How should security personnel respond to a lockout at a facility?

• A. Ignore and let staff handle it.
• B. Immediately call police.
• C. Verify authority, communicate with management, deploy proper credentialing for access, and prevent unauthorized entry.
• D. Disable alarms.

Answer: (C)

When a facility experiences a lockout, the right approach is to confirm the person requesting access is authorized, coordinate with management or the security control center to validate the situation, and then grant entry only through the proper credentialing methods while keeping a careful record. This means verifying credentials, using the established access-control procedures (badges, PINs, biometrics, or escorted access), and ensuring doors and entry points remain secure to prevent unauthorized entry or tailgating. The goal is to restore legitimate access without bypassing security controls or creating risk, so you don’t ignore the request, disable alarms, or escalate to police as a first step unless policy or an emergency requires it.