Negotiating pay when I have been out of work after 6 years as a security officer

I do not know whether to give a range or ask for theirs. This is my first time dealing with any of this. I looked up ranges in San Diego and they vary a lot. How do you research fairly?

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it last year, and it settled down once I kept a simple log of every call and form.