guardtype

Guardtype is a term used in security management and access-control systems to denote a category or class of guards or guard functions. It serves as a way to encode the role, authority, and responsibilities assigned to personnel or automated monitoring stations within a site or organization. Guardtypes can be applied to human guards as well as to digital or automated guards, such as surveillance routines or alarm-monitoring processes, depending on the system.

In practice, guardtypes are defined in duty rosters, access-control policies, and incident-response protocols. Common guardtypes include static guards who remain at a fixed post, patrol guards who move through designated areas, control-room guards who monitor CCTV and alarms, and armed or unarmed variants that reflect level of protection or authorization. Some systems also use guardtypes to distinguish reception or screening staff, security coordinators, or incident responders with command authority. The guardtype designation influences permissions, reporting templates, and escalation paths, helping coordinators route incidents, requests for assistance, and patrol findings to the appropriate team.

In software and facility management, guardtypes support modular policy design: a change in guardtype can update access rights, notification rules, and logging formats without reconfiguring individual users. The concept is widely used in institutional settings, event security, and enterprise facilities to streamline staffing decisions and security workflows.

See also: access control, security policy, duty roster, incident reporting.