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Staffed post
An armed or unarmed officer at one entrance.
- Best for
- Emergency department entrances, lobbies, clinic front desks
- You receive
- Activity and incident reports with time-stamped photos
- Priced by
- Hours and officer type
Hospital security services for facility and clinic managers
Healthcare Security Services for California Hospitals and Clinics
Healthcare security services for your hospital, emergency department or clinic: armed, unarmed and patrol coverage options. California license: PPO #121572.
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INC. 50002025 & 2026
Two years on the list
Healthcare security services: who owns what
Hospitals, clinics and medical buildings divide duties differently; post orders name who owns what.
Hospitals and emergency departments
Public entrances stay busy at all hours, and your security plan sets officer priorities.
Usual starting point
Staffed posts each shift, plus parking patrols.
What you're accountable for
- Your annual security assessment and plan
- Workplace violence plan and incident log
- Clinical decisions and patient care
- Badge rules and restricted-area lists
What the officer takes on
- Visitor management at main and emergency department entrances
- Visitor escort to care units
- Patrols of corridors, stairwells and parking
- Observe and report aggressive behavior
- Incident reports with time-stamped photos
Clinics and urgent care centers
Clinic security guards usually watch one front desk, set hours and closing time.
Usual starting point
Staffed post during clinic hours, patrols after closing.
What you're accountable for
- Patient check-in process and front desk rules
- Medication and records storage
- Who to call during an incident
- Clinic hours, closures and after-hours appointments
What the officer takes on
- Waiting room presence and visitor control
- Watch for disturbances at the front desk
- Escorts to cars for staff after closing
- Parking lot checks during evening hours
- Door and lock checks at closing
- Daily activity reports to the clinic administrator
Multi-tenant medical buildings and campuses
Several practices share lobbies, elevators and parking, so building rules must work for every tenant.
Usual starting point
Lobby post during business hours, with patrols after hours.
What you're accountable for
- Tenant rules and contacts
- After-hours access lists for tenants and vendors
- Lobby and door hours
- CCTV and alarm systems
What the officer takes on
- Lobby check-in and directions for patients
- After-hours door checks and tenant access verification
- Parking patrols to deter theft
- Door, lighting and hazard reports to management
Hospital security: post, patrol or both
Posted officer, patrol or both? Two California rules shape the answer. For covered California hospitals, coverage planning follows a yearly legal cycle: assess security and safety at least annually, then update the security plan from that assessment. Cal/OSHA's health care violence standard measures staffing shift by shift: enough trained staff must be available during each shift to prevent incidents and respond to them immediately.
Marked vehicle patrol
Officer visits across your grounds and lots.
- Best for
- Clinics after closing, medical buildings, parking lots
- You receive
- GPS-verified patrol reports with time-stamped photos
- Priced by
- Patrol schedule and site size
Post + patrol
A staffed post with after-hours patrol visits.
- Best for
- Medical campuses with busy lobbies and parking
- You receive
- CitiTrac reporting, free of charge
- Priced by
- Post hours plus patrol schedule
Typical security costs in California
Typical California ranges from the Citiguard cost guide. Every property is priced individually; these are typical ranges, not a quote.
Unarmed officer
$25–$40
per hour
Typical for gate posts, access control and standing coverage.
Armed officer
$40–$100+
per hour
Typical where cash, high-value goods or a known threat calls for an armed officer.
Marked vehicle patrol
$25–$60
per visit
Typical for timed after-hours checks of fences, gates and lots.
| Coverage | Hours or visits | Typical monthly range |
|---|---|---|
| Post, 8 hours a day | 240 hours | about $6,000–$9,600 |
| Post, 24 hours a day | 720 hours | about $18,000–$28,800 |
| Patrol route, 1 visit a night | 30 visits | about $750–$1,800 |
- Armed or unarmed, and how many officers per shift
- Hours per week and the number of posts on the property
Figures come from Citiguard's security guard cost guide and are typical ranges, not a quote. Read the full cost guide
Get a written quoteA night at your hospital
An example overnight post; your post orders set times.
- 6:00 PM
Shift briefing
Officer reads post orders; confirms charge nurse contact.
- 8:00 PM
Visiting hours end
Remaining visitors guided out; after-hours badge checks begin.
- 10:30 PM
Emergency department
Escalating visitor reported; staff alerted under your plan.
- 12:30 AM
Restricted doors
Pharmacy and maternity doors checked; propped doors reported.
- 2:00 AM
Staff escort
Nurse walked to car; lighting faults, break-ins reported.
