Why should foot patrols be irregular?

A patrol that follows the same route at the same times is easy to predict. Changing the order and timing makes it harder for anyone to plan around you.

What should I do if I find a door with signs of forced entry?

Do not go in. Move to a safe place where you can watch, call police and your control centre, and keep people away until police arrive.

What do guard tour checkpoints prove?

They record that a guard reached each point at a certain time. They show the patrol was done, but you still need to look carefully at everything between checkpoints.

Is the certificate accredited or officially recognised?

No. It is a private certificate of completion for knowledge only. It is not recognised, accredited or approved by any government, licensing body, regulator or educational institution, and it does not replace the security licence training required in your province or territory.

Foot Patrol Techniques Course 2026

Question 1 of 25

What is one main benefit of a visible foot patrol?

An alert guard who can be seen discourages crime
It gives the guard police powers on the property
It replaces the need for locks and alarms
It lets the guard avoid writing reports

Show answer

Answer: A. An alert guard who can be seen discourages crime

Deterrence is one of a guard’s main jobs. People are less likely to cause trouble when an alert guard is nearby.

Question 2 of 25

What does an electronic guard tour checkpoint record?

Who entered the building that day
That a guard reached that point at a certain time
The guard’s heart rate
Everything the guard saw on the patrol

Show answer

Answer: B. That a guard reached that point at a certain time

Scanning a checkpoint creates a time-stamped record that the guard was there. It does not replace careful observation.

Question 3 of 25

What is the main risk of patrolling the same route at the same times every night?

Your notebook will fill up faster
You will walk too far
The checkpoints will stop working
Someone watching can predict when you will not be there

Show answer

Answer: D. Someone watching can predict when you will not be there

Predictable patrols are easy to watch and avoid. Change your route and timing within your post orders.

Question 4 of 25

What should you read before you start your first patrol of a shift?

Your post orders and the pass-down log
The client’s financial reports
Old newspapers left in the lobby
Other guards’ personal messages

Show answer

Answer: A. Your post orders and the pass-down log

Post orders tell you what to do and the pass-down log tells you what happened on the last shift.

Question 5 of 25

Why do a radio check before you leave your post?

To test how loud you can shout
To make sure your radio works and control can hear you
To let everyone on the channel know you are bored
Because radios only work after a check

Show answer

Answer: B. To make sure your radio works and control can hear you

A radio that fails during an emergency leaves you without help. Test it before you need it.

Question 6 of 25

On patrol you pass a door that should be locked. What is the best way to check it?

Knock on it and listen
Look at it from across the room
Assume it is locked if the lights are off
Try the handle and make sure it is fully closed and locked

Show answer

Answer: D. Try the handle and make sure it is fully closed and locked

Only a physical check tells you a door is really secure.

Question 7 of 25

You find a fire door propped open with a wedge. What should you do?

Remove the wedge if it is safe, close the door and report it
Leave it open because staff may need it
Lock the door with a chain
Take a photo and post it online

Show answer

Answer: A. Remove the wedge if it is safe, close the door and report it

Fire doors help stop smoke and fire from spreading, so they should close properly. Never chain or lock an exit.

Question 8 of 25

You find boxes stacked in front of a fire exit. What should you do?

Leave them until the weekend
Have them moved right away and report it
Put a sign on the boxes
Lock the exit so no one trips

Show answer

Answer: B. Have them moved right away and report it

Exits must stay clear so people can get out quickly in an emergency.

Question 9 of 25

Why should you stop now and then during a patrol to listen?

To avoid talking to people
So the checkpoints can catch up
To rest your legs
Sounds such as breaking glass, alarms or calls for help can show a problem you cannot see

Show answer

Answer: D. Sounds such as breaking glass, alarms or calls for help can show a problem you cannot see

Good patrols use all the senses, not just sight.

Question 10 of 25

What is the point of a careful first patrol at the start of your shift?

To finish all the patrols early
To find a quiet place to sit
To learn what normal looks like so you notice changes later
To count the number of light bulbs

Show answer

Answer: C. To learn what normal looks like so you notice changes later

Ontario’s training syllabus includes initial checks that set a benchmark. Later changes then stand out.

Question 11 of 25

You find a door open with fresh pry marks. What should you do?

Close the door and carry on with your patrol
Go in quietly to look for the intruder
Wait until the end of the shift to report it
Stay outside, move to a safe spot, call police and control, and watch

Show answer

Answer: D. Stay outside, move to a safe spot, call police and control, and watch

Someone may still be inside. Your safety comes first, and police should search the building.

Question 12 of 25

You find a large spill on the lobby floor. What should you do?

