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Day in the Life of a Security Guard
GHS Security Guard, Rick, flies around campus on his golf cart. Photo by Kelsey Haasch
Written by Savannah Klein
Darkness still fills the valley in the early morning, the winter biting the heels of fall. The school is pitch black, warm, and vacant at six in the morning. Well, empty besides a solitary security guard that has to open up the entire school. The work is swift, they have to unlock all the doors and turn on the lights before the students arrive for A hour. There is no time to rest after that work, for now the guard must put up the cones out in the faculty parking lot to direct traffic. The wind is bitter, with a promise that it will just get worse. That is the beginning of a normal day in the life of one if the Gilbert High School’s six security guards.
“There are times when I can see I need more people,” says Louie Ortiz, the head of the security. There are a total of eight adults that assist with Security at Gilbert High School, six of them security guards responsible for the security of our three thousand students. No substitutes that take their place when ill. Fortunately, Ortiz says he’s never had more than two absent of his team on the same day. In which case, Ortiz subtracts time on their shifts, and brings another person inside. On a normal shift, the guards move every hour besides Ortiz, a little inside and some outside. They work from six to three-thirty, and frequently take kids out of class. The guards also watch lunch lines, and take care of kids that ditch. On the particular day I was there, Ortiz had taught a class about safety, bulling and weapons. He really got his point across that the security guards are here for our safety.
“Just because you are with us does not mean you are in trouble, we’re good guys. We like to get to know people…” Ortiz sighed, and it is pretty much true. The entire time I was with the security guard, people asked me what I did to be in trouble.
Such trouble did not happen that day for there were no fights, but Ortiz recalled the worst fight that happened at Gilbert High School. It was when two bulky guys started throwing massive punches. Casey Paulsen and Louie Ortiz had to break them up, which resulted in both going to urgent care. “This pinky has never been the same.” Palusen admitted. After spending a day with the guards, I have realized that they are pretty cool people, and they do a lot to keep people safe at our Gilbert High School.
December 15th, 2009 at 9:40 am
Good job, Savannah! I’m excited about this emerging talent for writing. I’m proud to be your grandpa.
Love, Grandpa Turley
December 15th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
This is a great article. Not many people know what the security guards do. We had some really fun security guards at Highland. I’m sure they are the same at Gilbert.
December 15th, 2009 at 5:57 pm
Savannah, I watched you work so hard in this class. I’ve always seen you pull it off each time. I’m glad to see everything come together so smoothly. Keep up the good work