Guard guides
Guard documentation
Working your shift with the TacDesk app — clocking in, patrols, incident reports and more.
Account & profile
- Notifications and settingsThe Settings tab is where you control how TacDesk notifies you, and where you log out. It is the last tab in the bottom navigation — look for the cog icon (⚙️).Updated 14 May 2026
- Passkeys (faster sign-in)A passkey lets you sign in with your device's built-in security — Touch ID, Face ID or Windows Hello — instead of typing a password. It is faster and cannot be phished. Your password still works as a backup.Updated 16 May 2026
- Training recordsThe Training Records sub-view shows the courses, qualifications, and certifications logged against your profile. Find it inside the Profile tab — tap the Training button at the top, or navigate directly via ?view=training.Updated 13 May 2026
- Your clock historyThe Clock History sub-view shows your recent clock in and clock out records. Find it inside the Profile tab — tap the Clock History button at the top, or navigate via ?view=clock-history.Updated 13 May 2026
- Your kit and equipmentThe Kit sub-view lists the equipment your company has issued to you. Find it inside the Profile tab — tap the Kit button at the top, or navigate via ?view=kit. This sub-view is only available if your company has the Kit feature enabled.Updated 13 May 2026
- Your profile and SIA licenceThe Profile tab is where you manage your personal details and access account sub-views. Find it in the bottom navigation bar (the person icon).Updated 13 May 2026
Communications
- BOLO alerts (Be On the Look-Out)A BOLO ("Be On the Look-Out") is a broadcast alert from management — watch out for a specific person, vehicle, item, or situation. BOLOs are time-critical: read them the moment they appear and act on the instructions given.Updated 13 May 2026
- Direct messagesDirect messaging lets you have a two-way conversation with your managers and supervisors inside TacDesk. The Messages tab is in the bottom navigation (chat bubble icon) and only appears if your company has the messaging feature enabled.Updated 13 May 2026
- Memos from managementMemos are short messages from management — site updates, reminders, policy notes, "well done" kudos, anything they want to broadcast to the team. They are one-way: management writes, you read.Updated 13 May 2026
- Raising a BOLO from the Guard HubIf your organisation has enabled it for your role, you can raise a BOLO directly from the Guard Hub without going through a manager. The Add BOLO button appears at the top of your BOLOs tab when this permission is active.Updated 17 June 2026
Daily essentials
- Capacity tracker widgetThe Capacity Tracker is a widget on the Dashboard tab that shows the current occupancy of your venue — how many people are inside, how many have left, and what percentage of capacity that represents.Updated 13 May 2026
- Clocking in and outClocking in starts your shift record and lets management know you are on duty. Clocking out closes the record and calculates your hours. Both happen via a single button on the Dashboard tab.Updated 25 June 2026
- Connection indicatorThe small coloured dot in the top bar of the hub shows your current connection status at a glance, updating in real time.Updated 13 May 2026
- Explaining a missed clock in or outSometimes when you open the app you may see a short popup headed Missed clock-in or Missed clock-out, asking what happened on a recent shift. This article explains why it appears and what to do.Updated 1 June 2026
- Quick actionsThe Quick Actions row on the Dashboard is a strip of shortcut buttons for the tasks you need most often. One tap gets you straight to the relevant form — no hunting through menus.Updated 13 May 2026
- Quick notes widgetThe Quick Notes widget on the Dashboard is a private scratch pad for jotting things down during your shift — names, vehicle registrations, times, anything you want to remember before writing your end-of-shift report.Updated 13 May 2026
- Recent notifications widgetThe Recent Notifications widget sits at the bottom of the Dashboard and shows your last ten system notifications at a glance, each with a timestamp and an icon indicating the type.Updated 13 May 2026
- Site instructionsThe Site Instructions tab shows pinned, venue-specific instructions for the site you are working at. These are written by management and cover everything that is specific to that location — the things that are different from one site to theUpdated 13 May 2026
- Tour of the Guard DashboardThe Dashboard tab is your home screen in TacDesk. Here is a top-to-bottom walkthrough of every element you will find there.Updated 13 May 2026
Documents
Getting started
- Account access pausedOccasionally you may open TacDesk and see a full-screen message saying "Account access paused" instead of the usual hub. This is not a problem with your device or your personal account — it means access has been temporarily paused at the orUpdated 18 May 2026
- Connecting the app to your companyWhen your manager creates your account, you will receive a welcome email containing a one-tap setup link. Tapping it on your phone connects the TacDesk app to your company automatically — you do not need to type in any site address.Updated 29 June 2026
