"SECURE" Part 10 - The Mill

Arcelor Mittal

It seemed like I’d be doing their gatehouse duty which, according to this patrol guy, was pretty straightforward. Either someone has a pass to get in or they don’t. If they have a pass, let them in. He said there were a few gatehouses, not just one. So that had my curiosity peaked a little higher. He said three of the gatehouses had bathrooms, one had a portapotty (which I didn’t mind much since he said it had hand sanitizer), and thankfully from what I gathered it seemed like the staff here were nice people.

Now let’s talk about how my real first day at the mill went. First of my three on-the-job-training days. I was given a short sleeve blue uniform top with a silvery patch shaped like our badge.

I was in a gatehouse with this U.S. Navy veteran named Tom who seriously reminded me of my buddy Tom from the firehouse. Given the nature of our job, I was also given a few neon outer layers; pants (to go over my black ones, duh), a baggy vest with short sleeves, and a hard hat that wasn’t hard to wear at all. It was made of tough plastic and I had to get this rubber glow band around it.

“Having worn a fire helmet, this thing feels more like a toy.” I said rapping my fist on it.

I’m not gonna lie. Working at Gate Nine was pretty hectic. People had different types of passes, and I had to pay attention to that so I’d check them into this part of the mill properly. Thankfully they were different than the visitors at the retirement home, but these were people coming in and out of work. So the ones coming in, pretty sure, had an actual time punch they’d have to meet. The people leaving, thankfully, didn’t. They were just in a hurry to go, which I didn’t blame them for.

At least the second day was easier. Well, after a very anxious drive and driving all over the mill just to find the right gatehouse again. Anyway, Tom and I worked together pretty well during my first few days for my on-the-job training. I hit the point where during the last couple hours I was politely signing drivers out of the mill without breaking a sweat. So at least I got the hang of it, mostly.

The third day of my training was in what we called Gate Three with this guy Vick. Thank God it was right there at the entrance I’d been using to get in the place. Unlike the last one, Gatehouse Three was so small that it didn’t even have a water cooler and spigot. ‘Ah, there goes my coffee.’ I remember being surprised that the little bathroom sink was lopsided like it’d been yanked out of the wall.

At the end of the day I finally got my Friday-through-Tuesday schedule, having Wednesday and Thursday off. The tricky thing, though, would be manning the gatehouses alone. ‘No more training for me,’ I thought. ‘That phase is over. Just go to Gate Nine tomorrow, Gate Three on weekends, and do what you’ve been told these last few days.’

1500 - 2300 Hours

•         SUNDAY: Gate 3
•         MONDAY: Gate 9
•         TUESDAY: Gate 9
•         WEDNESDAY: (Day Off)
•         THURSDAY: (Day Off)
•         FRIDAY: Gate 9
•         SATURDAY: Gate 3

All 1500 to 2300 (meaning 3-11pm) shifts. This would be my schedule from now on. And I could still go to the Twin Valley firehouse on Thursdays! This particular Thursday I got to learn how to drive their ATV (having recently taken a seminar with the others), which gave me a pretty cool wake-up call from how tired I was.

Working as a gate guard all alone was definitely different than the last few days. But at least now I knew what to do and how to check people in. The passes for facility employees or contractors were different colors, so I knew which was which. There wasn’t much to it once I got used to the routine. There was only one landline I used it to check in every hour like I was supposed to. That counted reporting for the start and end of my shift.

Being alone for work gave me a relieving sense of peace and quiet. Since it was the later shift when most people were getting out of work instead of into work, a lot of time would go by between cars or trucks coming. Using my VUDU account I was able to watch movies on my iPhone. I’d been encouraged by the patrolmen to bring my phone and/or a book since this second shift went by pretty easily. So let’s just say I was really glad to of brought my phone charger. Otherwise my battery would’ve probably run out in just a few hours.

