Event Security Licensing: Will it happen and when?

Last year assurances were made by Minister Shatter that the licensing of the event security industry would be introduced.  We now find ourselves at the beginning of the busiest period in the annual calendar of events and licensing of this sector has yet to be introduced.  

You may be wondering, like we were, is licensing of the event security sector going to happen and if it is when is it likely to be introduced?  

The Chairman of the Irish Security Industry Association's (ISIA) event security division recently wrote to Minister Shatter to ask just that.  For a full update of the progress of event security licensing in Ireland, please read our most recent news story on the ISIA website available here. 

Finding a Security Company: Taking the Hard Work Out of an Important Task

Finding a security company in Ireland can be a daunting task.  If you decided to take on this task tomorrow and you went onto the website of the Private Security Authority (PSA) you would find a lengthy list of licensed contractors providing a variety of security services ranging from security guarding services (static guards/door security), companies providing installation and maintenance of electronic security systems (alarms, CCTV and access control), not to mention the companies that monitor alarms, along with those providing cash-in-transit service.  We didn't count, but as of today the list is 62 pages long.  We estimate it could include over 700 companies! 

How can you narrow down your list of options without wading through that very long list and what do you need to make sure your prospective security supplier has in place?  

The Requirements

If you are securing the services of a security company they will need to hold a valid PSA license if they are providing you with any of the following:   

• Static Guards
• Door Security 
• Alarm installation 
• Alarm maintenance 
• CCTV installation 
• CCTV maintenance 
• Access Control System installation 
• Access Control System maintenance 
• Remote monitoring of alarms 
• Transport of Cash

In order for a company to obtain a license they must meet a number of requirements and they must be independently audited against the relevant standards for the area of private security that they are operating in.  For further information on standards and licensing requirements please click here. 

The employees working in Cash in Transit, from today 1st May, static guards and door security will also need to hold an individual license as an employee in that area.  

Getting a Short List of Suppliers

As we already mentioned, there is a lengthy list of companies you can select from, so we are sure you will want to make the task of selecting a security supplier that bit easier.  You may rely on word of mouth referrals from people you know and trust.  However, you should still always check that the company you are referred to holds a valid Private Security Authority (PSA) license, licensing may not have been a legal requirement when your contact dealt with this company.  So always check.  Many security companies will also have sought to demonstrate their standards by gaining certification to various international standards, so it might be worth asking them what standards they operate to.  In other words, try to find out how they differentiate themselves from the hundreds of security companies that are licensed.  However, don't let them blind you with a series of numbers that may just be the minimum required for licensing (refer back to the link on standards for licensing, all companies will have these). The standard they operate to may simply be the minimum standards that they have to meet to trade legally.  If you are looking for a company that stands out from the crowd, ask them if they have achieved any standards outside those required by licensing, such as ISO 9001 or the Irish Security Industry Association's (ISIA) quality requirement, Qualsec.  

If you are considering using members of the Irish Security Industry Association (ISIA) as a supplier, all of the members of the Guarding Division, Electronic Security Division and Event Security Division will hold Qualsec, the ISIA's own quality scheme which is designed with the customer in mind.  Members of these three divisions must achieve Qulasec Silver at a minimum, but may progress to Qulasec Gold or Qulasec Platinum.  There is further information available on our website which you may access here.  We would also encourage you to always check the validity of a companies ISIA membership and Qulasec standard.  If you are not sure, just call us in the ISIA +353-(0)1-4847206.  

If you are still uncertain about where to start in the search to find a security company to supply the specific security services you need, we can help.  Simply submit the form, available here and we can do some of the hard work for you.  

More Reason to Believe Stiffer Sentencing a Must

Earlier this month we issued a press release highlighting the number of cash-in-transit robberies that had occurred already this year, the threat these incidents are to public safety and employees in the industry, the concerns that the industry have that many are being perpetrated by the same criminals and therefore, the need for stiffer sentencing.  

That press release can be viewed here. 

Since that press release has been issued there was a further incident last Saturday, during the day at the Orwell Shopping Centre near Templeogue.  A handgun was held at a security man's head forcing the security worker to hand over a cash box he had just collected from a supermarket and leaving shoppers terrified.

