GSTS security supervisor Geoffrey Swales shares a day in the life at Liverpool John Lennon Airport

Start of day

Geoffrey Swales begins his shift at 06.00hrs with a handover and briefing from the night staff. He reviews security reports, checks for any maintenance issues, and catches up on incidents from the previous shift.

He then checks in with Contract Manager Nickey and the airport’s key personnel, including the Security Manager, Airport Duty Manager (ADM), Airport Control, and the Car Parks Office. This early contact helps him stay informed about developing situations, police reports or anything else that might need attention from the security team.

Working with the team

Next, Geoffrey reviews the GSTS Electronic Daily Occurrence Record, vehicle checklist and team emails. Any critical updates are shared straight away. Once the team is briefed, he checks that officers are in place and that shift cover has been organised if needed.

As site supervisor, Geoffrey works closely with the Contract Support Manager to manage ad-hoc changes, cover requests and ensure the airport remains fully staffed with trained professionals.

Keeping the airport secure

Geoffrey carries out proactive patrols across the terminal building, concourse, Terminal Operations Suite (OPTO), Central Search and the terminal front. He monitors for suspicious activity, unattended bags or unauthorised access — while offering help to passengers when needed.

He also conducts boundary patrols on foot and in the GSTS vehicle. These include critical and restricted areas such as the fence lines, car parks, service yards, the express drop-off and the multi-storey car park. If anything is out of place, Geoffrey contacts Airport Control or the ADM straight away to report it.

As part of his security checks, Geoffrey also covers high-risk locations such as the Ravenair Flying School emergency gate (Gate 2) and the Speke Hall National Trust boundary.

Throughout the day, he checks that all staff, contractors and taxi drivers are displaying their airport passes. Regular spot checks ensure the rules are being followed.

Extra support where it’s needed

Beyond the patrols and checks, Geoffrey supports with a range of tasks across the airport. These include helping with lost passengers, responding to breakdowns and escorting cash collections from pay-on-foot machines to the cash office.

His shift ends with a full handover to the night team — ready for another smooth transition.

Learn more about our logistics security services or visit Liverpool John Lennon Airport.