Walk around it and keep going
Warn people away from it and report it for cleanup right away
Cover it with paper towels and leave
Write it in your notes at the end of the shift

Show answer

Answer: B. Warn people away from it and report it for cleanup right away

Slips and falls cause many injuries. Keep people away until it is cleaned up.

Question 13 of 25

At night, why should you avoid standing in a lit doorway?

Your flashlight will stop working
You are easy to see, but you cannot see into the dark area
The light will wear out faster
The door alarm will go off

Show answer

Answer: B. You are easy to see, but you cannot see into the dark area

Standing in light makes you a clear target while hiding what is in front of you. Scan with your flashlight first.

Question 14 of 25

On an outdoor night patrol, why use your flashlight only when you need it?

Flashlights are not allowed outdoors
It saves the client money
So cameras cannot record you
Your eyes adjust to the dark and you can see more around you

Show answer

Answer: D. Your eyes adjust to the dark and you can see more around you

Night vision builds up after a few minutes in the dark and is lost each time you look into bright light.

Question 15 of 25

You meet a person in an area that is closed to the public. What is the best first step?

Shout at them to leave
Ignore them and keep walking
Greet them politely, say who you are and ask if you can help
Grab their arm and lead them out

Show answer

Answer: C. Greet them politely, say who you are and ask if you can help

Many people are simply lost. A polite approach finds out why they are there and avoids conflict.

Question 16 of 25

In Canada, which level of government mainly makes the trespass laws for private property?

City councils only
The federal government only
The provinces and territories
The property’s insurance company

Show answer

Answer: C. The provinces and territories

Trespass is mainly covered by provincial laws, such as Ontario’s Trespass to Property Act and Alberta’s Trespass to Premises Act.

Question 17 of 25

When you ask someone to leave a property, what should you do first?

Physically push them toward the exit
Call them names so they leave faster
Take their phone until they agree
Say who you are, explain the rule calmly and give them a chance to go

Show answer

Answer: D. Say who you are, explain the rule calmly and give them a chance to go

Clear, calm notice gives the person a chance to leave and keeps you within the law.

Question 18 of 25

You see a person trying the doors of parked cars. What should you do?

Ignore it because cars are not your job
Watch from a safe distance, note a description and report to control or police
Chase them alone
Wait until they leave and then write it down

Show answer

Answer: B. Watch from a safe distance, note a description and report to control or police

Observing and reporting keeps you safe and gives police what they need.

Question 19 of 25

You find a person collapsed in a stairwell. What should you do?

Leave them and finish your patrol first
Move them outside right away
Give them water and leave
Check that the area is safe, call 911 and give first aid if you are trained

Show answer

Answer: D. Check that the area is safe, call 911 and give first aid if you are trained

Life comes first. Call for help early and only give care you are trained to give.

Question 20 of 25

According to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, when is a person working alone?

Only when they work outdoors
Only when they work at night
Only when they have no radio
When they cannot be seen or heard by another person

Show answer

Answer: D. When they cannot be seen or heard by another person

CCOHS describes working alone as working where no one else can see or hear you.

Question 21 of 25

Under BC’s rules, what must a written check-in procedure for lone workers include?

The worker’s home address and family names
A list of the client’s customers
The worker’s favourite route
How often checks happen and what to do if the worker cannot be reached

Show answer

Answer: D. How often checks happen and what to do if the worker cannot be reached

BC requires the time between checks and steps for when a worker cannot be contacted, including emergency rescue.

Question 22 of 25

Under BC’s guidance, how should check-in intervals change for higher-risk work?

They should stop completely
They should be longer
They should be shorter
They should only happen at shift change

Show answer

Answer: C. They should be shorter

The higher the risk, the sooner someone needs to know if something is wrong.

Question 23 of 25

How should you walk on an icy sidewalk during a winter patrol?

Take short, flat-footed steps and wear footwear with good grip
Keep your hands in your pockets
Look at your phone to check the route
Walk fast with long steps

Show answer

Answer: A. Take short, flat-footed steps and wear footwear with good grip

Short steps keep your weight over your feet. Hands free and good boots help you keep your balance.

Question 24 of 25

You find an unlocked door at 2:15 a.m. How do you write the time in your notebook?

12:15
14:15
02:15
20:15

Show answer

Answer: C. 02:15

In the 24-hour clock, times before noon keep the same hour, written with two digits.

Question 25 of 25

You find water leaking from a ceiling near electrical equipment. What should you do?

Unplug the equipment with wet hands
Ignore it if the lights still work
Mop it up while standing next to the equipment
Keep people away and report it right away so the right trades can respond

Show answer

Answer: D. Keep people away and report it right away so the right trades can respond

Water and electricity together can kill. Keep people back and get qualified help.

Foot Patrol Techniques Course 2026

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