Both approaches use licensed security personnel, but continuous on-site presence and periodic patrol visits create different operating models.
At a glance
- Ontario’s definition of security work includes guarding and patrolling for protection of people or property.
- A fixed assignment can maintain continuous presence during scheduled hours, while mobile patrol focuses on documented visits and observations at defined times or intervals.
- Neither model should be presented as a guarantee that an incident will not occur.
What changes between the options?
Security choices are easier to compare when the client separates presence, verification, response and reporting. Different approaches can use the same licensed security workforce while creating a different level of continuous presence, timing and client visibility.
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| When is security physically present? | Clarifies whether the assignment is continuous, scheduled or event-based. |
| What is security expected to verify? | Turns a broad service label into observable duties. |
| What happens when an exception is found? | Defines who is contacted and what response is actually available. |
| What record does the client receive? | Prevents a service from being described more broadly than the documentation supports. |
Questions to confirm
- Does the property need continuous presence or periodic checks?
- What must be observed or verified during each visit?
- How quickly does the client need to know about an exception?
Picture this at your property
A small commercial building is empty overnight. The owner is deciding between a guard on site all night and scheduled patrol visits. The useful question is not “which is better?” but what level of continuous presence, inspection and response the site actually requires.
The value of the example is the decision process: identify what is known, what remains uncertain, who has authority, and what information should be preserved for follow-up.
Practical takeaway
The useful decision is not which option sounds stronger in isolation. Compare the property’s actual operating conditions, the level of presence or verification required, the response process and what the client needs to see in the service record.
Official sources & verification
1. Private Security and Investigative Services Act, 2005 — Ontario e-Laws
2. Section 3: Basic security procedures — Government of Ontario
3. Section 4: Report writing — Government of Ontario
Last reviewed: 2026-08-08. This resource provides general Ontario information and is not legal advice. Legal authority and obligations depend on the facts, the property, the applicable law and current official guidance. Confirm current requirements with the responsible government authority or qualified legal counsel when a decision has legal consequences.