Lock & Unlock Guard Services in BC

Why Delegate Lock-Up to a Security Guard?

The last person to leave a commercial premises carries a significant responsibility. When that responsibility falls to a distracted employee at the end of a long shift, the risk is real: alarms go unset, side doors are left unlocked, and access events are not recorded. If a security incident occurs overnight, there may be no record of who was last on the premises or when the building was closed.

Our Lock & Unlock Guard Service shifts that responsibility to a trained, accountable professional. The guard’s arrival and departure is GPS-logged in real time. The alarm status, door condition, and any access observations are filed in a digital report that you can reference, share with your insurer, or submit as part of a facilities audit. Nothing is left undocumented.

This is particularly important when staff work alone during opening or closing. We ensure no employee enters or exits the building unaccompanied during the most vulnerable periods of the day. Our guards are present for any early arrivals or late departures, providing a visible deterrent and a documented escort where the situation warrants it.

Guard Technology Applied to Every Lock & Unlock Assignment

We were among the first security firms in Western Canada to implement real-time GPS tracking for both foot and vehicle patrols. The same technology underpins every Lock & Unlock assignment:

• Guard Tracking Technology: Each guard carries a GPS-enabled device. Their arrival, position, and departure from your premises is logged in real time giving you verifiable proof of attendance at every scheduled open or close, not just a verbal confirmation.
• Electronic PDF Reports with Photo Evidence: Our reporting app generates a digital shift summary after every assignment. Where relevant, photos of the premises at opening or lock-up are attached confirming door condition, alarm status, and any observations the guard noted. This is the same reporting standard used across all our guard services.
• Dash-Cam Verification: All Imperial Security patrol vehicles are equipped with dash cams. For lock/unlock assignments that involve a vehicle dispatch, the dash-cam records the approach, arrival, and departure providing an additional layer of verification beyond the digital shift log.
• Mobile App Incident Reporting: If anything is found at opening or lock-up a forced entry attempt, an unsecured window, a staff member still on the premises the guard files an incident note immediately via the mobile app, with a GPS-tagged location and timestamp. You receive the notification before the guard leaves the site.

How the Service Works

Setting up a Lock & Unlock Guard schedule is straightforward. We handle the planning and briefing so that service starts without disruption to your operations:

• Site Assessment: We review your property entry points, alarm system provider, access credential types (keys, fobs, door codes), and your preferred opening and closing schedule. If your building has multiple access points or floors, we map the full lock-up sequence at this stage.
• Guard Briefing: The guard (or team of guards for multi-shift coverage) is briefed on your site before the first assignment. They receive a written site protocol that documents the exact sequence of the opening and lock-up, your alarm system procedure, and the name and contact number for your on-call facilities representative.
• Credential Management: Your access credentials are logged, assigned, and stored securely. Only guards cleared and briefed on your site receive access credentials. You receive a written inventory of all credentials held on your behalf at the start of the contract.
• Scheduled Coverage: Guards arrive at your specified open and close times, seven days a week including weekends and public holidays. If your schedule changes, we update the assignment with 24-hour notice.
• Real-Time Reporting: Every opening and lock-up generates a digital shift record. You can request access to shift summaries at any time, and we retain records for the duration of your contract useful for insurance claims, strata audits, or facilities management reviews.
• Escalation Protocol: If a guard arrives at lock-up and finds the premises already unsecured, the alarm triggered, or signs of forced entry, they follow your site-specific escalation protocol: contacting your on-call representative, remaining on site, and coordinating with police if required. Every step is logged.

