Blackbird Provides Housing Site Security on Vancouver Island

On Vancouver Island, a COVID-19 Joint Task Force has been working in the background to keep the public safe from the ravages of the pandemic. As part of this task force, municipalities on the Island came together to create homeless shelters in areas such as Duncan, Victoria and Nanaimo, with an aim to provide a safe sleeping environment for high-risk individuals while helping to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Blackbird Security is proud to provide ongoing security support at these sites. Our team members are deployed at key points around these living facilities, providing their usual industry-leading service. In this unique environment, we carefully deploy team members who have undergone the following training:

• St. John’s Mental Health Training
• Trauma Informed Training
• Cultural Sensitivity Training
• Conflict De-Escalation

We recognize modern security staff are expected to go above and beyond in the line of work. That’s why we equip our team members with the education they need to provide support to every member of our community. Learn more about our approach to staff training and the impact we have in our communities.

Housing Site Security – A Day in the Life

Alex Van Ryk is one of our most experienced tactical uniform security guards. We’re lucky to have him as a member of our Vancouver Island Team. We asked Alex to describe the common duties he performs to keep these housing sites secure, and support the residents within.

• Maintain proper access for all residents and line-up control for site offices
• Work collaboratively with the RCMP, B.C. Housing and various outreach organizations to help foster a multi-disciplinary approach to improve patient health and social outcomes
• Attend public town hall and stakeholder meetings
• Coordinate with Social Workers/Health teams, Ministry teams and municipalities to find group solutions to problems
• Ensure noise bylaws are being upheld by residents
• Provide first aid and Naloxone treatments when required
• Respond to violent altercations between camp residents.
• Helping de-escalate and calm and serious conflicts
• Patrol the internal and external premises monitoring for vandalism, damage and loitering
• Escort visitors in and out of the camp when required
• Ensuring residents don’t bring drug paraphernalia or weapons on-site
• Ensure the safety of site employees

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If you’re interested in partnering with Blackbird Security to improve your security needs, we’d love to hear from you! Get started on making your business more secure and Contact Us to book a free consultation.