Security Officer Training for Buffalo & Rochester, NY

8-Hour Pre-Assignment Training Course for Security Guards ($75.00) 

This is an 8-hour course required by New York State as the first step in obtaining a security guard registration card from the NYS Department of State. The course provides the student with a general overview of the duties and responsibilities of a security guard. Topics covered in this course include the role of the security guard, legal powers and limitations, emergency situations, communications and public relations, access control, and ethics and conduct. The passing of an examination is required for successful completion of this course.

16-Hour On-the-Job Training Course for Security Guards ($140.00)

This is a 16-hour course that must be completed within 90 days of employment as a security guard. The course provides the student with detailed information on the duties and responsibilities of a security guard. Topics covered in this course include the role of the security guard, legal powers and limitations, emergency situations, communications and public relations, access control, ethics and conduct, incident command system, and terrorism. The passing of an examination is required for successful completion of this course.

8-Hour Annual In-service Training Course for Security Guards ($75.00)

This is an 8-hour course that must be completed within 12 calendar months from completion of the 16-Hour On-the-Job Training Course for Security Guards, and annually thereafter. The course is structured to provide the student with updated and enhanced information on the duties and responsibilities of a security guard. Topics include the role of the security guard, legal powers and limitations, emergency situations, communications and public relations, access control, and ethics and conduct. 

47-Hour Firearms Training ($525.00)

This course is designed by the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Security Guard Program. The completion of this course allows the applicant to apply for their Armed Security Guard Card. This course includes seven hours of classroom instruction in the use of force (NYS Penal Law Art.35), followed by a written examination and 40 hours on the firing range, followed by weapons qualification. (Service-caliber handgun required.)

Advanced Armed Guard Training ($200.00)

This course is designed for the armed guard after completing the 47-Hour Firearms Course. It picks up where the state minimum training ended. This course is a two-day course, focusing on advanced techniques. A brief review and marksmanship/gun handling skills “tune-up” will be conducted initially. Performance will be elevated to an extremely high level by pushing the balance of accuracy versus speed shooting against stationary, multiple, and moving targets. Other subjects featured include weapon retention techniques, shooting difficult targets, close-range emergency reaction, reflexive malfunction clearance, holstering/shooting from different positions, movement techniques within confined areas, and utilization of cover and concealment. (Service-caliber handgun required.)

Annual Firearms Renewal ($150.00)

This course is designed by the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Security Guard Program. Armed guards must complete this course annually. It includes three hours of classroom refresher on the use of force, followed by a written examination and five hours of weapons qualification, which includes a proficiency examination. (Service-caliber handgun required.)

Handcuffing, Search, & Escort Techniques ($75.00) - Four Hours

Take both the Handcuffing and Self Defense Spray courses for $100. A $20 savings!

Topics include: Overview of New York State Laws, Powers of Arrest, and compliant and non-compliant handcuffing. Students will become familiar with handcuff nomenclature and basic and advanced handcuffing techniques. This course also teaches students the proper procedures for searching a handcuffed prisoner, as well as escorting a suspect after arrest in a safe and effective manner. Real life arrest-handcuffing situations will be introduced to the student. This course will provide tools for security officers to use reasonable force.

Advanced Report Writing For Security ($75.00) - Four Hours  

Report writing is an essential part of the security guard’s responsibilities in the field. This course teaches the student how to prepare field notes, security log sheets, and incident reports. Activities and role plays are introduced to the student who will be responsible for taking notes and writing reports that are accurate and concise. Grammar, spelling, and sentence structure will be covered as a part of this curriculum.

Conflict Management for Security Forces/Loss Prevention 

Our security guard company created this course and it was specifically designed for security forces and loss prevention personnel on how to deal with conflict when employed in the security field. This course teaches the student how to recognize different personality types as well as successfully defuse potentially-violent situations. The designer of this course is a 25-year veteran of law enforcement and has vast experience in dealing with various situations involving non-compliant persons and hostile situations. The course involves role plays where numerous real-life situations are presented to the students to see how they react. Students will also learn the six common strategies which can be used to resolve conflict.

Basic Interviewing Skills

In this course, the student will learn basic interviewing skills. Many security guards and loss prevention personnel are required to interview witnesses of crimes or other incidents that occur at their place of employment. Security guards are also responsible for making arrests involving theft and trespass. The student will learn the skills needed to interview suspects who are taken into physical custody for the purpose of obtaining both an oral and written confession. Students will learn the proper way to take written statements for the purpose of successful court prosecution, as well as the legalities involved pertaining to New York State laws. Role plays dealing with real-life situations involving suspect and witness interviews will be completed by the student.

Self Defense Training Spray Techniques ($75.00) - Four Hours

Take both the Handcuffing and Self Defense Spray courses for $100. A $20 savings!

Participants will learn the required skills and techniques necessary for the proper use of pepper spray, as well as NYS laws of arrest relating to use of force by security personnel. Learn techniques to control violent, aggressive behavior, including the use of pepper spray. Participants will also learn multiple methods for the decontamination of pepper spray, whether the spray was direct or indirect, to reduce personal injuries to officers, subjects, and the general public.

Defensive Tactics — Self Defense

This class offers basic self defense training skills to the student. The use of force continuum, along with verbal commands, defensive counterstrikes, pressure points, and weapon retention/disarming, will all be covered in this hands-on portion of the training. All of our instructors have completed a 40-hour PPCT Defensive Tactics Instructor Certification. PPCT is a nationally-recognized defensive tactics program which is taught to many law enforcement agencies and government entities around the country. Real-life situations involving hostile individuals will be introduced to the student.

Women’s Self Defense Class

BLACKHAWK Training Academy has designed a reality-based self defense course for women. Discover how simple it is to be empowered mentally and physically with new confidence that lasts a lifetime. 

Personal safety is about learning to minimize your risk of being assaulted or attacked. It also teaches you ways to be safe and smart when traveling alone. We teach realistic physical techniques and skills that can be mastered through clear illustrations and hands-on methods of protecting yourself in potentially-violent situations.  

Our qualified instructors will show you the proper methods of how to defend yourself in a variety of real-life situations. You will learn how to defend against the most common types of attacks on women, as well as the offensive techniques for fighting back.

The basic self defense course will consist of the following: situational awareness, defensive tactics, basic fighting skills, and how to recognize and avoid attacks.