Samantha Robinson
The hard work and achievements of 15 outstanding security professionals have been recognised in the national round of this year’s British Security Industry Association (BSIA) Security Personnel Awards, which were presented today (16th July) at the Association’s exclusive annual lunch held at the London Hilton on Park Lane.
Commander Steve Rodhouse, Commander for Gang and Organised Crime for the Metropolitan Police, presented the prestigious awards, which provide an exclusive platform to showcase the excellence and outstanding performances displayed by employees of BSIA member companies.
Currently in their 15th year, the awards are presented in five key categories: Service to the Customer, Outstanding Act, Best Newcomer, Best Use of Technology and Best Team. A full list of winners and their achievements can be found below.
“The BSIA is always keen to ensure that the efforts and talents of personnel who make invaluable contributions towards maintaining high standards in our industry are not overlooked,” comments James Kelly, Chief Executive of the BSIA. “The awards give us the opportunity to recognise and reward individuals and teams that continue to exceed our expectations year upon year.
“This year in particular we received a large amount of exceptional nominations, making the appointment of this year’s winners even more difficult than usual. Our 15 winners encompass the value of the security industry, demonstrating intelligent and innovative uses of technology, teamwork, unrivalled customer service and commendable acts of bravery and we are extremely proud to have them working within our industry.”
The awards would not be possible without the support of Camberford Law PLC, specialist insurance brokers to the BSIA and the private security industry, who have sponsored the awards since their inception.
David Ottewill, Managing Director of the company, comments on the value of the awards: “So often good work goes unnoticed by the public and industry at large, and we want to recognise the hard work and achievements of these high calibre professionals. We are very proud to be associated with the BSIA Awards and the talent displayed by the winners.”
BSIA National Security Personnel Award winners 2013
Service to the Customer
Enter, Joe Harrigan: Joe from The Westgrove Group has been demonstrating his assertiveness and dedication at the Frenchgate Shopping Centre in Doncaster for over four years. He not only cares about the wellbeing of tenants and visitors to the shopping centre, but also the wider community, using his knowledge acquired as a Police Officer to support his duties within the centre. He regularly attends various crime partnership meetings on behalf of the shopping centre and has initiated a number of projects for the benefit of the centre and the officers on site. His star quality has been said to be his ‘can do’ attitude, which never fails to impress.
Enter, Helen Stevens: Helen, from Advance Security UK Limited, has been committed to her contract at Arla Foods, turning the site into a smooth and streamlined operation since her arrival. Helen’s extensive knowledge of security and the premises means that she has been able to make a number of recommendations that have provided real benefits to the site. She is very much seen as the site supervisor and provides essential leadership for the rest of the team, even taking responsibility for the training of the security team. Helen’s dedication meant that she quickly became the pivotal link on site for the client and the rest of the security officers.
Enter, Shaun Spurway: Shaun, of Corps Security, has been fulfilling his role as Senior Site Supervisor at a large site, home to over 1400 staff and running to 633 acres. In his role, Shaun is responsible for providing security to the entire premises, along with managing 24 security officers, all of which he carries out to an extremely high standard on a daily basis. He is notorious for his commitment and attention to detail, with colleagues knowing that any projects he takes on will be carried out in a logical, concise and prompt manner. His hard work and determination have earned him respect from his fellow officers, along with his customer.
Outstanding Act
Enter, Mark Cooper: Mark works for The Westgrove Group as a Security Officer at the Podium Shopping Centre in Bath. One afternoon, Mark was faced with a serious situation when he came across an agitated young woman pacing up and down a walkway by a river well-known for its strong undercurrent. It soon became clear that the young lady was planning to jump into the river; luckily Mark’s quick reactions meant that he was able to grab hold of her backpack and pull her to safety. During the incident, Mark was also able to notify other members of his team for assistance. Had Mark not been on duty, a life may have been lost.
Enter, Michael Smyth: Michael, from Vision Security Group (VSG), works at a hospital and one day he was called to attend a routine incident involving an unruly patient who had locked themselves in a room. The incident soon became severe, as the patient had managed to open an exterior window on an upper level of a multi-storey building and was proceeding to climb through it. Michael quickly assessed the situation, kicked the door open and rushed to grab the patient who was balancing dangerously on the window sill. Luckily, Michael was able to pull them back to safety and restrain them until the window was secured by ward staff, saving their life.