- Getting started with TacDeskTacDesk is your all-in-one shift companion: clock in and out, file reports, check your schedule, respond to call alerts, and stay in contact with your management team — all from your phone or browser.Updated 13 May 2026
- Guided tour of the Guard HubNew to TacDesk? The guided tour walks you through the Guard Hub step by step — clocking in, filing reports, responding to check calls, and more. It takes around two minutes and you can exit at any point.Updated 4 July 2026
- Logging in and the mobile appYou can use TacDesk in a web browser or via the native app — choose whichever suits your device and workflow.Updated 14 May 2026
Help & support
Operations
- Mobile duty and site visitsMobile duty is for officers who cover several sites in one shift rather than standing post at a single venue — mobile patrols, lock/unlock, keyholding and alarm response. You clock on to one roving duty, then record a separate site visit eaUpdated 29 June 2026
- Occurrence bookThe Occurrence Book (OB / DOB) is a running narrative log for your shift. Use it to record anything worth noting that does not need a formal incident report — it is the digital equivalent of the handwritten daily occurrence book used in traUpdated 13 May 2026
- Patrol mode and GPS trackingPatrol mode records your GPS route while you walk your rounds, building a timestamped track that feeds directly into your patrol report and provides an auditable record that the patrol happened.Updated 16 May 2026
- Requesting time offSubmit holiday and leave requests directly through TacDesk. Your manager is notified immediately and you receive a notification when they approve or decline.Updated 13 May 2026
- Shift remindersTacDesk reminds you about each scheduled shift so you do not miss a start time. Reminders are sent automatically — you do not need to set anything up.Updated 2 June 2026
- Viewing the event mapThe event map is a read-only map of the venue or site you are currently working at. It shows a venue overlay (an image or floorplan placed by your control room) and the live GPS positions of you and any colleagues clocked in at the same sitUpdated 17 June 2026
- When you see the Dispatcher buttonThe Dispatcher button is a small map or radar icon that may appear in the top bar of your Guard Hub. This article explains what it is, when you will see it, and what to do if you tap it.Updated 13 May 2026
- You've been attached to an incidentIf your phone tells you that you have been attached to an incident, it is because TacBot worked out you were the nearest available unit on a mobile duty. Your phone shows the incident and how far away it is, so you know straight away what yUpdated 17 July 2026
- Your shifts and rotaThe Shifts tab shows every shift your manager has assigned to you — this week, next week, and further ahead. It is only visible if your company has the scheduling feature enabled.Updated 13 May 2026
Performance
Reports
- Custom formsYour company — or a client you work for — can build additional report forms tailored to specific work, for example a Daily Site Audit, a Lost Property form, a Suspicious Activity form, or a Visitor Sign-in Sheet. These are created on the maUpdated 17 July 2026
- Incident reportsAn incident report is the formal record of any unusual event during your shift. It is a legal document. Police officers, solicitors, insurance assessors, or a court may read it. Write it accordingly.Updated 13 May 2026
- Patrol reportsA patrol report is filed after completing a patrol round. It records where you walked, when, and anything you observed or acted on. Even a routine, uneventful patrol deserves a brief report — it gives your company a timestamped record that Updated 13 May 2026
- Reports — overviewThe Reports tab is where you file every kind of official report. It is the second tab in the bottom navigation. Reports are legal documents — they may be read by your employer, insurers, the police, or a court. Getting them right, and filinUpdated 13 May 2026
- Responding to check-call requestsA check call is a quick welfare check. When one arrives, your manager or the system is asking you to confirm that you are safe and on duty. You have 15 minutes to respond — after that, your manager receives an alert that you have missed it.Updated 13 May 2026
- Site visit report formsWhen you depart a site during mobile duty, a report form opens automatically — depending on the visit type you chose on arrival. Each form is short and captures only what is relevant to that type of work.Updated 29 June 2026
- Use of force reportsA use of force report must be filed whenever you use physical force on another person in the course of your duties. This includes restraints, physical ejections, defensive contact, breaking up a fight, or any physical intervention — howeverUpdated 13 May 2026
- Vehicle defect reportsA vehicle defect report records any fault or damage you find on a company vehicle — van, car, motorbike, or any other fleet vehicle. Filing this report protects you, the next driver, and the company. It ensures faults are addressed before tUpdated 13 May 2026