The short answer
Communication should be defined before the first shift. Routine activity can be documented in daily reports or a client portal, while urgent events require immediate contact through an agreed call, text, radio, or escalation system. A serious incident should never wait for the next daily report.
What to know
The communication plan should list primary and backup client contacts, Arrow’s supervisor or dispatch contacts, authorized decision-makers, and the order in which people are called. Define events that require immediate notification—such as police, fire or EMS response, violence, forced entry, significant property damage, missing keys, an alarm, a major safety hazard, or a post left uncovered. Lower-priority issues can be included in shift reporting and reviewed later. The officer should communicate verified observations, exact location, current conditions, actions taken, and assistance needed without speculation.
For an ongoing assignment, establish report delivery times, shift turnover, recurring service-review meetings, and a way to acknowledge or resolve client requests. If radios, phones, or networks fail, officers need a backup method. Arrow’s website promotes on-call assistance and daily activity reporting, but it does not publish a universal communication protocol. The proposal and post orders should therefore state response channels, contacts, expected notification timing, confidentiality requirements, and who may change instructions.