Alarm, Security or Surveillance Monitor
What the work is
Monitors security alarms, closed-circuit television (CCTV) systems and other surveillance equipment, and contacts supervisors, police or fire brigades if security is breached or fire is detected.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Monitors security alarms, CCTV and other surveillance equipment
- Contacts supervisors, police and fire brigades by radio or phone if security is breached or fire is detected
- Observes and reports any suspicious activities or incidents
- Maintains accurate records of security breaches and incidents
- Operates and maintains security equipment and systems
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a fictional football stadium on match day, and the shopping centre next door. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A crowd of thousands files out calmly and every gate runs the way it should
- You spot a problem on the cameras before anyone else even knows it is there
- A lost child is back with their family within minutes of you finding them
Hard days
- Standing at a gate in the rain for hours while people are rude to you
- Telling someone they cannot come in, and having them take it out on you
- A night shift alone in a quiet building where every noise makes you look up
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 452231, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.