These incidents are happening during the day, in public locations and are a serious public risk.  As the Irish Security Industry Association's (ISIA) recent press release mentioned, our members fear that these incidents are often being carried out by the same criminals repeatedly.  An article in yesterday's Herald has confirmed those fears, highlighting that the two men currently being held in custody are "also suspected of a spate of similar crimes across counties Dublin, Meath and Cork...and one of them previously served a lengthy jail sentence after the attempted armed robbery of a ex-Dublin GAA player.  He also served a three-year sentence for a separate cash-in-transit robbery in 2002."

ISIA Awards 2012 & 40th Anniversary Celebration

The Irish Security Industry Association (ISIA) hosted the ISIA Awards and 50th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday 10^th November at the Ritz Carlton Hotel.  The awards were attended by over 250 individuals from the private security industry, suppliers to the industry and security managers from a variety of industries.  Also in attendance were members of the Private Security Authority, An Garda Síochána, FÁS and the Dublin Fire Brigade. 

As pointed out by ISIA President, Sean Malone “The ISIA Awards contributes to ensuring that standards within the security industry are kept high”.  Malone thanked all those ISIA members “who took the time to reflect on the excellence of their employees and the outstanding work being done in the industry”.  There were eight awards presented on the night, with three categories being introduced for the first time this year.  

The Premier Award

The Premier Award, sponsored by Noonan, was presented to Dublin Fire Brigade who celebrates their 150^th Anniversary this year.  Dublin Fire Brigade is the largest full time brigade in the country providing fire and emergency response service to over 1.2 million people.  With responsibility for high risk sites throughout Dublin city and county their services are critical to our capital city.  The ISIA was honoured to present this year’s Premier Award to Dublin Fire Brigade which was accepted on behalf of all the men and women of Dublin Fire Brigade by Chief Fire Officer, Stephen Brady.

The Courage Award

This year’s recipient of the Courage Award was Joanne O’Riordan, a truly remarkable individual.  Joanne is one of seven people in the world with total amelia, but she has not let this stop her from anything.  O’Riordan challenged the Taoiseach on the issue of cuts that would impact on those with disabilities, asked women scientists around the world to build her a robot and was invited to address the United Nations on this very topic, which she did earlier this year just after her sixteenth birthday.  Joanne O’Riordan is an inspiration and the ISIA were thrilled to be in a position to recognise her courage with this award, which was sponsored by Synergy Security Solutions. 

Security Officer of the Year

The award for Security Officer of the Year was presented to Tony Gorman, Noonan, for the exceptional service and outstanding contribution he makes as a security officer at Penney’s, Eyre Square, Galway.  There were also two merit award recipients on the night; Andrew Dolan, ISS, for the work he carries out at IBEC and Mihhail Roman, EPM Ireland, for the work he carries out at Swords Business Campus and Stream Global Services. 

Security Supervisor of the Year

The award for Security Supervisor of the Year was presented to Jerome O’Donovan, Noonan, for the outstanding work he does at EMC Cork, where he is responsible for supervising twelve officers in addition to remotely managing the security operations of twenty-seven locations across EMEA.  There were also three merit award recipients on the night; Sean Kavangh, ISS, for the work he carries out at AOL; Martin Keville, Synergy Security Solutions, for the work he carries out at Tara Mines (Boliden) and Marcus Smith, Synergy Security Solutions, for the work he carries out at Bord Gáis Energy.

Event Security Person of the Year

The winner of the Event Security Person of the Year award was Pat Douglas, Pulse Security Management, who was specifically nominated for the work he carries out at the Guinness Storehouse and the contribution he makes to the security and overall experience of visitors to Ireland’s most popular visitor attraction.  There were also two merit award recipients on the night; Derek Dunne, Sword, for the work he carried out at the London Olympic Games and Martin McKevitt, Renaissance Security Services, for the work he carries out for Horse Racing Ireland. 

Electronic Security Apprentice of the Year

In 2007 FÁS introduced an Electronic Security Apprenticeship allowing those working in the area of electronic security to gain a craft with global recognition.  This year, for the first time, the ISIA recognised those ISIA apprentices nearing completion of the apprenticeship.  The award was sponsored by GVD in association with Milestone and the winner was Donagh Kane from Jade.  There were three finalists also recognised on the night; Andrew Fleming of Xenon Security Systems, Shane Kennedy of Stanley Security Solutions and Glen Lunney of G4S Monitoring Ireland. 

