Can a security guard make someone leave private property?

Usually a guard acting for the owner or occupier can tell a person to leave, under the province's trespass law. How you do it matters: explain, give time, offer resources and call police instead of using force when you can.

Should I call 9-1-1 or 211?

Call 9-1-1 for any emergency, such as a person who is unresponsive, badly hurt, very cold or in danger. Use 211 to find non-emergency services like shelters, meals and outreach.

What if a person refuses help?

Adults can refuse help. Respect their choice, give them information they can use later, and check back if your post orders allow. If their life is at risk, call 9-1-1.

Does my site's policy override these lessons?

Always follow your employer's post orders and the law in your province. These lessons explain safe and respectful ways to carry out those orders.

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.

Homelessness and Vulnerable Persons Course 2026

Question 1 of 25

Which phrase uses respectful, person-first language?

A transient drifter downtown
A street bum with no home
A vagrant living on the street
A person experiencing homelessness

Show answer

Answer: D. A person experiencing homelessness

Person-first language puts the person before their situation. Homelessness is something a person goes through, not who they are.

Question 2 of 25

In the Canadian Definition of Homelessness, a person staying on a friend's couch because they have nowhere else to live is…

unsheltered, because they have no lease of their own
not homeless, because they have a roof over their head
provisionally accommodated, also called hidden homelessness
emergency sheltered, because the stay is short-term

Show answer

Answer: C. provisionally accommodated, also called hidden homelessness

People staying temporarily with friends or family, in motels or in transitional housing are provisionally accommodated. This is often called hidden homelessness.

Question 3 of 25

What does "unsheltered" mean in the Canadian Definition of Homelessness?

Staying in a shelter run by a community agency
Living with relatives for a few weeks after an eviction
Living outdoors or in places not meant for people to live
Renting a room in a rooming house with a lease

Show answer

Answer: C. Living outdoors or in places not meant for people to live

Unsheltered, or absolute, homelessness means living outdoors, in vehicles or in other places not meant for human living, without consent.

Question 4 of 25

A person staying at a domestic violence shelter is in which category of the Canadian Definition of Homelessness?

Emergency sheltered
Provisionally accommodated
Housed
Unsheltered

Show answer

Answer: A. Emergency sheltered

Emergency sheltered includes homeless shelters, violence-against-women shelters and disaster shelters.

Question 5 of 25

What is 211 in Canada?

The national police non-emergency line for reporting crime
A government line for reporting trespassers on private land
The number to call for an ambulance in most provinces
A free, confidential line to community and social services

Show answer

Answer: D. A free, confidential line to community and social services

211 helps people find food, shelter, housing, mental health and other community services. In most of Canada it runs 24 hours a day.

Question 6 of 25

You find a person lying on the sidewalk outside your site on a very cold night. They do not respond when you speak loudly and tap their shoulder. What do you do?

Ask them to move along so they are off the property
Let them sleep and check again at the end of your shift
Call 9-1-1 right away and give first aid you are trained to give
Call 211 and wait for an outreach worker

Show answer

Answer: C. Call 9-1-1 right away and give first aid you are trained to give

An unresponsive person is a medical emergency. Call 9-1-1 first. 211 is for non-emergency services.

Question 7 of 25

You need to check on a person sleeping in a stairwell. How should you start?

Shine a flashlight in their eyes and shout to wake them
Stand back, say who you are and ask if they are okay
Shake their shoulder firmly so they wake up quickly
Search their bags for ID before you wake them up

Show answer

Answer: B. Stand back, say who you are and ask if they are okay

Start from a safe distance with a calm voice. Startling someone who is asleep can frighten them and put you both at risk.

Question 8 of 25

Your post orders say no one may sleep in the lobby overnight. A person is sleeping there. What is the best approach?