Industries We Serve for Lock & Unlock Guard Services

Our Lock & Unlock service is used across commercial and institutional property types throughout British Columbia and Alberta. Common clients include:

• Retail and shopping mall operators scheduled guard opening before staff arrive and secure lock-up after closing, covering high-value merchandise and point-of-sale equipment overnight
• Office and commercial buildings controlled access at start and end of business day, with documented handovers for property managers and building owners
• Strata complexes and property management building access oversight for amenity floors, parkades, and common areas, with shift summaries filed directly to the strata council
• Warehouse and distribution centres perimeter checks and alarm confirmation at shift changeovers, particularly for sites operating outside standard business hours
• Medical clinics and professional offices secure handling of premises containing sensitive records, medical equipment, and controlled substances, where documented access logs are a regulatory requirement
• Financial institutions and professional services firms high-security lock-up with full access logging, suitable for compliance reporting requirements
• Educational institutions controlled access to campus buildings, lecture halls, and libraries outside class and administrative hours
• Hotels and hospitality properties back-of-house access management and scheduled security presence during early morning pre-opening periods
• Restoration and development sites scheduled site access management during active construction or restoration phases, combined with mobile patrol coverage where required
• Government institutions documented building access for government-owned or leased facilities, with guard licensing and WCB coverage verified for compliance

Licensed, Bonded, and Insured Province-by-Province

Every guard assigned to your Lock & Unlock schedule holds a current provincial security licence. This is not optional it is a legal requirement in both provinces where we operate, and it matters particularly for a service where the guard holds physical access credentials to your building.

In British Columbia, guards are licensed under the Security Services Act, administered by the Security Programs Division. In Alberta, guards are licensed under the Security Services and Investigators Act, administered by Alberta Justice. Guards carry their licence on duty at all times and are recertified on the schedule set by each province’s licensing authority.

All guards assigned to Lock & Unlock duties are:

• Provincially licensed and in current good standing
• Covered by commercial general liability insurance on all assignments
• Workers Compensation Board (WCB) insured in both British Columbia and Alberta
• Cleared through background checks before receiving access credentials for client sites
• Briefed in writing on each site before their first assignment

For clients in sectors where third-party access compliance is audited financial institutions, strata corporations, medical facilities, and government-leased buildings we can provide a copy of the guard’s licence confirmation, proof of insurance, and WCB clearance certificate on request.

Trusted for Over 30 Years Across BC and Alberta

We have managed commercial lock-up and opening procedures for over 30 years. Our guards follow documented protocols refined across decades of operations in British Columbia and Alberta giving you a service built on institutional knowledge and tested procedures, not improvised routine.

Organisations including the City of Vancouver, Costco, Fortis BC, RE/MAX, Intact Insurance, and the University of Calgary have trusted Imperial Security with recurring site access and security management. Our lock/unlock clients range from independent retailers to multi-site property management companies managing buildings across multiple BC cities simultaneously.

With 120,000+ alarm responses on record and 24/7 operational coverage, we have the staffing depth and dispatch infrastructure to guarantee schedule coverage even when individual guards are unavailable for a shift.

Where We Provide Lock & Unlock Guard Services

We provide Lock & Unlock Guard Services across British Columbia and Alberta:

• British Columbia: Vancouver, Richmond (Head Office), Surrey, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Abbotsford, Langley, Chilliwack, Kelowna, Kamloops, Victoria, Nanaimo, Duncan, Prince George, New Westminster, Delta, Maple Ridge, Port Kells, Hope
• Alberta: Calgary, Edmonton

If your property is in a location not listed above, contact us directly. We assess coverage for all inquiries across BC and Alberta.

Get a Lock & Unlock Guard Schedule for Your Property

Stop relying on staff to manage your daily opening and lock-up. Our licensed guards handle it on schedule, with GPS-confirmed attendance and a digital access log you can use for insurance, facilities management, or security incident investigation.
Contact us to discuss your property, schedule, and coverage requirements. We respond to all quote requests within one business day.

Toll-Free (Canada): 1-877-221-2333
BC Head Office (Richmond): 604-231-9973
Victoria: 236-266-1240
Duncan: 236-266-1241
Nanaimo: 236-266-1242
Calgary: 403-263-1844
Edmonton: 780-242-9973