"SECURE" Part 9 - Wrapping up

With just about every security job I worked over the time I’d been in, especially back at Walmart pushing carts, I’d remind myself how it was a means to an end; till getting a full time job I really wanted. In a way that was true, but still there was another thing that occurred to me once in a while: EVERYTHING is a means to an end. I’d read the book of Revelation. Pretty much the whole world, I tell myself, is a means to an end. Sure, I hope that I won’t be on earth to see John’s visions come true. But still, most stuff in life is temporary and I had to make sure I remembered that. Soon as my decades in this world are up, I’ve told myself, I’ll have eternity in Heaven that I’m pretty sure is gonna make my human life seem like the blink of an eye.

Here’s a funny memory; it was Friday, my first week at Morphotek almost over. This day I was by the cafeteria and kitchen again watching the two doors from the corner. Now these guy’s uniform shirts were blue but (I guess since my jobs were so temporary) I only had my white one. Now when I walked in early enough as usual, with two guards plus our guy in charge of the place, this guy J. Berry pointed that out and the jokes started flying; “Wait he’s wearing white! So he’s our commander in chief...” (he said the white used to be for officers in charge as opposed to the blue). It was hilarious. At least that shift was more relaxing for me. The solitude plus the cameras being fixed on the doors (that’s what I’d gathered from yesterday behind the monitors) gave me a bit more freedom and I could pace the floor talking to myself if I felt like it. I also got to finish my HOBBIT graphic novel, which I was still sure was understandable since I was in one spot all day.

In the workplace it was always awesome to have free coffee in a kitchen right next to me. I didn’t work for or supply the place and didn’t care about what k-cups cost. Sure, I did try to cut back a bit on the coffee, but I took comfort in knowing I had zero responsibility for them (as opposed to the ones my mom uses at home with our Keurig; hence my staying with instant coffee at home) I liked being at the desk in that hallway a lot more than being in front of the monitors. I had more space and didn’t need to talk to anyone but me (and God). I did enjoy talking to myself, which included whispering pieces of movies and shows that just popped into my head.

On the upside, I did figure out how to play back camera footage when I was alone with this one employee. He was looking for someone who hit his car but unfortunately neither of us had time to finish that investigation. But hey, I figured out how the system worked.


It’s a curious thing, being impartial. Anyone else would probably call it a lonely thing but for me it's a relief. Ultimately the rules are the rules. Ask me to sign somebody into a place the right way, or to keep my eyes peeled for anything suspicious, I’m your man. Tell someone off for breaking the rules? You got it. I saw more good in it than bad, since I taking sides has become less and less appealing as I get older. Up to and including God’s commandments, I just want to stick with what is and what isn’t. God and country. That’s it. “I don’t make the rules. I just keep ‘em.”

Unfortunately my last day working security detail was a bunch of other people’s last day too. Disgruntled employees who were pissed off about it was what Jeff wanted me on guard for. Also watching for “piggybacking” where someone would swipe in and just let the next person in with them. Even with the sunshine I had a feeling it would be kind of a gloomy workplace. But thankfully it just felt like any other work day. My relieving officer came in around four, and I went home. And just like that, my days guarding Morphotek were over.

"SECURE" Part 8 - Morphotek

Monday, April 9th.

I was sitting in a corner with a rolling chair and desk, eyes open on both ends of the ninety-degree angle of hallway I was watching. It surrounded a kitchen and cafeteria, while behind me were office/conference rooms. I'd brought my journal and pens, plus snacks in a grocery bag. Right where I sat was by the kitchen so a couple times I seized the chance to use one of the Keurigs to make a mug of coffee.

This site was a pharmaceutical company called Morphotek Inc., where I'd be working for the next two weeks. Of course I was told by my boss here that it was going through changes including the name; Eisai. No idea why, but who am I to judge? I'm no businessman. And I'm not Japanese either.

The security detail was important especially because people worried over a disgruntled former employee. Unfortunately the only photo of the guy was taken ten years ago when he got hired. Anyway, the first day I was able (and expected, actually) to sit down and eat something from my pack in peace. I kept the photo of the former employee to see if I could use the info on it to look for him. Then maybe I'd know what to be on lookout for; if he'd lost weight, shaved his head, stuff like that. I never did find anything, but it kept the gears in my head turning so I wasn't really bored.

"It's a pretty cake job," I was told, though I was also sympathetically warned about my "desolation ultimate." But I told him I didn't mind being in that same spot at all. I figured if he heard me talking that truth for the rest of my time there then maybe I could get put there full-time.

