For Security Guards ·
What you'll accomplish
By the end of this guide, you'll have ChatGPT configured with your preferred report style and terminology — so every time you draft an incident report or DAR, the AI already knows your format, your employer's requirements, and the professional language you need. No more re-explaining the context every time.
What you'll need
Go to chatgpt.com on your phone or browser. Tap "Sign up", enter your email, and create a password. Verify your email. You're now on the free plan — no payment required.
What you should see: The ChatGPT home page with a chat interface.
On the ChatGPT home page, tap your profile icon or initials in the upper right corner. In the dropdown menu, tap "Customize ChatGPT" (sometimes labeled "Custom Instructions"). This opens a settings panel with two text boxes.
What you should see: Two text fields — one for "What would you like ChatGPT to know about you?" and one for "How would you like ChatGPT to respond?"
Troubleshooting: If you don't see "Customize ChatGPT," make sure you're logged in. It may be under Settings > Personalization on mobile.
In the first text box ("What would you like ChatGPT to know about you?"), type something like:
"I am a security guard working for a contract security company at [describe your site, e.g., 'a commercial office building in downtown Chicago']. My employer requires all incident reports and daily activity reports to be written in formal, third-person language (e.g., 'The officer observed...' not 'I saw...'). Reports must include: Date/Time, Location, Persons Involved, Incident Description, Officer Actions, and Outcome. I often need help converting rough notes or voice transcripts into professional reports."
In the second text box ("How would you like ChatGPT to respond?"), type:
"When I ask you to write a security report, always use formal third-person language throughout. Use clear, factual sentences — no jargon, no speculation. If my input is missing key information (time, location, persons involved), note what's missing at the end of the report. Keep reports concise — one paragraph per section. Format with section headers."
Tap Save. Now start a new chat. Paste a rough description of an incident and just say: "Write this as a security incident report." ChatGPT will now automatically apply your format and style preferences — you don't need to re-explain every time.
What you should see: A properly formatted, third-person report without any additional instructions from you.
Troubleshooting: If the formatting is off, add more specific instructions to the Custom Instructions and try again. The key is being specific about what you need.
Copy the following prompt to your phone's Notes app so you can paste it quickly anytime:
Write this as a formal security incident report using my standard format: [paste your notes here]
Convert my voice transcript into a formal security incident report: [paste transcript]
Write a daily activity report (DAR) from these shift notes: [paste bullet points]
This incident report needs to sound more professional and formal. Keep all facts exactly the same but improve the language: [paste draft]
Add a conclusion paragraph to this incident report summarizing the outcome and any follow-up actions taken: [paste report]