Security guard company Q&A
How do I track guard patrol rounds in real time?
Short answer
- Place physical checkpoints (QR or NFC tags) along the site's patrol route.
- The guard scans each checkpoint from the field app on pass-through.
- The system automatically logs the time, location and guard for every scan.
- The dispatcher sees ongoing rounds and confirmed checkpoints on the dashboard.
- You get an immediate alert if a checkpoint isn't scanned within the scheduled window.
What the law says (brief)
- Law 333/2003 on the protection of objectives — requires the guard service to actually be delivered per the approved plan, including verification rounds.
- Government Decision 301/2012 — the methodological norms require written records of guard activity during a shift, including completed rounds.
Practical examples
- Example: a warehouse has 6 checkpoints on its patrol route, with a maximum 45-minute interval between scans. If the guard doesn't scan checkpoint 4 within the set window, the dispatcher gets an automatic alert and can call the guard or send a colleague to check the area.
Common mistakes
- Rounds are confirmed on a paper logbook, signed at the end of the shift — there's no real-time proof, only retrospective.
- No automatic alert for a missed round — the problem is only discovered at the morning report.
- The client has no access to round proof and has to explicitly request the report from the security company.
How 4guards helps
- QR/NFC checkpoint scanning, with time and geolocation logged automatically.
- Instant dispatcher alert for any missed or overdue round.
- Exportable patrol report for the client, with every confirmed scan for a date range.