School Security Services

Schools carry the highest expectations of any site we staff. Families expect the person at the door to be trained and calm. Tennessee also treats school posts differently from other security work, with extra training required before an officer can be posted. Crimson Security Service provides licensed armed and unarmed security officers for schools in Middle Tennessee, public, private, charter and church-related, managed by our locally owned team in Smyrna (TN license #14376).

Tennessee law sets rules that apply to security officers who work at or in a public, public charter, private or church-related school:

• Unarmed officers must finish the state's general guard training (4 hours with a state-certified trainer, plus an exam) before they are posted at a school. At other kinds of sites, the state allows more time after hire.
• Armed officers must finish the full armed training (16 hours including marksmanship) and, before they provide any security or patrol services at a school, a separate active shooter training of at least 8 hours. This applies whether the officer works for the school or for a contract security company.
• Armed officers must also complete an active shooter refresher approved by the state before their registration card can be renewed.
• It is against the law for a company to post an officer at a public school who isn't properly registered or trained.

Those rules guide how we staff school accounts. We will walk school leadership through these requirements before an assignment starts.

• Entrance and visitor control. Greeting visitors, checking in with the front office, and helping keep doors secured, following the school's own visitor procedures.
• Arrival and dismissal. Visible presence at drop-off and pickup lines, parking areas and crosswalks.
• Hallways, grounds and athletic fields. Patrols during the school day and at after-hours activities.
• Evenings and weekends. Games, performances, graduations, dances and community use of the campus. See event security.
• Closed buildings. Checks of vacant buildings during summer and holidays. A vehicle for the post can be added for campuses with large grounds or several buildings, at an hourly fee depending on the campus's needs and the client's requests.

Both are available. School leadership makes that decision, usually with the school board, governing body or head of school and the property's insurer. Unarmed officers deter and report. Armed officers add an increased level of readiness and have extra state requirements. We'll walk the campus with you, explain how each approach works and recommend a plan.

Crimson runs a training school in Smyrna, and many of our officers train with us. Our officers are trained in house on the baton, pepper spray and handcuffs, and we offer a state-certified active shooter preparedness course taught by Glen Busch.

1. Campus walk. Entrances, fences, parking, bus loops, gyms, fields and after-hours use.
2. Written post orders. Duties, communication with the front office and administration, escalation contacts and reporting requirements, agreed with school leadership before the first day.
3. Documented rounds. GPS and QR checkpoints record patrols, and daily activity and incident reports are delivered online.
4. Local management. The people responsible for your account are in Smyrna, not a regional call center.

Do officers at schools have to be armed?
No. Armed and unarmed are both available, and the choice is yours.

What extra training do armed school officers need?
At least 8 hours of active shooter training before being posted at any school, plus a state-approved refresher before their card is renewed.

What kinds of schools do you cover?
We work with public, private, charter and church-related schools. Tell us about your campus and we'll talk through what it needs. See also church security for congregations that run a school.

Can you cover athletic events and evening activities?
Yes. Tell us the schedule and expected attendance.

Can we add a vehicle on the campus?
Yes. A vehicle for the post can be added at an hourly fee, depending on the campus's needs and your requests. Details are set during the campus walk.