Securing the future

Over the summer months, Dubai Police Academy has been preparing for the start of the newly implemented security training.

All companies employing security guards and managers, control operators and installers are now required, by law, to have their staff trained to a minimum standard.

For facilities managers and facility management service providers, there are two sides of the fence. If security staff are employed directly, FMs have to ensure they are put through the relevant training. If the service is outsourced, FMs should look to outsource the contract to an approved security company.

Dubai Police Academy has approved three companies to conduct the training: First Security Group, Shield and Transguard.

All courses were set by the Academy with the help of Edith Cowan University in Australia and the three approved training companies. Currently, the law is currently implemented within Dubai alone, however, there is talk of it being enforced throughout the GCC.

"The police sat down with every organisation and had meetings with each of the three companies offering training. We had to each compile a document that was then handed back to the police and adapted. We then had to present the courses to the police so they could tell us what we did and didn't have to improve on. They dictated what the basic criteria was," explained Craig Stanbridge, group managing director, First Security Group.

At the time of writing this, all three companies have started the training courses and around 2,100 security professionals have been trained. Training is mainly conducted in English and Arabic, however, they do have trained people on hand to assist with language barriers.

Failure to comply with the law could result in a financial implication. "The police have called in every single security company and they have a list of them.

"They informed all the general managers of the training and timelines. There are going to be fines," states Stanbridge.

However, there is still a lot of speculation and questions to be answered. For example, will there be a refresher course? How long will the certification last? How will the law be regulated and monitored?

What is clear, is that even though companies are paying for the training, the certification will belong to the trained security professional. If FMs and security companies are to ensure they are getting what they have paid for, it is advisable to include a contractual agreement in the employees contract as to how long the security professional should stay with the company before moving on.

There has also been talk of the certification being renewed automatically providing professionals can supply evidence showing they have worked towards continued professional development (CPD) points. It is not yet known how far up the management hierarchy this will start.

"The Department of Protective System (DPS) are working on it. People may earn points per year and those points could be attending a seminar, writing an article or getting involved in some form of security exercise. Once earned, these credits will hopefully renew their licence.

"If there is drastic changes in security trends, crime and industry, what we might have is a supplementary course," confirms Adil Abdel-Hadi, managing director of Shield Security Services.

From basic guard to management training, all approved courses can act as the starting point towards a diploma or degree.

The industry has welcomed the start of some form of standardisation for the sector, but a problem most companies will face is the lack of motivation and enthusiasm from the guards.

"A security guard can only perform if he is well looked after. They need to be treated like human beings. Show them respect, dignity and decency and they will show it back to you.

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