Carry their belongings outside so they have to follow you
Wake them politely, explain the rule, allow time to pack, offer shelter info
Tell them loudly to get out so other people see the rule enforced
Call police right away without speaking to the person at all

Show answer

Answer: B. Wake them politely, explain the rule, allow time to pack, offer shelter info

You can enforce site rules and still treat the person with dignity. Explaining, giving time and offering resources lowers the chance of conflict.

Question 9 of 25

A person who was asked to leave the site has left a cart of belongings behind. What should you do?

Throw the items in the garbage bin at the end of your shift
Go through the bags to check whether anything was stolen
Handle them with care and follow your site's procedure
Give the items to anyone who says they belong to a friend

Show answer

Answer: C. Handle them with care and follow your site's procedure

Belongings may be everything a person owns, including ID and medicine. Handle them carefully and follow your employer's procedure.

Question 10 of 25

Where do the main rules on trespassing on private property in Canada come from?

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
The Criminal Code only
City parking bylaws
Provincial and territorial trespass laws

Show answer

Answer: D. Provincial and territorial trespass laws

Each province and territory has its own trespass law, such as Ontario's Trespass to Property Act and Alberta's Trespass to Premises Act.

Question 11 of 25

A person refuses to leave after you clearly direct them to, but they are calm and not a danger to anyone. What is usually the safest choice?

Lock them in a room until they agree to leave quietly
Take hold of their arm and walk them off the property yourself
Keep talking calmly and call police instead of using force
Tell them you will call immigration if they do not go

Show answer

Answer: C. Keep talking calmly and call police instead of using force

Physical removal raises the risk of injury and complaints. Many sites tell guards to call police when a person will not leave, and to document what happened.

Question 12 of 25

A store manager tells you to remove anyone who "looks homeless" from the mall during opening hours, even if they are not breaking any rule. What should guide your actions?

How the person is dressed and whether they look clean
The person's behaviour and the site rules, applied equally
Whether the person is carrying bags or a backpack
Whether other shoppers say they feel uncomfortable

Show answer

Answer: B. The person's behaviour and the site rules, applied equally

Act on what a person does, not how they look. Applying rules unequally is unfair and can lead to human rights complaints.

Question 13 of 25

A person outdoors in winter is shivering, confused and slow to answer. What should you do?

Call 9-1-1 and move them gently to a warm place
Rub their hands and feet hard to get the blood moving
Give them a drink of alcohol to help warm them up
Have them run on the spot or walk quickly to warm up

Show answer

Answer: A. Call 9-1-1 and move them gently to a warm place

These can be signs of hypothermia. Handle the person gently, keep them lying flat if possible, and warm the core while you wait for EMS.

Question 14 of 25

When should a frostbitten hand be thawed?

Only if there is no chance it will freeze again
Only by rubbing it with snow
Never; it should stay frozen until hospital
Right away, even if the person will go back outside

Show answer

Answer: A. Only if there is no chance it will freeze again

Thawing and then refreezing causes more damage, so only thaw if the body part will not freeze again.

Question 15 of 25

You find a used needle on the ground near where people sleep. What should you do?

Wrap it in paper and put it in a regular garbage bag
Pick it up carefully by the barrel and put the cap back on
Kick it under a bush or into a corner so nobody steps on it
Do not touch it bare-handed; follow your site's sharps procedure

Show answer

Answer: D. Do not touch it bare-handed; follow your site's sharps procedure

Never handle needles with bare hands or recap them. Use the proper tools and a puncture-proof sharps container, or call the service your site uses.

Question 16 of 25

Why does a calm, respectful approach matter so much when working with people experiencing homelessness?

It makes people leave faster, so you can skip the conversation
Many have lived through trauma; harshness can cause fear or conflict
It means you will never have to enforce the site's rules
It is only needed when managers or customers are watching

Show answer

Answer: B. Many have lived through trauma; harshness can cause fear or conflict

Respect lowers stress for everyone. People who have been hurt before may react strongly to shouting, crowding or touching.

Question 17 of 25

Which person is most likely to be a vulnerable person who needs extra care from a guard?

