Facility Protection Demands Trained Security Personnel

Unfortunately, there are security personnel (in house and contract) at major facilities throughout America whom have been trained inadequately at best or not trained at all. 

 

Security personnel are responsible for lives, property and potentially the very survival of a corporation or organization.  They must be professionally trained and have educational and motivational on going in service training enhancements.

 

Often, requirements for security personnel training are perfunctory at best and have loopholes which can be exploited to save money.  In New Jersey, the "Security Officer Registration Act" (SORA) was enacted on August 31, 2004 and further established a deadline of March 2006 for industry compliance.  Corresponding regulations were delayed until adoption on May 1, 2006, yet, according to a New Jersey State Police document await a transition date of January 1, 2007.

 

The changes, when finally implemented, will be a positive step toward professionalizing contract security officers, who will need to attend a 24 hour education and training course taught by certified instructors who complete a NJ State Police program.

 

Although this training will assist in professionalizing the contract security personnel industry, they will unfortunately not apply to in house (proprietary) security personnel throughout the state which will not regulated by SORA. 

 

In a post 9/11 era, and with the possibilities of workplace violence incidents and other compelling issues, it is critical that in house security programs develop a culture of training for their personnel.  This training must include understanding the responsibilities of the security profession, crime prevention, terrorism awareness, interpersonal relationship skills, community policing, workplace violence, CPR/AED, ethics, sexual harassment, emergency response, evacuations, leadership development as well as physical, personnel and informational security.

 

Read: http://www.njsp.org/about/pdf/061206_soraletter.pdf