Enter, Ahmed Akinjobi: Ahmed works for Incentive Lynx Security on a contract for More London. One evening he was out on patrol when he came across a young lady standing on a wall facing the river Thames. Ahmed approached the situation with caution, quickly realising that the female was planning to jump into the river. As she attempted to do so, Ahmed was able to pull her back to safety, saving her life. He was also able to alert other security members onsite who contacted the emergency services, allowing them to attend the scene and assist. Throughout the entire time, Ahmed remained calm and in control, utilising his training in order to save the young lady’s life.
Best Newcomer
Enter, Ethan Hanley: Ethan, from VSG, was chosen to head up the operation for the mobilisation of an EMEA ROC. He hit the ground running, and his ‘can do’ attitude and innovative ideas proved invaluable to the mobilisation of 21 local receiving centres. He utilised his intuition to quickly identifiy any missing information or processes and design new work flows, demonstrating determination, adaptability and a calm nature in the face of ever-changing requests. The hard work and commitment of Ethan and his team ultimately meant that the project was amazingly eight months ahead of schedule.
Enter, Samantha Robinson: Samantha, of Advance Security UK Limited, has been excelling in her role as a front of house receptionist for a multi-purpose building in Manchester. Despite it being only her second role since leaving education, she has been unafraid to take on multiple responsibilities and utilised her strong administrative experience to ensure the smooth running of the building. In just 12 months, Samantha grew her own role to incorporate the security and management of the entire building, even taking on additional hours so she could be the pivotal point of contact for the various tenants, contractors and other service providers.
Enter, Rob Bowker: Prior to his role at Tweedale Industrial Estates, Rob, of Advance Security UK Limited, had not worked within the security industry and was originally recruited as a support officer on a temporary basis. However, his colleagues were so pleased by his work at the estate that he was made a permanent officer to the site, and more recently, has been promoted to Security Supervisor – all within an outstanding ten month time period. Rob has been noted for his positivity and enthusiasm, working hard to quickly get up to speed on the site and his duties, identify where the issues lay and work with on-site tenants to tackle them head on.
Best use of Technology
Enter, Murshed Mohammed: Murshed, from VSG, works as a Safety and Security Team Leader at an IKEA store in Essex. After a distressed customer reported her handbag as stolen – with her car keys, house keys, iPhone4 and cash inside – Murshed quickly came up with an effective plan of action. Utilising a tracking application on his own iPhone to link with the customer’s tracking application, he was able to combine the technology with Google map software in order to view and follow the precise movements of the customer’s phone. This led to the safe return of the customer’s belongings and the conviction of a female, who had previous offences, who was sentenced to two months prison for the theft.
Enter, Colin Robertson: Colin, from G4S, has been lending his technical expertise on a contract for The Glenmorangie Company, for over seven years. Alongside his day-to-day duties as a Security Officer, Colin demonstrated a keen interest in, and an apparent aptitude for developing, the sites security systems and Building Management System (BMS). Following the move of Glenmorangie to a new purpose built bottling plant, Colin, without any prompting, began to assess how well the site was working, and what security arrangements were being employed. He demonstrated a passion for technology and a capacity for ensuring that the systems were utilised as best as possible to secure the customer’s premises.
Gareth Stead-Clark – Gareth, from VSG, took a leading role within the team at the Mall Blackburn, working alongside Mall management on several technology based projects. These included appraisals and enhancements for the CCTV system and internal security database management and improvements. He took an extremely proactive approach to his position, spending time getting to grips with new technology, which has allowed him to apply his expertise across various initiatives. The Mall management, CCTV operator colleagues and visiting CCTV engineers have all benefited from Gareth’s knowledge.
