 You may be looking for the right job in todays market. And seeing a lot of different job posting for this position or that position. It might be time for you to stop looking for a job and start looking for a career. Have you ever considered pursuing a career as a security guard?
The security industry has proven itself to be a sound choice. The demand for certified guards is on the upswing. This is due to a few factors. One, our cities and business centers are growing. The need for individuals to fill positions is on the rise. Businesses are looking for people trained to protect others and property. The simple presence of a security guard can deter individuals, looking to cause upset or disruption. Another reason the demand has increased recently is due to the pandemic we are all in right now. There has been an increase in positions to cover monitoring environments to ensure health safety regulations and rules are being upheld. The demand on the industry may continue for some time into the future. This is a good time to consider becoming part of that industry. And you can be proud of the choice, as it is truly serving the public and protecting them. If you are interested in this career, the first thing you should do is check to see what the requirements are in your province. Each province will have their own regulations about education and certification. For Alberta, specifically, you need to be 18 years of age and speak fluent English. You should also have a clean criminal record. And, in addition, you may need a clean drivers abstract – if the position you apply to requires you to drive a vehicle to patrol a specific area. Proper education is required to operate as a security guard. You will need to complete a basic security guard training program (in Alberta this is called Alberta Basic Security Training). You can find accredited training programs that are offering in class sessions or online sessions. The course is a 40 hour module training that covers off all aspects of the security industry, as well as CPR and First Aid training. Check your local listing online for companies offering this training and what their class commencement dates are. The fees may vary between training companies and will most often be payable upon the first day of classes. This basic training will prepare you to advance so that you can write the provincial licensing exam. Once you completed the basic training, you will be given a training completion number. This number will allow you to register to write the final licensing exam. You will be given 3 attempts to successfully pass the licensing exam. But do not worry too much about that. The basic training course will provide preparation for this exam as part of their curriculum, to ensure you are prepared to take it. Once you have successfully passed this, you can apply for your license in the province or territory you live in. And once you receive the license in the mail, you are all set to start applying for security guard positions. A Security Guard career may not be suited for everyone. You have to take a personal assessment of some of your strengths and qualities. Are you law abiding by nature? You will have to be so as to act accordingly per your license. Are you able to handle stress? While you may see days without any incidents, you may encounter the day when you will have to put aside all stress and be a first responder to something on your shift. Are you dedicated to serving the public and others? You may be the first person people contact because of the uniform you are wearing. They may be looking for directions, assistance, or protection. You need to be committed to serving them the best that you can. Can you communicate clearly? You are going to need to give instructions to others so that details are clear. You will also need to write down information in a clear manner, so that others will be able to understand. You are going to need to be able to promote an image of trust and confidence for those around you. You will be called upon and will need to respond in a way that will provide others a sense of security. Many businesses will use a Security Company to handle their personnel requirements. You may find some positions that are advertised by independent business owners. But the majority of job posting you will find with specific Security Service Providers. They hire security guards and dispatch them to specific locations for their clients. There are lots of areas to advance within these Security Companies. Entry positions will most often be security guards. But you can work your way upward to Lead Team positions, Area Supervisors, Divisional Management, and right up to Executive positions. Or if you have an entrepreneur spirit, you could eventually start your own Security Services Company! But the first step on this career path is to get your training done. If you are interested in this, it’s time for you to go out and find a security guard training class and register! A bright future may be waiting for you. You just have to start!  You have an asphalt project in the planning. You get in touch with the contractors to do the work. They get you the quote you agree upon and schedule you in for the work. The day of the scheduled work, you get a call from the contractors. They have to postpone the job until the weather is better. This isn’t because they don’t want to work in the rain. They cannot produce results that will meet expectations due to the rain.