I also, quite a few times over those days, went over to the building across the street and sat behind the desk with this secretary. I got to learn the security camera systems more thoroughly. I asked for that camera part, not my boss. He did, however, tell me to look through the employee handbook in this thick binder. During the time of talking with the secretary and watching the cameras, I read it all through.

Still, sometimes it was tough to avoid dozing off. I was afraid of being asked that stuff so I went for water and coffee throughout the day[s]. Luckily I didn't get 'interrogated' about it, but no way was going to say that I needed the caffeine to make sure I didn't fall asleep. So I spent time thinking of explanations like "I was thirsty and the cameras were still being watched." or "had to use the bathroom after all that water." Perfectly logical.

Being at the monitors felt like a whole other field, mainly since I couldn't talk to myself (it helps me think). But at least since this secretary was already on the job and was free to read a bit of her book now and then, I felt less nervous about having Beowulf with me to take notes on for a script. And of course, I did pay attention for anything weird on the monitors too. I mean, I didn't know anyone's duties of what this place's rules were, so... what? Wait till we get something like a P2 or a couple employees start fighting? So sometimes I think I paid too much attention, if such a thing exists in security work.

Now here's where it got interesting.
I was outside the building with my boss during a cloudy day, having just gotten off the phone with this lady for a full-time spot in Coatesville at a steel mill...

"SECURE" Part 7 - Deterrent

I still have this joke that I'm a watered-down version of a mercenary. Random jobs, random sites.

A while after Shannondell, the day I went on a trip to Elmwood Park Zoo with a friend, I worked security detail; it was at this Timberland store at the Philadelphia Premium Outlets. Apparently the boots in the back of the store were a target for some shoplifting problem; some guys coming in with a garbage bag stealing them. It made perfect sense since they were the most expensive.
"All someone has to do to look suspicious is pick up a box." I said to the lady running me through all this stuff. "Just grab a box, look around at that big wall of boots..." Thankfully we didn't get any shoplifters, but according to this SGT and other officer who came by, these trash bag guys had been coming pretty much each week. In fact, I was told by the woman in charge that some people would swap their own shoes for the ones in the box.
"If they weren't the bad guys I'd praise them for their cleverness."
"Yeah that's the problem." she said. "It's their job, pretty much how they make a living."

I was a deterrent there a bunch of times for five hours per day and it wasn't a consistent schedule. Neither was this FedEx place in King of Prussia; I'd have never made it there on my own since the GPS wouldn't take the address.

The FedEx place that went four to midnight was a pretty good one. When I was told there had to be at least two officers holding down the fort, as a rule, I thought 'This is already better than Shannondell's gate duty.' I got to wand people out of the building and check in these big tractor trailers. There were certain numbers on the trucks I'd have to write down on a paper, and the consistency of it would tire me out sometimes. But like I said, it was better than the last gatehouse.
The guy who'd shown me around offered to 'help me out' and take a turn checking drivers in. In fact he did that twice. I didn't want to seem like I was taking advantage of his kindness, but I was tired and freezing so who was I to turn that down?

Doing the FedEx place, plus doing Timberland five hours per day again over the next three days, it felt like a mix between odd jobs and military. "Then it's off to wherever they want me next," I'd say to myself. I just prayed to God I'd get a full-time set-in-stone job soon.

All I could do at Timberland, really, was stand there in uniform and hope it discouraged people from doing anything stupid. And that was for five hours straight with no meal break or permission to sit down.
The FedEx place, at least, gave me room to breathe. At least with another officer or two there, there was a bit of camaraderie. Not as much as at the Twin Valley Fire Dept. but at least I could chat now and again.
My last day working the Timberland store, there actually were a couple different groups of guys that seemed suspicious to me and to the cashier, but after a while it turned out to be nothing. Still, at least it was a good long while of not-boring security detail.

How many odd jobs would I have to do before going full-time?

