every carrier and accessory that could be threaded onto the belt, so much that it formed a complete circle and the underlying belt wasn't visible (I later knew a few cops who did this. Their setup was called the "Bat Belt"). It was all polished to perfection. He was ready for his appearance in the security guard issue of GQ.After I took all this in, I said something inflammatory, like "hello," and went on with whatever I was doing. There was a few seconds of silence, followed by him bellowing, "YOU COME TO ATTENTION IN THE PRESENCE OF YOUR WATCH COMMANDER!" I then noticed that he wore lieutenant's bars on his collar points. I had already noticed that he was about nineteen years old.Now, it wasn't like I was a terribly worldly guy. However, I was a legitimate college graduate, completed all four years of Army ROTC, had treated hundreds of severely injured people as an EMT, and had worked for an actual, albeit small, police department. At that police department, when the watch commander came into the office, the appropriate and accepted response was "Hello, lieutenant/sergeant." No come-to-attention, no saluting, certainly no shouting. I was unused to this approach.After a brief conversation with His Lieutenantness, who informed me that I would be "placed on report," he departed the area. I worked the last few hours of my shift until I was relieved at 8:00 AM, coincidentally the time my boss came in. On his arrival, I asked him to mail me my check and told him I wouldn't be back.Other than that, I have no problem at all with security officers using military ranks.

Behold, and shiver upon the sight and horror of this:(A common razor, used by real men the world over.)With only a small backpack as carry on luggage, I was traveling within the Philippines on a domestic flight. The X-ray machine of the small airport of departure was kaput so my bag was searched by a very eager and probably new security officer. New, because I travel there regularly, there aren’t thousands of people employed there, and I hadn’t seen her before.Straight away she went for my toiletry bag and took my beloved Mach 3 razor from me, probably disappointed that she didn’t find any liquids/pastes in there (safe from a tiny tube of toothpaste that I stole from the hotel amenities on one of my layovers, as one does).Now, as an airline pilot I’ve seen my share of ridiculousness with airport security the world over. And though I often think, standing there in uniform, “people, if I really want to crash or hijack a plane, I don’t need 150 ml of deodorant for that”, I’ve learnt to let it fly and let those good people from security have their moment of feeling all powerful and all important in their mission to root out the evil forces that be.After all, we all know we’re playing a game here. Most rules are just there because it has to appear something has been done to prevent breaches committed in the past by a few idiots who ruined the fun for all of us common mortals. I have to follow rules too from my employer, which may statistically matter overall, but sporadically they could be laughable too.The occasional joke you want to launch has to be swallowed and can only live on in your own mind, perhaps betrayed by a little evident giggle through which a security officer may ask himself questions about your sanity.But that day… no. I’ve traveled with this razor the world over, as crew member and as passenger, for at least 18 years now, passing security on average twice or three times weekly with it. This was a first and it had nothing to do with silly rules on liquids!Normally I’d let childish things like this fly, but that day, for some reason, I felt it was a slap in the face of my professionalism as a pilot. It suggested that the then last 17 years I’ve been reckless with security, I didn’t know what I was doing, I was a rebel against the rules, carrying a razor with not one but 3 mini blades. Upon which I asked the officer in question to show me some kind of documentary evidence that she was to take my beloved item from me. I also told her that - first of all - she could detach the trio of tiny blades from the main body of the device and take that only.Well that inquiry didn’t go down well with her! She put me aside and threw an A3 sized sheet of paper towards me: how dare I question her expertise in these matters! Sure enough, on the backside it had the list with prohibited items in the Philippines and it had the word “razor blades” on it.Trying to discuss different types of razors with her would be futile I knew, so I caved and let her have it. But only with the resolve to follow this one through.When I transferred flights in Manila I inquired with staff there. They assured me that for them this would be alright to carry. That, together with the fact that the airline I fly for hands these types of disposable razors out to passengers in first and business class - courtesy of the airline - fortified my resolve to follow up. I also asked other security staff at other airports what they thought of it.So I wrote to the Philippine Office of Transportation Security (security- and privacy-sensitive info left out here):I realize that I'm not an expert on security but I fail to conceive how on earth it would be possible for me to do some unlawful interference with a Mach 3 razor. Surely nobody would be intimidated by my razor if I decide to face them? […] Furthermore, in the airline I work for we have similar types of razors available for passengers in the business and first class toilets, courtesy of the airline! Is that asking for trouble then?My clumsy beard, on the other hand, may be more intimidating if I have to leave my razor at home from now on. And no, I'm not going to pay for luggage fees just to check in a 50 gram razor when I'm used to traveling with my carry on bag only all the time.Pretty sure I was right in this case, I asked the officer to see where it's written that I can't take my razor. Understandably she got quite upset then when I challenged her. But submitting myself to a security check is one thing, so is understanding that rules apply to everyone and that those rules need to be made; yet insinuating that with my experience in the industry I'm an idiot for wanting to carry my shaving gear is