A contractor who arrived early for a morning shift
An older adult who seems lost and confused late at night
A delivery driver asking for the loading dock entrance
A tenant who forgot their key fob at home

Show answer

Answer: B. An older adult who seems lost and confused late at night

Vulnerable persons include people who are lost, confused, very young, elderly, ill, intoxicated or in crisis, and who may not be able to keep themselves safe.

Question 18 of 25

A person is very intoxicated, cannot stand on their own, and it is getting cold. What should you do?

Let them walk home alone
Give them coffee and leave them on a bench
Tell them to leave the property right away
Stay with them and call 9-1-1 for medical help

Show answer

Answer: D. Stay with them and call 9-1-1 for medical help

A person who cannot care for themselves is at risk of injury, choking or cold injury. Get medical help rather than sending them away.

Question 19 of 25

While you are talking with a person, they say they want to end their life. They are not in immediate danger. Which service can they call or text 24/7?

3-1-1
8-1-1
9-8-8
2-1-1

Show answer

Answer: C. 9-8-8

9-8-8 is Canada's Suicide Crisis Helpline, open 24/7 by call or text. Call 9-1-1 if there is immediate danger.

Question 20 of 25

Someone walking by wants to post a video of a person sleeping in your building's doorway. What should you do as the guard?

Do not record or share images; respect their privacy
Ask the person to pose for a photo for your report
Record it too, as evidence of trespassing
Post a photo on the site's social media as a warning

Show answer

Answer: A. Do not record or share images; respect their privacy

Guards should not film or share images of people in vulnerable situations, except as required by site policy for security purposes.

Question 21 of 25

Which notebook entry is written in a factual, respectful way?

"02:15 Usual junkie found sleeping. Dealt with him and he left."
"02:15 Drunk bum in the stairwell again. Kicked him out of the building."
"02:15 Vagrant problem in east stairwell, handled as per usual."
"02:15 Man, about 40, asleep in east stairwell. Explained policy. Left 02:25."

Show answer

Answer: D. "02:15 Man, about 40, asleep in east stairwell. Explained policy. Left 02:25."

Notes should record times, facts and actions in neutral words. Labels and slurs are unprofessional and can hurt you in court.

Question 22 of 25

What is Reaching Home?

A provincial law that sets rules on trespassing on private land
A federal program that funds communities to prevent and reduce homelessness
A shelter network run by the RCMP in larger cities
A private security licence category for shelter work

Show answer

Answer: B. A federal program that funds communities to prevent and reduce homelessness

Reaching Home: Canada's Homelessness Strategy is a community-based federal program that started in 2019.

Question 23 of 25

When you talk with a person who may be upset, how should you stand?

Behind them, out of sight, so they do not feel watched
At an angle, with space and a clear way out for both
Directly in front of them, close enough to touch their arm
Between them and the only exit so they cannot walk away

Show answer

Answer: B. At an angle, with space and a clear way out for both

Giving space and keeping exits clear helps the person feel less trapped and keeps you safer.

Question 24 of 25

Why offer a choice, such as "You can wait in the vestibule until 6 a.m., or I can call an outreach team for you"?

It means the site rules no longer apply to that person
It confuses the person so they give up and leave
It lets you skip writing an incident report afterwards
Choices give the person some control, which lowers tension

Show answer

Answer: D. Choices give the person some control, which lowers tension

People are more likely to cooperate when they keep some control. Offer only choices your site actually allows.

Question 25 of 25

You suspect a person sleeping outside your site has overdosed on opioids. You have a naloxone kit and are trained. Which statement is true?

Call 9-1-1, give naloxone and stay with the person
Leave once you give naloxone, since it lasts all night
Wait to see if they wake up on their own
Give naloxone only if they have a prescription

Show answer

Answer: A. Call 9-1-1, give naloxone and stay with the person

Health Canada says to call 9-1-1, give naloxone and stay. Naloxone can wear off before the opioids do.

Homelessness and Vulnerable Persons Course 2026

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