"SECURE" Part 6 - My Last P2

The last half of that shift while I was on patrol, I got two different P2 calls on my radio. One turned out to be a guy bumping the emergency button on his wrist by accident. The other medical call I went to was more serious, though. I got an urgent call from the concierge desk and went to where I was told. Immediately as I turned the corner to the apartment, I was a bit startled. One elderly lady was standing over the other who'd fallen and was laying with her head on a pillow. Her walker was nearby. Apparently the she'd been found like this about ten minutes ago, and the lady who came out gave her a pillow.

Over the radio my boss told me the police and EMS were on their way. I couldn't do anything to or for the lady who fell since I was a guard. All I could do, I told them, was watch over them and try to keep things from getting worse.

A cop with a good demeanor came and helped her into a sitting position. She told me she left her keys in her apartment too (we responded to calls like that a lot too), so I took care of that with the thick ring of keys hung at my waist. This was Addison building, first letter of the alphabet, so key 1 would open the doors in this resident building. Key 2 would open any in Brighton, and so forth.

When I got back to the scene, the paramedics had come with a gurney and one of them asked if I'd found the woman's vial of life. So I went back to the apartment to the fridge, grabbed the orange bottle that looked like a vitamin bottle and took the piece of paper out. I took a picture of it on my phone so I could use the information on it for my report.

I didn't leave until the lady was in her apartment and able to get off her walker into a living room chair. The EMS was gone now since there were no injuries, but still I waited. The last thing any of us needed was for the same thing to happen again right when all our backs were turned.

After finishing my two Clubhouse tours, checking them out and all, I had just enough time to fill out my reports. After that I handed in my Shannondell access card. Since I was still with Allied Universal, that card was all I had to turn in.

March twenty-seventh. I'd lasted about 2 1/2 weeks eight hours a day five days a week. But for now, I was off. For now, it was time to hang up the uniform.

I shook hands with my boss on a positive note and left the Shannondell gatehouse, never to go back.

"SECURE" Part 5 - This is the last time...

"...gate duty, it's killin' him."
My boss was talking to this other Allied office guy when we were in the gatehouse, suggesting I should be transferred to a spot I'd do a good job at and closer to home. "This site isn't for you," I was told. Though I hated to admit it (since I got the hang of a lot of it) he was right. Multitasking in the gatehouse alone was too much. I mean, can you blame me? Radio "chats", both landlines, two of the four monitors, cars waiting in line outside... they were all unpredictable. Having to answer calls while there was a car I had to check in was annoying. At least, like I said, most of the people were nice.

Long story short, the two guys decided to find a new workspace for me somewhere like Pottstown. According to them it'd be less complicated and would mostly involve foot and vehicle patrol. At the mill I was only really at peace when I did my tours.
The only problem was that we had to wait for someone else to come and replace me first. 'That could take weeks.'

It felt like forever, but one day my boss went outside the gatehouse and came back telling me "This is your last day here." My last day at Shannondell Retirement, with the office looking to transfer me. So I just had to be patient again. But hey, I figured it was better than being stressed at the gate.

"SECURE" Part 4 - Residents

Gatehouse duty was pretty much the reason things were tough for me at that place. Residents needed an access card to get through the gate, and there was another one that visitors drove through. Without that card, we'd have to look them up in this "Resident Information" folder on one of our monitors, then a folder with their pictures and names. Using a driver's license to look someone up also came in handy. Most of them had that pass so it was less complicated, like the people visiting someone in Rehab too.

With agencies or services (like Uber drivers), we had to know exactly where they came from and were going. Same with emergency vehicles when we got a P2. A P2 is what we called a medical emergency, whereas a P1 was for fire.

Still, gate duty from 4pm to 8pm was NOT for slackers. I still have no idea how any officer can handle that particular spot by themselves during such busy hours. You'd have people coming in with or without a pass, have to look up visitors on a monitor or paper, answer two different landlines, pay attention to the radio in case you need to add to action report, etc. The first time I did that alone, two different times I had a long line of cars and horns honking. Eventually, though, another couple officers came in for assistance which I was (and still am) grateful for.