Best Team
Enter, the Volkswagen Group Team: The Volkswagen Group Team, from VSG, consists of 21 dedicated officers who offer their dedication and high calibre customer service across four Volkswagen sites. The commitment and dedication of the team is second to none, holding the lowest absenteeism record within VSG since 2008. The team have also managed a near 100% Service Level Agreement (SLA) score since 2008. The officers are described as selfless and dedicated to the client, regularly thinking of new ideas in order to ease the workload of the client’s staff. The team exhibit a secure, polite and professional manner at all times, making visitors feel welcome at the sites.
Enter, the Priory Shopping Centre Team – The Priory Shopping Centre Team, from SPS Security Ltd, have been working at the shopping centre since last April and have been working tirelessly with the local police force to help drive crime down by 19%. Alongside this they have also helped the centre raise over £1000 for local and national charities and have even saved the lives of two customers within a six month time period by working together to perform CPR. The team have become a significant part of the wider community, extending their services beyond the tenants of the shopping centre to high street retailers, who have come to rely on their outstanding service.
Enter, the Mobile Support Team: The team of Mobile Support Officers from VSG have been contributing their skills to their retail client across the North West region. The delivery, mobilisation and introduction of regional Mobile Support Officers was launched by VSG in 2012. The aim of these officers was to help reduce organised crime and formulate close working crime prevention partnerships across the catchment area, alongside building partnerships with local constabularies. This new venture proved to be successful, with the crime rate reducing and a higher number of arrests being made. Since their deployment, the team have managed to successfully recover stock to the value of over £125,000.
BSIA Chairman’s Awards recognise lifelong contributions of industry leaders
Julie Kenny
The commitment and dedication of four industry stalwarts was recognised as this year’s prestigious British Security Industry Association Chairman’s Awards were presented by Association Chairman, Geoff Zeidler on Tuesday 16th July.
The awards were presented at the Association’s Annual Lunch at the London Hilton on Park Lane, in the following categories: Contribution to the Industry, Contribution to the Community, Contribution to Training and Contribution to Standards. Personally selected by Geoff Zeidler, each of the winners was selected in recognition of the significant impact that their career-long contributions have had on the UK’s private security industry.
Details of the winners are as follows:
The Chairman’s Award for Contribution to Standards was presented to Stewart Taylor of Cooper Security. As the Chairman of the BSIA’s Security Equipment Manufacturers’ Section’s Technical committee for almost a decade, Stewart’s contribution has extended further afield to include lobbying and negotiation at British, European and International levels of standards committee. Ahead of his retirement at the end of this year, her was selected for this award as a token of the high regard he is held in by the industry.
The award for Contribution to Training was presented to Mike Britnell, Acting Chief Executive of Skills for Security. Reflecting on the recently forged partnership between Skills for Security and the BSIA, Mike has played an integral role in making this move a success, using his wealth of security industry experience to facilitate an effective restructure of Skills for Security, and a smooth transition process as the BSIA welcomed the sector skills body firmly back within the remit of the industry.
The Chairman’s Award for Contribution to the Community was presented to Owen Stanley of Securitas Security Solutions Limited. Owen’s personal experiences of family illness and the loss of loved ones have fuelled a passion for fundraising, and his tireless dedication to helping others through the organisation of charity events has led to more than £10,000 worth of contributions to various good causes, including Cancer Research, Help for Heroes, RNLI Lifeboats and Guide Dogs for the Blind.
Finally, the highly-regarded award for Contribution to the Industry recognises those individuals who have made a career-long commitment to the ongoing success of the private security industry. This year, the award was presented to Julie Kenny CBE DL of Pyronix Limited, the most recent Immediate Past Chair of the BSIA. Julie has been a formidable driving force behind the BSIA’s continued strategic development, and her vision for the Association’s future has resulted in the delivery of a more streamlined structure and brand new constitution, ensuring that the BSIA is a truly 21st century organisation that is now fit to fulfill its members’ needs well into the future. A member of the Association’s Council for 20 years, Julie’s commitment to the BSIA – and the security sector at large – has truly changed the landscape of our industry.
Outstanding courage of cash-in-transit couriers recognised in awards
Derek Mullin Special Awards for Outstanding Service
Six exceptional cash-in-transit couriers have been recognised by the British Security Industry Association (BSIA) with three Special Awards for Outstanding Service and one Special Commendation.
