In a security context, what does it mean to deter someone?
Based on: MSGTP Manual, Unit 1 Duties: Words to Know
Manitoba Security Guard Licence Exam · Duties
Manitoba Security Guard Exam: Duties and Responsibilities (2026)
A security guard's core job in Manitoba is to protect people, property and information, and to do it mainly by observing, deterring and reporting. The MSGTP manual's first unit sets out these general duties, explains how hired security differs from police protection, and describes the site paperwork that tells a guard exactly what to do: post orders and standard operating procedures. A guard may be responsible for property worth as much as several million dollars, so the manual treats these duties as serious work, not busywork.
Practice
Free practice questions
Which statement about the number of security guards in Canada is accurate?
Based on: MSGTP Manual, Unit 1 Duties: General Duties and Responsibilities
Beyond simply seeing things, what does observing properly require of a security guard?
Based on: MSGTP Manual, Unit 1 Duties: Observing and reporting
What is the single most powerful factor that discourages most criminals from acting illegally on a guarded site?
Based on: MSGTP Manual, Unit 1 Duties: Deterring and detecting crime
On a site such as a mall where a guard is in constant contact with the public, what is most important?
Based on: MSGTP Manual, Unit 1 Duties: Keeping good public relations
What two written plans should every site have to guide a guard's response when an emergency happens?
Based on: MSGTP Manual, Unit 1 Duties: Responding to emergencies
When a client is worried that workers are taking goods or information from the site, what may a guard be asked to do?
Based on: MSGTP Manual, Unit 1 Duties: Controlling access and using alarm systems
What is one key advantage of patrolling a site rather than staying in one place?
Based on: MSGTP Manual, Unit 1 Duties: Patrolling
Apart from directing traffic within the site, when else might a guard be asked to direct traffic?
Based on: MSGTP Manual, Unit 1 Duties: Controlling traffic
What are the main duties of a security guard in all situations?
Based on: MSGTP Manual, Unit 1 Duties: Finding and reporting safety hazards
What a security guard protects, and why it matters
The manual frames the whole job around one phrase: the protection of people, property and information. That is a wider brief than most people expect. Property can be worth as much as several million dollars, information can be confidential or restricted, and people include the client, staff and the public. The manual also puts the role in perspective. There are more security guards in Canada than there are police officers, and the two do different things. Police protection is provided to everyone free of charge, while a security guard is hired by a client for extra protection. The client, in the manual's own definition, is the owner or landlord at the place where you are working. Understanding that you serve a client, but must still treat the public fairly, is the starting point for every other duty in the unit.
Observe, deter and report
Most of a guard's day comes down to three verbs. To observe, the manual explains, is not simply to see: it means watching very carefully and noting what you see, paying attention to things you might not usually notice. To deter means to prevent or discourage someone from doing something, which is why a visible uniformed guard reduces crime just by being present. Reporting closes the loop by turning what you observed into a record others can act on. The manual defines the supporting vocabulary precisely so there is no ambiguity on the exam. Evidence is anything that proves something or gives a reason for believing something. A hazard is simply a danger. An intruder is someone who has entered an area where they are not supposed to be. To enforce a rule is to make sure that the rule or regulation is followed, and to evacuate is to empty an area or get people to leave it. Each of these words shows up in exam questions in its exact manual meaning.
Post orders and standard operating procedures
A guard is rarely left to improvise. Two documents govern the site. Post orders are the specific instructions for a particular post, and standard operating procedures are the settled ways of handling routine and emergency situations. The manual defines a procedure plainly as a way of doing things, and defines guidance as advice or information for solving a problem or difficulty. It also defines what it means to be responsible: being in charge and likely to take the blame if anything goes wrong. That last definition explains why post orders matter so much. When a guard follows the documented procedure, responsibility is shared with the system; when a guard freelances, the blame lands on the guard. The exam tests whether you know that the correct first move in an unfamiliar situation is usually to check the post orders and standard operating procedures rather than to guess.
The everyday duties list
Unit 1 also enumerates the concrete tasks a guard performs. These are the duties that fill a shift, and the exam expects you to recognise each one as part of the job:
- Controlling access and using alarm systems, so only authorised people reach controlled areas.
- Controlling traffic on and around the site.
- Deterring and detecting crime, and finding and reporting safety hazards before they cause harm.
- Keeping good public relations, since a guard is often the first person the public meets.
- Responding to emergencies, protecting confidentiality, and guarding against computer crime.
| Point | Police | Security guard |
|---|---|---|
| Who is protected | Everyone in the community | The client who hires the guard |
| Cost to the public | Provided free of charge | Paid for by the client as extra protection |
| Numbers in Canada | Fewer than security guards | More guards than police officers |
| Main focus | Broad public protection | Observing, deterring and reporting on a specific site |
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What are the main duties of a security guard in Manitoba?
In Manitoba, the MSGTP manual (Unit 1) states that a security guard's core duty is the protection of people, property and information, carried out mainly by observing, deterring and reporting. Day to day this includes controlling access, using alarm systems, controlling traffic, detecting crime, finding and reporting hazards, responding to emergencies and keeping good public relations.
What does it mean to deter in security work?
In Manitoba, the MSGTP manual (Unit 1) defines to deter as to prevent or discourage someone from doing something. A uniformed guard deters crime simply by being visible, because the presence of authority discourages people from acting. Deterrence is one of the three core duties the manual emphasises, alongside observing and reporting.
What are post orders for a security guard?
In Manitoba, the MSGTP manual (Unit 1) describes post orders and standard operating procedures as the instructions that tell a guard exactly what to do at a site. A procedure is defined as a way of doing things, so when a guard is unsure, the correct first step is usually to check the post orders rather than improvise.
How is a security guard different from a police officer?
In Manitoba, the MSGTP manual (Unit 1) explains that police protection is provided to everyone free of charge, while a security guard is hired by a client for extra protection. The manual also notes there are more security guards in Canada than police officers, and a guard may be responsible for property worth as much as several million dollars.
Practice questions