Author Topic: Premises Guardians  (Read 16827 times)

Midland Retty

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Re: Premises Guardians
« Reply #15 on: September 12, 2012, 03:10:47 PM »
Hi JayJay

I have had involvement with premises occupied by Guardians. The RRO does apply, and suitable precautions should be implemented to protect them. The precautions needed will depend on the type and size of the premises being guarded of course, but common sense should prevail. Clearly the Guardians are most at risk when they are asleep.

One 'Guardian property' I've dealt with is a void Hostel (converted town house) used previously as a half way house awaiting redevolpment. The guardian has access to all areas of the property (all rooms are open) window escape is available from the majority of first floor rooms etc, and the level of risk to the Guardian is effectively similar to a householder in a single domestic dwelling, because no one else is living at the property, and it is essentially a residential setting.

However the property was already equipped with AFD and the usual raft of precautions, so no additional or temporary P&P measures were required. You could argue however that normal standalone detectors would have been suitable if suitable AFD wasn't already installed (so long as Guardian slept no higher than the first floor)

I'm also involved with Guardians protecting a factory / distribution centre. Their sleeping / living quarters are on the ground floor in an old office deliberately chosen as it has a final exit leading straight onto the car park. There are also opening windows large enough to be considered suitable for escape if the final exit wasn't available.

Early warning is provided courtesy of a series of wireless interlinked detectors protecting the primary escape route from their quarters and the living quarters themselves, the whole building does not need to be protected by AFD for their protection.

Hope this helps
« Last Edit: September 12, 2012, 03:13:58 PM by Midland Fire »

Offline JC100

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Re: Premises Guardians
« Reply #16 on: September 19, 2012, 02:31:04 PM »
Guardians have typically been used in unused buildings as a cheaper solution to security guards to prevent squatters taking over the building. Removing squatters was previously a long drawn out process involving the courts due the fact of 'squatters rights'. These rights have now been removed and its my understanding that the police can now interveen - this will surely make guardians less widely used.

Offline AnthonyB

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Re: Premises Guardians
« Reply #17 on: September 19, 2012, 10:29:44 PM »
Please note the provisions of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 only create the offence of squatting in a residential building, so use of Guardians in former commercial premises is unlikely to diminish - in fact it may increase as a result of squatters needing to target non residential premises in future
Anthony Buck
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