Training

Effective organisational security and safety require two equally essential facets – practical planning and an effective response capability. Having the best-made plans, policies, and procedures are of little value if there is an inability to enact them effectively. Or where the response capability is not adequately up to the task.

It is said that we learn and remember 10% of what we hear, 15% of what we see, 20% of what we see and hear, 40% of what we discuss with others, 80% of what we experience directly and 90% of what we teach others. Through many years of delivering training, we have also found that to engage the learner; the learning process must not only be informative and relevant but entertaining. With this in mind, we contextualise all of our training to the client’s workplace or operational environment. We build our training around both knowledge and practical skill-set application and then deliver the training in a highly engaging manner. This approach is the very core of our training philosophy.

Operational Safety Training (OST)

Our operational safety training (also known as defensive tactics training) is designed to support personnel working in high-risk environments where there is a requirement for them to physically engage with hostile, aggressive, and violent persons. We are very well regarded in this area for having the ability to individually tailor the OST programme to the client’s operational environment regardless of uniqueness while also meeting their organisational requirements. We have developed OST for law enforcement bodies, Commonwealth security agencies, operatives deploying to high-risk locations, and security personnel engaged in the licenced premises and health care environments.

Occupational Violence & Aggression (OVA) Training

There is a societal perception that we are living in an ‘age of anger’. The notion that anger and outrage are becoming so widespread that (for some) it is an acceptable social norm, and their rage provides them with a sense of power and righteousness. While studies undertaken around the globe try to explain this, for those who have to deal with conflict in their everyday work lives, the ‘why’ is less important than the ‘how’ – how to recognise it, how to anticipate it, how to avoid it, how to prevent it escalating, and how to resolve it.

Some OVA training takes a purely academic approach, while others take a practical approach. Our extensive experience in this area suggests the reality is that OVA training needs to touch on both. Not only is it necessary to understand the who, what, why, and how of violence and aggression. It is equally important to have the required practical skills to deal with conflict situations. Understanding why a person is behaving in the way that they are, informs the process on how to best handle the situation.

This training is targeted more towards those persons who are the organisation’s first point of contact (receptionists, counter staff, concierges, etc.). Or who required to interface with members of the public, clients, and other visitors to the workplace.

Security Awareness Training (SAT)

It is often said that our brain is our greatest weapon, but for it to be effective, it must be switched on.

Security awareness is not about being paranoid but rather being aware of your surroundings, recognising any potential or actual danger, and having the tools and skills to avoid, or if necessary, confront the threat. We consider our SAT programme a life-skills programme in the same way that learning to swim will prevent drowning – something everyone should learn. Having SAT skills increases your safety and security as you move through your daily life, such as travelling to and from work or school, within the work environment, social settings, travelling overseas, etc.

Our SAT programmes are grounded in science. This, in conjunction with our vast experience in the field of violent crime, has shown that while some constants underpin all acts of violence, the SAT requirements for women are vastly different from men. Consequently, we have developed separate gender-specific programmes to address the distinctive SAT needs of women and those of men.

Understanding the perpetrator profile and methodology is an essential component of security awareness training. Our SAT programmes take an in-depth look at modern-day case studies, coronial reports, and violent crime research to:

Enable recognition of aggressive and predatory behaviour, and
Formulate strategies and responses to the most likely types of modern-day aggression and predatory behaviour.

Emergency Management Training

Not all work environments are the same. What may be a significant threat in one environment may not be the case in another. While effective emergency management planning is essential, it is of little value if the emergency response capability is not commensurate with the threat environment. Or insufficient focus has been placed on the required response capability.

Our approach to emergency management is to contextualise the emergency management training to the most likely threat sources in the client’s workplace and develop response procedures that:

Ensure the organisational response capability can effectively deal with the emergency event,
Wherever possible, minimise or streamline the interdependency demand (reliance) of the organisation on emergency services for their emergency response capability, and
Guarantee the response capability includes correct protocols for the transitioning of responsibility to the appropriate emergency services agency (police, fire, ambulance, SES) following the initial organisational response.

Our emergency training programmes have been designed in a modular format to ensure the training programme is valid, reliable, and relevant to the client’s workplace. Additionally, the training is designed to ensure compliance with the training requirements of WHS legislation and those identified in AS 3745-2010 Planning for emergencies in facilities.

Emergency Control Organisations

How the Emergency Control Organisation (ECO) handles an emergency will determine the success or failure of the organisation’s emergency management plan. Modern-day threats require several different types of response, with many not affording the luxury of time for ECO personnel (Chief Warden, Area Wardens, and Wardens) to refer to documented procedures to identify their role and responsibilities. Simple but effective response training provides ECO personnel with the confidence, skills, and knowledge to react and respond in an emergency.

General Staff Emergency Response

AS 3745 mandates that all occupants working at a facility are to receive training to enable them to act in accordance with the emergency response procedures. Workplaces where large numbers of persons are in attendance, require all staff to function as part of the ECO to manage the safe flow of a full evacuation and attending to those who need assistance.

Conducting Evacuations Involving Large Numbers of Evacuees

A poorly managed evacuation of large numbers of people has the potential to result in greater levels of injuries and fatalities via crowd crush than from the emergency event itself. If a full evacuation at your organisation involves large numbers of evacuees, then effective crowd management practices are an essential part of your training requirements.

EWIS Panel Operation

Arguably one of the most daunting prospects for all Chief Wardens and anyone else tasked with the responsibility of operating the building’s emergency warning intercommunication system (EWIS). This training module provides easy step-by-step instructions to give the operator the confidence and knowhow to read and use the building’s EWIS.

Bomb Threat Management

Genuine IED attacks can have catastrophic injury consequences, while bomb threats and hoaxes are disruptive and can result in significant staff anxiety and distress. The use of properly conducted discrete ‘white level inspections’ by trained staff can minimise the likelihood of a successful IED attack and the disruption, anxiety, and distress to staff associated with a hoax.

Active Armed Offender

While an active armed offender incident ultimately requires a police response, the initial response will be undertaken by the building’s ECO or Emergency Response Team (ERT). A critical aspect of the initial response is to limit the exposure of building occupants, gain situational awareness, and effectively transitioning responsibility to police.

Fire & Smoke Response

Genuine fire and smoke emergencies will typically require either a partial evacuation or a full evacuation. Understanding the nature of fire and smoke and the ability to communicate this information allows for the Chief Warden to make an informed decision as to the appropriate response option.

First-Attack Firefighting

First-attack firefighting (FAFF) is a core element of an organisation’s emergency response capability and a requirement of AS 3745. The purpose of FAFF training is to provide staff with the ability to extinguish small containable fires to prevent these fires from becoming large, potentially life-threatening, destructive fires. FAFF training encompasses the practical use of the firefighting equipment (fire extinguishers, hose reels, and fire blankets) within the client’s workplace.