Determining whether a facility needs armed or unarmed security personnel involves more than assessing threat levels. Jack K. Byrd III understands this calculation from both sides—his career began at 19 as a paid intern with the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office before he advanced to Corporal and later joined the United States Marshal Service. Today, as CEO of Solaren Risk Management, Byrd oversees security deployments across Tennessee and the southeastern United States.
“You don’t want your kid to be in school with a guy that has a gun that has bad intentions either, and the only way to ultimately stop that is a good guy with a gun,” Byrd explained during a WKRN News 2 interview about school security resource officers.
Licensing and Training Create the Primary Distinction
State regulations establish baseline requirements for security personnel. Tennessee mandates four hours of general training for unarmed security officers, covering de-escalation tactics, first aid, legal aspects of security work, and defensive tactics. Armed officers complete this foundation plus additional coursework specific to firearms handling, use of force continuum, and legal frameworks governing weapon deployment.
Darrell Webb, Solaren’s training coordinator, brings active law enforcement experience to these courses. “He’s phenomenal. He’s active law enforcement and he knows his stuff for sure. He does a lot of the training through the law enforcement agency, the department that he works in,” noted Bethany Gill, Solaren’s Chief Operating Officer.
Range qualifications separate armed personnel from their unarmed counterparts. Armed renewal courses involve abbreviated sessions updating officers on legal information, use of force protocols, and live-fire practice. Psychological evaluations and enhanced background checks add further scrutiny to armed positions.
Dallas Law certification represents a Tennessee-specific requirement for bar security. Officers working Nashville’s entertainment district must complete this training regardless of armed status, though most bar venues prohibit firearms due to alcohol sales exceeding 50% of revenue.
Legal Restrictions Shape Deployment Decisions
Tennessee law prohibits firearms in specific locations, eliminating armed security as an option for certain clients. Establishments deriving more than half their revenue from alcohol cannot permit armed personnel on premises. Government buildings and schools face similar restrictions, though recent legislative proposals aim to expand school resource officer programs.
“We’re talking thousands statewide. We’re talking thousands of SROs. People that would be either armed guards or police officers certified as an SRO to be in the schools,” Byrd told WKRN when discussing Tennessee’s school security expansion plans.
School security demands specialized skills beyond weapons qualifications. “They would undergo a 40-hour minimum in service training course geared toward how to deal with problems that arise primarily in schools,” Byrd explained. “For example, identifying child abuse, identifying problems at home, how to do intervention. De-escalation is a lot different with juveniles.”
Liability considerations influence whether organizations permit armed security. Use of force laws impose strict standards on firearm deployment. Every weapon draw requires detailed documentation. Insurance carriers scrutinize armed operations closely, demanding robust training programs and clear use of force policies. Coverage gaps or prohibitive premiums result from inadequate protocols.
Cost Structures Differ Substantially Between Armed and Unarmed Services
Armed personnel command higher wages reflecting additional training, certification expenses, and liability exposure. Insurance costs increase when companies deploy armed officers. Legal fees associated with firearms incidents—even justified uses of force—add expense beyond base wages.
Unarmed security provides cost-effective protection for lower-risk environments. Reduced training requirements shorten onboarding timelines. Many retail establishments, hospitality venues, and commercial properties achieve adequate security through unarmed officers supplemented by technology.
Solaren partners with LiveView Technologies to deploy solar-powered mobile surveillance trailers. “They create these mobile surveillance trailers that you can deploy quickly and they’re solar powered,” Gill described. “A lot of our clients have loved having that option because they may have an expansive parking lot and you don’t either want to pay for a guard to be out there patrolling it, or you just don’t have that kind of concept in your mind.”
AI-powered detection capabilities allow these systems to identify faces and trigger speaker warnings when individuals appear during restricted hours. “It AI detects even from pretty far away. It’ll detect a face and it’ll be like, ‘Oh, this is past certain hours that they put in our system as work hours,'” Gill noted.
Technology supplements rather than replaces human security. “A lot of people think that it takes away from the physical security aspect, but it really doesn’t. If anything, it supplements it. You still have to have somebody that audits what that AI is detecting. It still makes mistakes,” Gill emphasized. “The human eye is going to recognize things and be able to process things better than AI ever will.”
Risk Assessment Determines Appropriate Personnel Deployment
High-value assets often warrant armed presence. Financial institutions, jewelry stores, and facilities handling sensitive materials frequently employ armed officers. Visible weapons provide deterrence while offering response capability against severe threats.
Critical infrastructure sites represent another category where armed security proves essential. Solaren deployed armed personnel to Florida during Hurricane Milton in October 2024, providing supplemental protection for properties vulnerable to looting during evacuations. “We ended up taking a command center down there and we had multiple vehicles so we could patrol the properties. We had to gather as many people as we could to go down there,” Gill recalled.
Customer-facing environments typically operate successfully with unarmed personnel. Music festivals prioritize crowd management and access control over armed presence. Solaren provided security for the Pilgrimage Music Festival’s 10th anniversary in Franklin, Tennessee, managing main stage barricades and access points throughout the venue.
“We meticulously planned our approach for months to ensure everything went as smoothly as possible. Our priorities included maintaining the safety and positive atmosphere of those near the barricades and in the field, as well as ensuring the privacy and comfort of the artists backstage and in the artist compound,” according to Solaren’s event summary.