I remember one time at night when it wasn't so hectic, I got a call on the main landline from this girl who was coming for work at the nursing station. After establishing I was with security she told me there was some man giving her road rage; following her down the road, hoking, and I think he blocked her too; wouldn't let her pass or something. Even though she didn't say so, I could tell she was nervous tone that she wanted to know if I saw anything weird.
"When was this?"
"Around 10:50."
"Now do you know for sure if it was a man...?"
"It was a man."
Now as I was asking her that, I saw on the Visitor's grid some dude I'd checked in at 10:51. "Did you get a look at him? Any idea what he looked like?" Nope. She didn't have any other details since it was pitch dark. I told her the info on the guy I'd checked in, but since she didn't have anything else to go on with what she saw, I didn't bother worrying the other officers.

Oh. Here's where things got REAL fun.
 >:(
This lady pulled up to visit her mother who was a resident instead of a rehab patient (like she'd given me the impression of). So I asked for a name put it on the visitor's grid on the monitor, and when I said it wasn't there she shouted "that's her name!" So I asked for this lady's name, and I tried to check her in. NOT VALID, it said. Past due date or something. While this went on the radio went off a few times and I had to write something into the Action/Incident Report. I also radioed one of the officers saying what was going on.
The last thing I tried was asking which apartment so I could find it in this other packet. The lady very begrudgingly answered and so I dialed her mother's extension. "your daughter's here to see you..." "just calling to verify that you're here..."
Literally just before I could open the gate to let this lady in, the other officer came to try and sort things out. But she got even madder. According to her it took me twelve minutes to find her mother, and she pointed me out as a moron very colorfully... 'Hey, watch your mouth, lady' I thought angrily.
"He's fairly new."
Yeah I know he stood up for me for that moment but still I wished he hadn't; I already had it under control when he showed up, and I felt about three feet smaller by the fact that he even felt the need to point that out. 'Aw great,' I thought. 'I'm still the new guy.'
Thankfully when he let her in and she was gone he agreed with me completely; "She can go kick rocks." he said.

When working jobs like this, whether it's security or legit policework, you gotta put up with people who'll give you all kinds of crap however well you [try to] do your job. I did everything I'd been taught to, but a ton of people just didn't care. They just wanted to get right in. At least most of the people I signed in were nice and patient.

After that chaos I got a call from the nurse station about the employee who'd been followed around. I figured it was the same guy but no one could be sure. Anyway they couldn't find anyone with those details so this lady must've been suspicious as I was.
'If this isn't someone who lives or works here,' I thought. 'then what's her name doing on the visitor grid...?'

"SECURE" Part 3 - Day in the Life of...

It was pretty common to get calls while on a tour. I remember being on one with this girl who was pointing out where the buttons were (I was always getting mixed up) and we'd gotten a few calls to knock on some residents' doors and help them out. I remember throughout my job, even later on doing tours by myself, responding to such calls. A real common occurrence was the resident being "unreachable," meaning they weren't answering their phones and the caller was concerned. This time, however, this resident's aid (who we were figured was dying or something) was fine in the end. Another call was about trouble with his remote; a Marine vet from 1943. "World War Two, Korea, and Vietnam," he answered when I asked if the brown-and-white picture was of him. I remember shaking his hand and sincerely thanking him for his apparently long time of service.
We got a call like that for two different apartments.

Doing tours on my own took quite a while for me to get used to since just about everything looked the same. We had "L buildings" and "T buildings" as we called them, by the shape. It was so disorienting, making sure I hit all the buttons in the right order, that I had to use the compass on my phone to know where to go. There were times I wouldn't even have the chance to finish a tour. Thank God my boss assured me it'd get easier with practice (instead of getting all in my face about it). It was always a relief when I was able to just do an "L building." Then it was easier to remember which way was North and East or South and West.
I had a folder full of papers, maps of the whole retirement community, and just about anything else I'd need to remember. In a way it was like being in school except just one class. Come to think of it, it was like a commuter boot but without being shouted at.

Question;
Who likes paperwork? Anyone? Show of hands...? No? I didn't think so.
Filling out my initials and full name in I-lost-count-of-how-many different papers was tedious. Any form of paperwork is, which I'm sure any officer (security or police) will tell you.

