Staffing is the largest line in any security budget, which makes it the first thing cut and the easiest thing to get wrong in both directions.
Count Posts, Not People: A post is a position that must be covered — a monitored entrance, a control room, a patrol route. Coverage is calculated from posts multiplied by hours, then converted into officers including relief. Sites that count heads rather than posts routinely discover a gap at shift change.
The Single-Officer Trap: One officer cannot simultaneously monitor an entrance, patrol a perimeter, and answer a phone. When an incident occurs, whichever duty they leave becomes the exposure. If a site genuinely needs three functions covered, one officer is a plan on paper only.
Relief and Continuity: Officers require breaks, and shifts require handover. A schedule with no relief built in produces either uncovered gaps or fatigued staff — and fatigue is where documentation quality collapses first.
Where Patrol Substitutes for Presence: Not every site needs continuous staffing. Properties requiring periodic verification rather than constant observation are served far more economically by mobile patrol across multiple visits.
On Guard Security Ltd. builds staffing from post analysis and site exposure rather than a standard ratio. Request an assessment at 778-990-5070.