Hospitality venues demonstrate how unarmed security handles complex situations effectively. Deescalation skills prove critical in bar and restaurant environments. “Deescalation is a very key point to that. We give them the materials that they need and the knowledge they need to be able to talk people down from situations, which can be even harder if they’re under the influence of alcohol,” Gill explained.
Officers employ calm communication to manage rowdy patrons. “They’ll just tell ’em like, Hey, you’re getting a little rowdy. We’re going to need you to either leave or settle down. And so if things continue to get out of hand, then they will be escorted out,” Gill described. Metro Nashville Police provide backup when situations escalate beyond security’s detention authority.
Less-Lethal Options Bridge Armed and Unarmed Roles
Solaren requires armed officers to carry at least two less-lethal weapons while on duty. Pepper spray, batons, and conducted energy weapons provide intermediate force options between physical restraint and firearms deployment.
Research from the National Institute of Justice examined over 24,000 use-of-force incidents across 12 major law enforcement agencies. Professor Geoffrey Alpert of the University of South Carolina found that less-lethal weapons reduced injury risk by up to 70% compared to physical force alone.
“We require all armed security officers to carry a minimum of two less-lethal weapons while on duty to minimize the risk of severe injury. Our goal is to protect the community, not harm it,” according to Solaren’s training materials.
Tactical Emergency Casualty Care training equips personnel with medical response capabilities. Solaren’s three-day TECC course covers tourniquet application, CPR, and emergency first aid. “One of our guards, a guy ran up to him while he was working at one of the bars he was on the street doing ID checks. A guy ran up to him, he had been stabbed in the arm. And this officer that we had applied a tourniquet, not everybody knows how to apply a tourniquet,” Gill recounted.
Medical training proves valuable regardless of armed status. “So the fact that he had that know-how, and he was trained in that capacity, and he actually used that knowledge in the field to help save a life” demonstrates how comprehensive preparation benefits security outcomes, Gill emphasized.
Report writing represents another universal skill across armed and unarmed positions. “We have regular report writing classes because not everybody knows how to write a report. Not everybody knows what categories on their report mean,” Gill noted. Accurate documentation protects officers legally and provides clients with detailed incident records.
Multi-State Operations Require Navigating Varying Regulations
Solaren employs around 300 contractors throughout Nashville and operates across multiple southeastern states. Each jurisdiction imposes distinct licensing requirements, training mandates, and operational restrictions.
“The inception of Solaren was super quick, and so we went from that small team and a small office in a mall to the office that we’re in now with around 300 plus contractors that work for us throughout just Nashville, and that happened within the span of maybe two or three years,” Gill explained.
Byrd’s law enforcement background provided connections essential for rapid expansion. “He knows the industry. He still does. He’s definitely a professional when it comes to security. He knows the ins and outs of the law and the regulations and who to talk to about what, and that’s definitely helped the company grow super fast,” Gill observed.
Personnel deployment depends on license qualifications and location requirements. “Some people, based on your license, you may not be able to work some jobs. For example, you may be an armed security officer, but you will not be able to work at a school because you don’t have your active shooter certification,” Gill noted.
Field operations coordinators manage multiple contracts simultaneously, determining appropriate staffing based on client needs and officer credentials. Supervisors conduct weekly site checks and communicate with contractors through mobile platforms. “We have one platform that we use where we keep track of all the documents for our contractors all of the time sheets, the schedules, everything all in one app,” Gill described.
Performance Standards Apply Regardless of Armed Status
Solaren conducts quarterly and annual performance evaluations for all security personnel. Officers demonstrating exceptional work receive recognition at the company’s annual Christmas party. Awards often correlate with pay increases—extraordinary performance earns one to two weeks’ additional pay.
“If somebody based on those performance evaluations throughout the year has just done an exceptional job, they’ll get an award, which usually correlates with some kind of pay boost,” Gill explained.
Training completion generates additional recognition. Officers completing TECC courses, supervisor training, or specialized certifications receive awards acknowledging their professional development. “If you took that course, then you got your certificate and an award for it because that was a really big deal for us,” Gill noted.
Client feedback influences performance assessments. “If the clients themselves say a really good thing about this specific guard, then that resounds with us very deeply,” Gill emphasized. Positive reviews on platforms like Indeed demonstrate an officer’s effectiveness regardless of whether they carry firearms.
Career advancement opportunities exist for both armed and unarmed personnel. “Nine times out of 10, it comes from people who have worked for us out in the field and have really done a good job,” Gill explained. Officers proving themselves at client locations advance to supervisor roles and field operations coordinator positions.
Promotion criteria focus on reliability, situational judgment, and communication skills—attributes valuable in both armed and unarmed contexts. “They are always on time, they always do a great job. They know what to do in situations,” Gill described regarding officers who earn advancement.
Byrd’s vision for Solaren emphasizes professional development across all security roles. His entrepreneurial approach combined with law enforcement expertise created a culture valuing continuous improvement. “Jack’s an entrepreneur at heart,” Gill noted, describing the company’s rapid growth trajectory.
Choosing between armed and unarmed security requires analyzing regulatory constraints, client environments, budget considerations, and actual threat levels. Organizations benefit from partnering with security providers who understand these distinctions and can deploy appropriate personnel based on specific operational needs rather than generic assumptions about armed versus unarmed effectiveness.