We get that you can be frustrated. We would be as well. But unfortunately, weather is beyond anyone’s control. And believe us when we say, the contractor is more eager to complete your scheduled work than you are. They most likely have other jobs to get to once yours is completed. But they cannot risk doing a sloppy job. So, sometimes, they do need to be creative and reschedule projects. The first thing an asphalt contractor will do, before rescheduling work, is determine what work is needed. If it is something that is quick enough to complete and not weather restricted, they may go ahead as planned. Maybe the rain isn’t scheduled to arrive in your area until later. Maybe they can get your pothole patching done. Or your crack sealing done. But if it is involving a more intense work effort, complete with crew and equipment, that may be better executed after the imminent weather passes through your area. Sometimes it is just not feasible to start this size of a project in the morning and have to call back all equipment and crew by noon. Some asphalt companies pride themselves in being pretty good at watching and reacting to weather forecasts daily. And they should be monitoring weather patterns! They are really watching for precipitation forecasts, the areas expecting the rain, and the time that the showers are suppose to occur. While not every forecast is spot on, it is a valuable tool that these asphalt companies use. After all, weather can put the best of plans to the side. Why can’t they just plow through the rain! Surely they have weather protective gear! Of course they do. But it isn’t about getting the job done at any cost. It is about getting the job done correctly. And rain and asphalt do not mix. Especially fresh asphalt. Asphalt contains oil. And when the oil and rain mix, it’s not a good outcome. The rain causes the oil to rise to the surface of fresh asphalt. And this causes a lot of issues when it comes to the curing process of the asphalt. The quality of the work diminishes, and no one wants that. We also have to take into consideration the subsoil, on which the asphalt is to be paved. If it is wet from recent rain, this does not create a sturdy, flat surface to pave. The subsoil, when wet will be weaker and shift to the wait of the asphalt on top. Which will lead to cracks and defects. Another thing that you want to avoid as well. The subsoil should be completely dry when paving asphalt on top of it. The paving company should always be concerned about their ability to produce quality results. So, you should trust them when they make the call on whether to proceed or to call off the day’s scheduled jobs. If they show up early in the morning but by early afternoon are sending the crew home, there’s your weather forecast right there. But if you hear that rain is in the forecast and they are still working, don’t be alarmed. They are monitoring weather patterns and radar. Maybe the rain will miss your area. The foreman, who is in touch with the base of operations, will be in the know, if they need to stop or carry on. Now, every asphalt paving company has had to reschedule work due to the weather. And this can get a bit tricky, especially with contract deadlines and schedule conflicts. Every attempt and every resource will be in action, to get all projects back on track. But sometimes the delay can be more than a day or two. It all depends on the weather and we all know that we just don’t have control of that. But a good asphalt paving company will have all lines of communication open with clients and project managers. When an unavoidable delay is expected, that will push the completion date, this needs to be clearly communicated to the client. After all, other services to be completed after the paving will be further pushed as well. Keeping everyone in the know helps to get things back on track quicker. As frustrating as it may be to have asphalt work delayed, remember the name of the game is quality. The outcome has to be quality work. For you, as the client, and for the paving company as their reputation is important to them. Just chalk up any delay as a “rain day”!  We are now, more than ever, in need of solid waste reduction education and implementation. Our community needs to be focused in on the most environmentally, economic and social focused solutions to maintain our environment within the community that we live in.
Edmonton Junk Removal has been an advocate for The Zero Waste Framework proposed by the City of Edmonton in recent years. They feel that this framework could have a real impact for the future generations, if we take the time now to educate and implement best practices. But, according to them, the time is now to promote these strategies. “It is really exciting to see the framework beginning to take shape now, especially for the future generations that will follow.” The Zero Waste Framework really brings to light the need to identify, from most preferred and least preferred methods of managing waste in the city of Edmonton. Here is a run down on those preferred methods, from top to bottom. 1. Rethink/Redesign Manufacturers and distributors are encouraged to look at product and product packaging to promote the use of fully recyclable or compostable materials so that they don’t just end up in the landfill. Consumers are encouraged to purchase items that can be repaired, recycled, or even shared within the communities. Being mindful of the environment, from both the producer and manufacturers, and the consumers. 2. Reduce Consumers can be proactive when purchasing items that have less packaging that will end up being discarded. Using reusable shopping bags at the grocery stores and when shopping overall. Try to go “bagless” when mowing the lawn. It’s actually good for the lawn anyways. Avoid purchasing items that you really don’t need. Think about what you already have and how you can use it instead. 3. Reuse Try to use items fully, to the end of their expected life cycle. If you have items that do have remaining life, donate them or resell them. When you are thinking about replacing items, try looking for pre-owned items. Get creative! You may discover many other uses for an item that never occurred to you before. 4. Recycle/Compost Explore opportunities to turn waste into new products. This can be done by mechanical, chemical, or biological processes. Food waste can be composted to provide a great food source for your gardens and yards. 5. Recover With enough technology developments and progressive research, we can begin to fully identify and recover materials that are found in waste that are not as yet recyclable or compostable. We can focus on ways to turn those materials into environmentally friendly materials or identify ways to recover and reuse. 6. Residual Management Working to fully manage our overcrowded landfills, identifying resources that will expand the capacity and lifecycle of the current ones, and developing new and effective guidelines for new ones in the future. These methods of waste management, from most preferred and downward, are all things that we should be placing first and foremost in mind. Every company, whether environmentally focused or not, has a responsibility to the community they serve. And the constituents of those communities also have a responsibility. Edmonton Junk Removal Service encourages all persons become fully aware of their part in the future of managing waste in the city they call home. Do it for the future generations that will come to call Edmonton home. |