- 6:00 AM
Shift report
Daily activity report with time-stamped photos through CitiTrac.
A consultant on call 24/7 for post-order changes.
Hospital shift reports through CitiTrac
Shift records your security director or clinic administrator can act on.
- Daily activity and incident reports with time-stamped photos
- GPS-verified patrol reports for parking and grounds
- CitiTrac reporting, free of charge
- Post orders can flag propped doors, lighting faults
- A consultant on call 24/7 for post-order changes
Shift incident, example entryIllustration
- Property
- Example Medical Center, California
- Time
- 10:34 PM · Emergency department entrance
- Checkpoints
- Entrance · Waiting room · Ambulance bay
- Observed
- Visitor shouting at triage desk; staff requested help.
- Action
- Officer stood by; visitor calmed; report filed.
- Notified
- Charge nurse, on-call security director
What you get with every Citiguard assignment
Citiguard publishes the same commitments for every post in California.
Screened, licensed officers
Every officer holds a California BSIS Guard Card. Screening includes a BCI background check, civil and criminal court search, drug testing (including random), DMV record, references, prior employment and workers' compensation history. The majority of officers also hold Power to Arrest, Baton, Pepper Spray, Firearms and CPR/First Aid certifications.
Supervision you can see
Field supervisors with 15+ years of experience visit each post at least twice per 8-hour shift.
CitiTrac reporting, free of charge
Daily activity reports, incident reports and patrol logs with time-stamped photos, delivered through CitiTrac — included with every assignment at no extra cost.
A consultant on call 24/7
A security consultant is reachable around the clock for post-order changes, schedule changes or incidents.
30-day trial, no overtime surprises
Start with a 30-day trial. Citiguard does not charge overtime except on major holidays.
Licensed and insured
California Private Patrol Operator #121572, with liability and workers' compensation coverage above the state-required minimums.
What clients at 24/7 sites say about Citiguard
Clients at other round-the-clock sites, quoted as published. Excerpts are marked with …
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We hired Citiguard for our building. The officers handle everything from access control to guest screening, and they do it with professionalism and a calm presence that keeps tenants reassured. We no longer get calls in the middle of the night.
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I've used Citiguard for years after trying many other companies. They have done a phenomenal job for my hotel. We use them 24 hours a day and have found them to be punctual, professional and most importantly have made my staff and guests feel safe.
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An amazing company they provide security services for 7 different shopping centers we own. The account manager is always available and ready to make any changes we request.
Protecting the Places That Matter
Some of the California organizations we’ve worked with.
California rules hospitals and clinics should know
Three sets of California rules that shape hospital security staffing and who may provide it. Each links to the official source; this is general information, not legal advice.
Hospitals assess security every year and keep a written plan
Generally, California general acute care, acute psychiatric and special hospitals must run a security and safety assessment at least once a year and use it to update a security plan that protects personnel, patients and visitors. The hospital must have enough personnel to carry out that plan, and people regularly assigned to hospital security must be trained in its role. In practice: give your security provider the current plan so post orders match it.
Cal. Health & Safety Code §1257.7 (leginfo)Workplace violence plans must cover every shift
Generally, Cal/OSHA's Violence Prevention in Health Care standard requires covered employers' plans to make sure enough trained staff are available to prevent and immediately respond to workplace violence on each shift. Covered employers also record every incident in a violent incident log and need an effective way to alert employees to a security threat. In practice: agree how officers report incidents into your log and how alerts reach them.
Cal/OSHA (dir.ca.gov)Every officer is registered and carries a guard card
Generally, to register as a California security guard a person must be at least 18, pass DOJ and FBI criminal history checks and complete Power to Arrest training before registration is issued, and must carry a valid registration card while on duty. In practice: your security director can ask to see an officer's card at the start of any shift.
BSIS fact sheet (bsis.ca.gov)Details on hospital security guard services
Open any topic for hospital specifics.
Why talk to Citiguard
Start with a company you can verify. Citiguard was founded in 2013. Citiguard is a licensed California Private Patrol Operator, PPO #121572 (status Current; issued 2022-09-20; expires 2028-09-30). Then request a quote.
Hospital security guard duties to write down
Post orders, the written instructions for each shift, can include access control, visitor management, visitor escort, patrols, parking checks, staff escorts, door checks and incident reports. Name each duty by location.