Industry Contribution Award

Private security is filled with individuals who work tirelessly on a voluntary basis to improve their industry.  This year the ISIA wished to recognise these efforts and introduced the Industry Contribution Award sponsored by Stanley Security Solutions.  The award was presented to the Security Systems Training Council (SSTC) who gave their own time to assist FÁS with the development of the Electronic Security Apprenticeship and continue to work closely with FÁS on recognition of prior learning (RPL) to ensure those experienced in the industry have an opportunity to also earn a craft.  

Innovation in Security

The award for innovation in security was developed to foster and encourage innovation in the security industry.  Sarah O’Donnell, Communications Director with the ISIA stated “the submissions this year were of a very high standard and we were delighted to be able to say that innovation is a key component in the success of each of the finalists selected”.  There were four finalists selected; G4S, MTS Security, Stanley Security Solutions and TDS.  

The award was sponsored by Anixter and the winner was TDS.  “The TDS submission was based on a piece of work they completed for Google”, stated Martin Crothers, Past President of the ISIA, “but what stood out about TDS is the true culture of innovation in their organisation which impacts on everything they do as a company”.  

The ISIA would like to thank all of the guests who attended on the night, those members who supported the spirit of awards by first of all recognising the excellence within their own companies and of course all of the sponsors without whom the event would not be possible.  

Thank You to Our Sponsors

CCTV & Access Control Licensing Changes

From today there are a number of changes to the requirements for those installing, maintaining and repairing CCTV and Access Control Systems.  From today, the 1st October 2012, those companies or sole traders who install and maintain CCTV and Access Control security systems must hold a private security services license from the Private Security Authority.

What does that mean for you as service provider or for you as a customer of the industry?  Have a read of our information leaflet which outlines what these legislative changes mean for you.

ISIA Information Leaflet on CCTV & Access Control licensing

Preventing Robberies - The Perfect Security Solution

With a Post Office worker injured and cash stolen from Lidl today in two separate raids, the question on many people's minds is bound to be, how can we prevent this and how do we manage the risk to businesses with cash on their premises?  What is the perfect security solution?  Martin Crothers, a recent past President of the ISIA, spoke to Audrey Carville from  RTE on the topic.  For those of you that missed the interview, which aired on Radio 1 Drive Time just after 16:30, we have highlighted some of the key points below.  

According to a news article in the Sunday World, there were more cash robberies in Ireland in the first two months of this year than there were in all of 2011.  So there is no doubting the fact that certain types of crime are on the rise.  In the 1980's in Ireland there were high rates of crime and a frequency of raids too, but as security and security systems improved the frequency of these attacks decreased.  So, where do we go now?  

Today's raid on the Post Office was not successful, but the robbery at Lidl on Thomas Street was.  What security challenges do these types of businesses face and how can the risks to their people and their business be managed?  First of all, the premises itself could offer challenges.  Very often shops and post offices are in old buildings that have not been purpose built.  That in itself can cause difficulty.  Also, you might have put in certain security measures that the criminals are suddenly a step ahead.  Then there is the human element to consider.  As was pointed out in today's interview, if you have someone in a balaclava standing over you with a gun to your head, the security procedures may not spring to mind.  So how does a business combat that?  

When we consider these types of challenges it could lead us to feel that there is simply nothing that can be done.  There certainly isn't a perfect security solution, but that doesn't mean that we cannot continuously work towards improving security and preventing robberies and raids such as those in Dublin today.  As already highlighted, as security advances so do the criminals.  Therefore, it is important that the security industry and the business community is always a step ahead.  This means prioritising security every day.  It must be a part of every person's job each day, particularly when you are a business that holds cash.  Security should be continuously reviewed and upgraded and that is not limited to systems, but should be extended to the people in the business.  Training needs should also be reviewed and risks continuously assessed.  

Regularly reviewing systems, assessing how the systems can be improved and upgraded may require investment, but it could prevent a robbery.  The human element cannot be entirely controlled nor can the criminals, but through regular training, regular reviews of procedures and regular risk assessments you can at least ensure that you have done every thing possible to make an attempted robbery an unsuccessful robbery. 

Security should not be an after thought, it should be a priority and one of your key risk management tools.  What we have outlined above and what was outlined in today's interview is not a perfect security solution, a perfect solution does not exist, but it is as close as you are going to get. 

Risk Manager :: Threats and Trends in the Security Industry

Did you miss out on attending the Crothers Security and Mul T Lock breakfast briefing?  Have a look at the article in Risk Manager Online for an overview of topics covered on the morning.

Risk Manager :: Threats and Trends in the Security Industry