If there is one overriding trend we have identified following the start of the pandemic, it is a new-found respect for security officers and the vital role that they perform. The crisis has stuck them firmly in the limelight and security companies should continue to support and celebrate the positive contribution their officers make to ensure that they are not pushed back into the shadows again.

At this time, a major opportunity for the security industry is the potential to bring in new talent. At Axis, we are seeing a higher percentage of new recruits attending interviews, albeit ‘virtual’ ones. This may be because of the downturn in other sectors, such as hospitality, and it will be interesting if this is a trend that continues into the longer term. But what it does allow is for the industry to showcase itself as one with more career opportunities than an ‘outsider’ might imagine, and that has to be a positive development for our industry in the future.

Those security companies who are in the best position to strengthen their reputation will be those who build on the new-found collaboration which emerged between themseves, the supplier, and their customers, who were in more need of guidance and advice than ever before, and who showed a greater willingness to share best practices from other buildings. Future opportunities and advancement of the industry relies on us developing the collaboration where customers are more prepared to listen and are actively looking to our industry for solutions, rather than telling us what they want.

Aside from new opportunities, there is one constant: threat levels are still there – terrorism has not gone away, nor has the requirement to protect against anti-social behaviour, theft, fire, flood, etc. and indeed, our role in furthering customer service – and so COVID must not be a distraction from our primary purpose. Our focus will remain the same.

David Mundell

Managing Director

Axis Security

For further views on this topic, see related articles from our Police & Partnerships, Risk Management and Security Management categories, including:

Neil Moscrop, CIS Security on the new roles for security officers

Paul Dodds, Genetec on state-sponsored attacks

Stephen Emmins from HIKVISION on how the security function is evolving

Philip Ingram on the biggest risks for security in 2021

The post David Mundell Axis Security: 2021 the year of opportunity appeared first on City Security Magazine.

No superlatives or hyperbole can fully do justice to the times we live in today, neither can they adequately describe the response from the front-line security officer.

In calls I have been making to our own teams, I have been genuinely humbled by the positivity and enthusiasm our people are showing in the face of such unprecedented adversity.  I am also reminded of how such positivity is completely at odds with the (sadly) negative stereotypes played out in the media of a workforce being exposed to unnecessary risks, forgotten and abandoned by their employers.

The truth, as most of us working in this industry know, is that we have always put the welfare of our people first and foremost in our thinking. Our people are, as has been said many times before, our most important asset, without whom we don’t have a service to sell.

Protecting them from any potential vulnerability is in our DNA.

So, what have we been doing to help our officers and our clients navigate through these challenging times, and what lessons can we learn going forward?

Consultative approach

Our first action, and an ongoing process, is one of consultation, speaking with our officers and continuing to engage with them to understand any potential health concerns or vulnerabilities that they may have. It was (and is) important to know, for example, whether they are shielding anyone at home, and we must take into account the views of all employees, including any fears and anxieties surrounding their return to the workplace.

Taking advantage of Government testing is also a priority. With the Government extending its coronavirus testing to more front-line workers, we have registered with the relevant body so that officers and staff with symptoms (or symptomatic members of their household) have access to the tests being offered. We see this as essential to helping protect our employees, their families and our customers.

A business is only as good as the people at the top, and to that end we rely on our managers and supervisors to keep a close eye on the teams they are responsible for. Online training has been developed and this is especially helpful in supporting those managers to monitor the health (including mental health), safety and welfare of their colleagues as well as in promoting safe systems of work, and we have also been equipping our officers with appropriate protective clothing where it is required.

Indeed, this is an important point: the majority of the sites that we work on are client run, and as such, we, as contractors, have to align with the newly designed plans introduced by our customers. Many of our teams are experiencing a new ‘norm’, including changes to procedures, workstations, processes and protective equipment or clothing.

Navigating the new normal

We have also been advising customers in how they can navigate the ‘new normal’ with a specific guide (entitled Navigating the New Normal) that highlights a number of key areas of consideration.

It is imperative, for example, that there is early engagement with landlords/managing agents to ensure priorities can be identified and that a remobilisation phase is considered prior to any building being re-occupied. Occupancy levels need to be reviewed, as well as new processes for the use of lifts and stairwells.

There are practical considerations for how security officers’ roles and responsibilities will need to shift, from mapping out new mobile patrols to bringing in new technology to, for example, maximise contactless processing of visitors, or using thermal imagery – which will bring with it the need for extra training.

Reception spaces may also need to be rearranged to allow for the appropriate social distancing or privacy screens installed at welcome desks to bring more protection and reassurance to people.

These are just some of the measures that will need to be reviewed but are essential for keeping people safe, and risk assessments and reviews will continue to evolve. We, like many other organisations in our sector, have signed the C-19 Business Pledge and in doing so agree to work with our peers in helping employees, customers and the community during the COVID-19 pandemic, to fight COVID-19 and protect those around us.

These are truly difficult, unprecedented times but I am confident that we will see them out and emerge more resilient, stronger and ready to take on the new challenges that we will undoubtedly face.

David Mundell

Managing Director, Axis Security

www.axis-security.co.uk

See related articles in our category Security Management

The post Covid-19 and security: protecting our people appeared first on City Security Magazine.

There is still ongoing uncertainty over what Brexit will actually look like and this uncertainty breeds nervousness and fear both in individuals and business. From a private security perspective, the EU has been a driver for much of the regulation through the SIA since 2003 (for example TUPE) and we must ensure that post-Brexit, the private security industry does not go backwards towards a state of deregulation, but continues on its positive journey of raising standards and increased contribution to the wider security family in its fight against crime and terrorism.

David Mundell, Managing Director, Axis Security

The post Implications on security of Brexit: Ensuring the flow of security information appeared first on City Security Magazine.

Advances in technology are of course of paramount importance and recent developments in CCTV, access control, facial recognition systems etc. are of massive benefit in the fight against terrorism. However, technology alone is not the panacea, for it is only through the intelligent use of such systems by highly trained and motivated security officers that meaningful results can be achieved.

We have seen a real willingness from our officers to do more and today, private security firms are increasingly engaged with law enforcement agencies in ways that extend far beyond the ‘traditional’ view of what security officers are employed to do. A good example of this is at Paternoster Square in the City where our security team actively carries out joint patrols with City of London Police during Project Servator deployments. Furthermore, the Paternoster Square Security Forum brings together a host of security managers from the area who, collaboratively, help keep the City safe.

Action Counters Terrorism

The police recently launched ACT – Action Counters Terrorism. The campaign focuses on the critical role the public can play in defeating terrorism by reporting suspicious activity and calls on communities to act on their instincts to help prevent atrocities taking place in the UK and overseas. Individual incidents, when seen in isolation, may seem meaningless, but when pieced together in the round by Counter-Terrorism specialists, they paint a bigger picture. It is therefore up to us all to ensure that our concerns are acted upon and reported. But more than this, we can share our knowledge with family and friends to explain how important even the smallest piece of information could be and to give them the confidence to act.

Last year, the Anti-Terrorist hotline received over 22,000 calls from the public, and the information received directly assisted in over a third of the most high-risk investigations. This highlights the power of the individual if they can be persuaded to trust their instincts. As stated, we are urging our security officers to personally spread the word: to tell their friends and families about what they do, and the role they play as part of the wider security ‘network’. We hope that by explaining how simple vigilance can make a difference, we can all ultimately contribute to saving lives and defeating terrorism.

Dave Mundell, Managing Director, Axis Security

The post Highly trained security officers achieve results appeared first on City Security Magazine.