Problems healthcare security guards handle, and employer duties
Post orders can address aggression at entrances, theft and propped doors, and staffing comes first: Cal/OSHA's health care violence standard measures staffing shift by shift: enough trained staff must be available during each shift to prevent incidents and respond to them immediately. Section 3342 makes incident records a defined employer duty: a violent incident log must capture every incident, post-incident response and workplace violence injury investigation. Under Section 3342, employees need an effective way of learning that a security threat exists, where it is and what kind of threat it is. Those duties generally stay with you as the covered employer, so ask how officer reports and staff alerts connect, and check with counsel how each rule applies to your facility.
Armed or unarmed hospital security guards?
Decide post by post: patient experience in a lobby and documented threats at an entrance can need different answers. Your assessment and incident history decide.
Hours of coverage: plan around each shift
Map risk by hour: emergency department nights, clinic closing, staff leaving for parking. Round-the-clock coverage at one post means three 8-hour shifts; a clinic may need business hours plus after-hours patrols.
Who hires and who pays for clinic security
Hospital security or operations leaders typically contract from the facility budget. In a medical building, the owner or property manager may contract shared lobby coverage, while tenant clinics may hire separately.
Working with your operations team
Name one contact for post-order changes, so units hear the same instructions. Officers observe and report; clinical decisions stay with your staff.
How quickly can coverage start?
A standard post can typically start 24 to 48 hours after the agreement is signed. Request a quote today.
Questions to ask any healthcare security company
Ask whether you can verify the license, what site-specific training officers get before their first shift, and how they learn to identify aggression and manage violent disturbances. Ask how incident reports reach your log and who covers call-offs. Bring the same list when you request a quote.
Questions about healthcare security
What hospital, clinic and medical building managers ask before hiring.
What does hospital security do?
Hospital security protects personnel, patients and visitors from aggressive or violent behavior and carries out the facility's security plan. Officers observe, report and deter theft under your written post orders.
What are hospital security officer responsibilities?
Hospital security officer responsibilities generally center on preventing and responding to aggression under the hospital's security plan. A California security guard must carry a valid registration card while on duty.
What do clinic security guard services cover?
Clinic security guard services usually center on one front desk, the waiting room and closing time. Post orders can add staff escorts to cars, door checks and evening parking patrols.
Post or patrols: which fits your facility?
Choose a staffed post when someone must hold an emergency entrance or lobby. Choose marked vehicle patrols for parking lots, grounds and after-hours checks. Busy medical campuses can combine both. marked vehicle patrols
Does a guard contract transfer compliance duties?
No. Compliance duties generally stay with your facility as employer, and Joint Commission preparation stays with your accreditation team. Share the records they expect before post orders are written. Ask counsel how each rule applies.
What training do hospital security guards need?
California names specific training topics for people regularly assigned to hospital security: security's role in hospital operations, predictors of aggression and violence, and managing violent disturbances. Registered California security guards must complete 32 hours of security officer skills training within their first six months of registration. Ask how each officer covers those topics before a first shift.
When do hospitals need armed guards?
Consider armed guards where your assessment documents a specific threat; unarmed officers can suit lobbies and front desks. Compare armed and unarmed guards by post, using your own incident history. armed and unarmed guards
What affects the cost of healthcare security services?
Healthcare security services cost depends on officer type, hours and posts per shift: $25–$40 an hour (unarmed) or $40–$100+ an hour (armed), typical ranges, not a quote. The security guard cost guide breaks it down. security guard cost guide
How fast can urgent coverage start?
For urgent needs, Citiguard can typically have an officer on site the same day, usually within 4 hours of the call. Give your address and post hours when you call.
How many healthcare facility security guards are enough?
It depends mainly on entrances, hours and incident history, not bed count alone. Map each shift from your risk assessment, then count posts. Citiguard offers a free, no-obligation consultation.
Healthcare security company: provider follow-up questions to ask
Ask for the Private Patrol Operator license number and verify it on the state license search. Then ask who covers call-offs and how incident reports reach your violent incident log.
Is Citiguard licensed and insured?
Yes. Licensed (PPO #121572) and insured, with liability and workers' compensation coverage above the state-required minimums. Verify it on the state search. Every officer holds a California BSIS Guard Card.
Do you cover hospitals outside Los Angeles?
Coverage depends on your California address. Offices include Citiguard's Sacramento branch, Citiguard's Fresno branch and Citiguard's San Diego branch in Mission Valley. Request a quote to confirm coverage and dates. Service areas across California
Request a quote: hospital or clinic
Send your facility details through the quote form or call 800-613-5903 for a free consultation.
- Facility address and type
- Entrances needing posts
- Shifts and start date
- Incident history, security plan
Request a Quote
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