LL124: Role of the Security Guard in Serving Homeless Shelter Clients $500.00
Homelessness is a major problem in large cities across the United States. In New York City, residents of homeless shelters are protected by Coordinators of Fire Safety and Alarm Systems Certificate of Fitness Holders F-80 and Fire Guards for Homeless Shelters Certificate of Fitness Holders F-02. Both of these individuals work in homeless shelters every day.
Local Law 124 of 2021 states that "Covered Guards", which means security guards and fire guards "shall receive 40 hours of training within 120 days of hire."
The course content is to include "(i) techniques for interactions with individuals experiencing homelessness and those individuals in a mental health emergency or crisis; (ii) sexual harassment prevention; and (iii) training on best practices for improving interactions between shelter employees and clients of the department. Such training shall include techniques to improve professionalism, increase cultural sensitivity, de-escalate conflict, and use trauma-informed theory."
"The shelter operator shall ensure that each covered guard employed by or under contract with the shelter operator annually completes an eight-hour refresher training of which at least two hours must be techniques for interactions with individuals experiencing homelessness and those individuals in a mental health emergency or crisis."
Such covered guards must be "paid at their regular hourly rate while receiving such training. Such training requirement shall be deemed a material term of such contract."
"Beginning no later than September 1, 2023, and every September 1 thereafter, shelter operators shall submit to the commissioner a quarterly report regarding the number of covered guards employed by or under contract with the shelter operator who have completed the trainings required under this section. The shelter operator shall provide the department with an annual certification to verify compliance with such training requirements."