Security Guard Incident Report: How to Write One + Example & Template
Learn how to write a security guard incident report with a worked example, six essential details and a free fillable PDF template.
Video transcript
Introduction
How do you write a security guard incident report? We will build a complete example, cover the details to include, and check an existing incident in PatrolTech. There is also a free report template you can adapt to your site. Our example is a water leak noticed during a patrol. The scenario is fictional and is used for training.
1 · What to record
An incident report describes a specific event. A daily activity report summarizes what happened throughout the shift. When you find a problem on patrol, your report should let someone else understand what you observed and what you did next. Write what you know. If you did not see how the problem started, do not invent a cause. Separate your own observations from information someone else gives you, and identify that source. In this example, we have seen water on the floor. We do not yet know where it came from.
2 · Essential details
Organize the report around six questions. First: where and when did it happen? Give the site, exact area, date and time. Second: who is reporting it, and who was involved? Include only the details needed for the report. Third: what did you observe? Describe specific facts. Fourth: what did you do, and who did you notify? Record the times of those actions. Fifth: what evidence or references are available? Identify the files you actually have. Sixth: what is the current situation, and what still needs to happen? If the cause is unknown or a check is outstanding, say so. This keeps an assumption from being presented as a fact.
3 · Complete example
Let us write the example. Title: water on the floor outside the utility room. Date: October sixteenth, twenty twenty-six. Location: ground floor of the demonstration building. At twenty-two fourteen, while on patrol, I observe water on the floor outside the utility room entrance. The wet area is approximately one meter wide. I do not observe anyone at that location, and I have not established where the water is coming from. At twenty-two sixteen, I notify the shift supervisor. At twenty-two eighteen, I place the warning signage specified in the site procedure, without touching the installation. At twenty-two twenty, the incident is still awaiting assessment by maintenance. This fictional example includes a reference to a photograph. In a real report, include that reference only if the photograph was actually taken and attached. Notice the difference: we have described an observation and our actions. We have not claimed that a pipe has burst, and we have not said that the problem is resolved.
4 · Review before sending
Check for three common mistakes. One: writing “everything was a mess”. Replace that with a description someone can verify. Two: claiming “someone left the tap on” when you did not see it happen. State that the source of the water has not been established. Three: writing “resolved” when all you have done is notify the supervisor. Record the notification and the actual situation. Before sending, also check the times, location and evidence references. If new information becomes available later, identify it as an update and follow your company procedure.
5 · Review in PatrolTech
Now let us open an existing incident in the PatrolTech demo organization. This is a real dashboard recording. It does not show the previous example being submitted from a phone. In Incidents, you can open a record and check who reported it, when it was created, its priority and its status. The details also include sections for attachments, location and activity. Start by reviewing the observations and actions, then check what still needs attention. Status updates and comments should reflect what has actually been verified. Reading the notification is not a reason to mark an incident as resolved.
Next step
The description includes the security guard incident report template and a completed example. Adapt the fields to your site procedure and practice with a fictional incident. To review incidents and checkpoint visits in one dashboard, use the link in the description to create a PatrolTech account. You will also find the tutorial on scanning QR checkpoints and verifying visits. Subscribe for more practical videos on documenting and supervising security patrols.