another. It suggests every single security officer I passed in the last 17 years was wrong, I am wrong, all of my colleagues are wrong, the airlines I worked for who put this type of razor in the toilets are wrong...She showed me an A3 sheet with on one side the "table 2.3.A Provisions for Dangerous Goods Carried by Passengers or Crew" (copied from the ICAO red book). Sure enough, on the other side it had a copy of what I assume to be your department's guidelines, it stated that "RAZOR BLADES" aren't allowed. (I've googled it and found it as well here on your website: http://ots.gov.ph/images/memos/mc-2015-02.pdf, even though she showed me what probably was an older version of it because it didn't mention "open razors". She showed me one like I found here: http://crk.clarkairport.com/downloads/FAQ/Prohibited%20Items.pdf )Now, there are obvious the old style razors like you see in the western movies, where the hero goes to the salon to get a clean shave, the barber swings open the deadly 4 inch long RAZOR BLADE and the hero has to prepare his gun under the cape to be ready to fire if the barber gets the idea to use this long sharp blade in an unfriendly way. These types of RAZOR BLADES can obviously not be allowed on a flight as they can clearly be used as a weapon.Further, there are also the old style razors, where there was a specific blade that could be taken out, usually it cut on both sides. You know what I'm talking about, the stuff that they use in movies to commit suicide with. My father used this type to shave when I was a toddler, over 30 years ago. Sure, I see it, this can be a deadly weapon too and should indeed be forbidden on an airplane.But a disposable Mach 3 razor "blade"? Really? Surely the worst someone can do with that is open up a ripe pimple![…]I also looked up how this issue is taken care of worldwide and asked a bit around with other security staff. A quick search on google about what razors are allowed on airplanes reveals that my Mach 3 is allowed while the deadly cowboy style and suicide style ones aren't.So could you please:1. Inform me about your exact policy towards this? Is my Mach 3 razor allowed on flights to/from/within the Philippines?2. If no, could I perhaps suggest you update your policy on this so it's like the rest of the world. And if there's a good reason for not doing that, may I ask why?3. If yes, could you inform the security staff at {…} that they shouldn't bother passengers with unnecessary annoyances like this? Perhaps update your form to "removable razor blades" instead of just "razor blades" or write only "open razor blades"?Thank you in advance for your reply,Gilissen BrunoAirline pilot who loves to travel to the Philippines and likes to shave.And sure enough, a reply followed - though not the one I was hoping for:In relation to your concern on the carriage of Razor Blade in your carry-on baggage, we regret to inform you that this item cannot be carried in the cabin as per OTS Memorandum Circular 2015-02 – Revised Prohibited Items List. This might be too prescriptive by including “safety and disposable types”, but these are basically made on the basis of the continuous risk assessment performed by this office. In addition, the standards prescribed by the International Civil Aviation Organization suggests that in circumstances where an individual member state indicates that a certain aircraft operations are at higher risk, they may opt to qualify other items on the list as appropriate. This is also where differences in policies from state to state comes in.Finally, as we continue to improve further on the services we render to the public, we are assuring you that this will be included in our agenda for the development of our Prohibited Items List. Rest assured that we will take a look on this closely to provide each and everyone an ease of travel without compromising security.Thank you for raising this concern as this will greatly help us in improving our policies. We are looking forward to serving you again in the future.I’m still baffled by the perceived risk they see in a Mach 3 razor blade and I’d imagine if you pull one on someone you’re going to be met with great laughter and ridicule: “what are you gonna do? shave me?”But there you go. If you decide to fly in the Philippines, keep in mind that you can always lose your razor. You are a warned (bearded) man!

In over 30 years in civilian shipping, I have never seen one, nor have I ever seen a need for one. On a few occasions we have had a crew member have a mental problem which required them to be restrained; we put them in their bunks with tight sheets holding them still. While they were secured, we contacted a medical officer ashore who told us what to do. We arranged for an ambulance to meet us at the nearest port where the crew member was brought to a nearby hospital.One a few occasions we have had a fight break out or some similar incident arise. In general we would confine them to their quarters. If they shared a cabin with someone else we would transfer their cabin mate to another spare berth.I have never managed cruise ships, and I realize that they are a special case. And I know that the situation today is dramatically different than it was when I retired. However, contrary to popular belief, seafarers are actually very law abiding. When you are at sea, you cannot dial 911 and expect the police, fire department or an ambulance to appear. You become your own emergency service, and nothing is better at giving you a healthy respect for the emergency services and a desire to limit the need for them than having to provide the service all by yourself.Most cruise ships just confine the miscreants to their cabins under guard until they reach their next port of call, where the police service takes over. However, the larger the ship, the more likely it is that a problem may arise. I understand that large cruise ships may have brigs with a small capacity, and there are a few security officers on board to deal with small problems that may arise. I would assume that they would look very similar to any jail anywhere else. I would be very interested in finding out the usual occupants; I suspect that most of the time it is passengers who are provided with ‘alternate accommodation’.