Whether you need one guard tonight or a national contract, the wrong provider can leave you with unlicensed staff, no insurance and no accountability if something goes wrong. Run any company you're considering through the checks below.
Every officer must hold a valid Security Industry Authority (SIA) licence for the role they do. Ask how licences are verified before deployment, you can also check a licence on the SIA's public register.
Officers should be screened to BS7858, the British Standard for security screening, covering identity, right to work, employment history and criminal record checks.
Ask for evidence of public liability and employers' liability insurance, and the cover levels. A serious provider will share certificates on request.
Look for recognised marks such as SIA Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS), ISO 9001, and Safecontractor / CHAS for contractor safety, especially for larger or public-sector work.
Is there a genuinely staffed 24/7 control room? What's the realistic response time for urgent cover, and what happens if an officer doesn't turn up?
How do you know the work is actually being done? GPS clock-in, occurrence logs, welfare check-calls and photo incident reports give you proof, not promises.
Rates should be transparent, in writing, with no hidden booking or admin fees and no lock-in just to get started.
Every Urgent Guard officer is SIA-licensed and BS7858-vetted, deployments are insured, and every shift is tracked live in your client app, GPS clock-in, occurrence log, welfare calls and photo incident reports you can download. We're operated by Aberdeen Technologies Ltd (company no. 16865401), publish our complaints procedure, and there's no lock-in to get started. See our services or read what security actually costs.
Tell us the site and what you need. The control room replies by phone or email, day or night, with officers and an exact price before anything is booked.
A clear price first. Nothing is booked until you agree it.
Long-term contracts, one-off shifts and same-day cover, subject to availability.
Call the 24/7 control room on 0800 471 4792.
No obligation · no card needed