"SECURE" Part 2 - On the Job Training

Now I know what you're probably thinking when I say 'protector.'
"Remember, Derek, you're a security officer, not a cop." Well, duh. It had way less responsibilities than police here, but that didn't make doing the job less important. At least not in my eyes. We still had quite a bit to do. We had

- Radios
- Report Writing
- Scanning people in
- Making sure no one was in trouble
- Keeping our eyes open for trespassers

People's reasons for coming always varied so there were a bunch of different procedures to follow depending on what they were for. So yeah. It's not like we just sat in front of a monitor and pushed a few buttons (though we DID have that). This former army ranger, real puzzle-piece-at-a-time kind of guy, led me on my first lockup of one of the two buildings we called the Clubhouses. I felt I could take his word for it.

On the job training was three days. The gatehouse had plenty of resources and duties; online learning, driving, patrol, working with our radios, plus in the gatehouse one of our (I think it was three) landlines solely to let people in. Each of those landlines had its own function and sometimes a couple of them would go off really close together. To this day, having all those landlines plus the report writing about what the officers outside are doing (via radio communication) makes me wish there was a rule about there being at least two officers in that gatehouse.

And OF COURSE I'm sure everyone's favorite part of OJT (on the job training) is the "get lost" tour. For that I had a clipboard and list of buildings and what to find; ex. Highland House 6th Floor, So when I found the right spot I'd unclip the radio from my belt and say "Security to gate, Highland, 6th floor," then one of the guys would respond by stating the time I did it, like "2247" and I'd write that down. "10-4" I'd say back. 10-4 was our version of "ok" or "copy" though you probably know that already.

Anyway, the name of that tour is no joke. It was all on foot and I did get lost about a billion times, especially at the end where I had to look for something in one of the two huge Clubhouses (Ashcroft and Bradford). They were pretty much twins and easy to mix up even when using a map.

I even lost my radio! Somehow it fell off my belt, I had to walk all the way back to the gate for a new one, but later I found the other radio laying in the snow. I did this by "keying in" which is where you push the call button to get a noise from the other one. But once I found it, "Security to gate; I found the other radio," But yeah. Get lost tour? Not a title to take lightly, man.

"SECURE" Part 1- First Uniformed

All right. So after SO many interviews, calls, schedule conflicts, rejections ('cause of dudes with more experience) and so forth, I got into Allied Universal Security Services on March 9th the day before my 24th birthday.

Day One; Orientation, finding the retirement home so I'd know how to get there on time, then stopping at Dunkin Donuts while I was still early. I remember sitting at a booth table watching Camp X-Ray on my phone with a cup of black coffee, and then driving back to where I was so I could park and get inside. And it was very cold, so once I had my uniform and badge on I needed my nylon bomber jacket.
Yeah. One uniform shirt, and no black pants. No spares. Maybe they didn't have anything else in my size or something, but at the time it was about the dumbest thing I'd seen in the work force.
For some reason at orientation I'd been given ONE white long-sleeve shirt, badge and jacket. My brown hiking boots sufficed till I could at some point get a pair of black ones, and thankfully I'd worn black pants to orientation. So at least I didn't look like some kid the guards plucked off the street.

Once I'd emerged from a stall with my uniform on, I saw an officer in the bathroom mirror. I definitely felt older, like taking another step on the career ladder so to speak.
Since it was my first day it was mostly spent riding around with this one officer showing me around the place doing security tours; on foot and in their pickup truck. On foot we'd go inside a building and hit a few buttons on each floor (in a closet, stairwell, electrical room, etc.) with this small metal wand. I don't know how it works but it pretty much verified that you checked out that area.

Now, my shift was from 4pm to midnight (1600 - 0000). Security guards/officers don't really get meal breaks. You just eat and drink when you can, so I brought whatever I could in a grocery bag. Half the shift would involve checking people in through the gate while some officers did site tours. After those four hours we'd switch positions and check out the buildings that hadn't been secured already. I always liked being on patrol the best. Gate duty was hectic so it was better from 8 to midnight.

I said to myself I day one "this is my life now," that this was my first full-time job and I planned to keep it for as long as possible. I finally had a job where I was a protector in a few ways, like responding to emergencies while on tours and such.