Compliance notes and cost guides for California security buyers.
Mission Protection Services writes the guides we wished existed before we earned our BSIS Private Patrol Operator license — what each standard actually requires on a project site, what a California guard post typically costs, and what to ask for in writing before you sign anything.
- Written by the team that runs the posts
- Cal/OSHA, NFPA, DCC, and CCR §5040 referenced
- Each post closes to a scoped quote form
Owner-published
Fresh notes from Mission Protection Services.
New articles published by the team appear here alongside the established guides below.
Loading new articles…
Latest posts
Six evergreen posts. The cluster is complete.
Six evergreen posts covering the briefs we run most often — a contractor’s fire-watch impairment window, a site manager’s armed-versus-unarmed decision, a cannabis operator’s compliance pull and first quote, a facilities lead’s mobile-patrol scoping, and a buyer’s first vendor-vetting pass.
Fire Watch Requirements in California — A Contractor Guide
What Cal/OSHA Title 8 §3220 and the NFPA standards actually require when a project goes under fire watch — the four triggers, who is qualified to staff it, and what the AHJ expects to see in your log book.
Read the post →Armed vs. Unarmed Security Guards — Which Does Your Business Need?
When an armed California security guard is the right call, when unarmed coverage is enough, and why the most common California post is a hybrid of both — written for site managers, HOA boards, and retail operators.
Read the post →How Much Does a Dispensary Security Guard Cost in California?
What a California dispensary post actually runs per hour — unarmed concierge, armed concierge, 24/7 armed officer, and the line items most operators miss on the first quote.
Read the post →How Much Does a Security Guard Cost Nationwide? (2026 Pricing Guide).
A transparent planning framework for security guard rates, monthly cost, armed versus unarmed coverage, event security, mobile patrol, and comparing quotes across different markets.
Read the post →Cannabis Dispensary Security Guard Requirements in California
What California cannabis operators actually need on a dispensary post — DCC / CCR §5040 conformance, BSIS guard registration, firearms-permit overhead, and the post-order doc pack that survives an audit pull by the local AHJ.
Read the post →What Is Mobile Patrol Security and How Does It Work?
How California mobile-patrol security runs in practice — marked vehicles, GPS-stamped checkpoints, randomized vs. scheduled routes, and how dispatch designs a portfolio rotation across one or seven metros.
Read the post →How to Choose a Licensed Security Company in California
How to vet a California security vendor before you sign — BSIS PPO license verification, guard registration, firearms permits on file, insurance posture, and the post-orders doc pack.
Read the post →Have a specific brief already?
Skip the reading and request a quote today.
Three minutes of filling out the form and dispatch knows enough to quote — site geometry, hours of operation, license tier, and the regulator pulls you’ve already cleared. Same-day reply, usually within the hour during business hours.