The awards, which are sponsored by the Post Office Cash Services Limited, aim to acknowledge the outstanding courage, initiative and composure exhibited by cash-in-transit couriers in the face of exceptional, challenging or dangerous situations.
Discussing the value of the awards, Chief Executive of the BSIA, James Kelly, comments: “The hard work and invaluable contributions of cash-in-transit couriers can sometimes be overlooked, but it is extremely important to remember that they provide an essential public service, and as a result, can be faced with life-threatening situations.
“This year’s award winners have all been confronted by extraordinary circumstances where their welfare has been compromised, yet remained calm and professional throughout the whole ordeal. They truly deserve their awards and we are so pleased to have people like them working within our industry.”
This year’s CVIT Special Award winners are:
- · Stephen Fearn of G4S Cash Solutions (UK) Ltd – Stephen was conducting a cash-in-transit service on his own for a bank when he was faced with a serious situation. After advising the bank of his presence, personnel began their timer on a safe so that Stephen may commence his delivery. It was when Stephen returned to the banking hall to collect his last container that an attacker suddenly ran into the hall, swearing aggressively and waving a gun in Stephen’s direction. The attacker held the gun to Stephen’s head, demanding the box to be opened. Knowing that the box was empty, Stephen offered the attacker the box in the hope that he would take it and run, however, the attacker demanded that it be opened. Once he realised it was empty, the attacker – still holding the gun to Stephen’s head – forced Stephen to the counter and demanded staff to hand over money. Realising the severity of the situation, Stephen advised the member of staff to comply with the attacker, who then took the money and ran. Luckily, the attacker was remanded in custody shortly following the incident. Throughout a terrifying ordeal, Stephen remained calm and ensured that neither himself nor any member of staff were injured during the incident.
- · Michael Grundy and Paul Redhead of G4S Cash Solutions (UK) Ltd – Paul and Michael exhibited extreme level headedness in the face of danger when they were confronted by three attackers wielding machetes. The pair had been replenishing an ATM at a service station. They were in the ATM room preparing to make the walk back to their vehicle to off-load a cassette when they were faced with two attackers, brandishing machetes, who snatched the cassette out of Michael’s hands. Forcing their way into the ATM room, the attackers then demanded that Paul retrieve all the cassettes out of the machine. Calmly, Paul explained that he machine was fitted with bars and they could no longer access the machine. At this point, a third attacker arrived and demanded that Michael give him the other cassette, which Michael calmly explained he could not do unless he was on the vehicle. The attacker demanded that Michael move to the vehicle to open the box and pass him the contents; Michael complied with this instruction but passed him an empty cassette. This satisfied the attackers, causing them to flee the scene without realising they had not gained any cash. Both couriers remained extremely calm and alert throughout the situation, allowing them to make quick decisions that prevented the company from making any losses.
- · Derek Mullin and Hamilton Queen of G4S Cash Solutions (UK) Ltd - Hamilton and Derek are being awarded for their bravery when they were faced with two attackers whilst carrying out a service at a college. Hamilton had remained in the vehicle, whilst Derek was making the journey to the building with a third cassette when he was approached by an attacker demanding the box and wielding a long blade. At this point, the situation worsened when a second attacker appeared carrying an axe. Calmly, Derek placed the box on the ground and informed the attackers that he was unable to open it. The attackers then forced Derek up the stairs to the ATM and demanded that he open it, once again, Derek refused to do so. In their frustration of being unable to force the machine open, the attackers began slashing at Derek with their weapons, causing cuts to his hands and severing two tendons. Despite this, Derek was still able to call the police, keeping calm at all times and being sure not to put the safety of himself or Hamilton at further risk.
Speaking about the awards, Gavin Windsor, G4S Director of Risk, commented: “Each year, G4S moves £300 billion around the country, and our couriers are the backbone of what we do, keeping the pound in the pocket of our customers and members of the public. This work is not without risk, and I am incredibly proud of our five colleagues who have been recognised with this special award for their calm and bravery in threatening and violent situations. They represent the dedication to service of all of our couriers who deliver for our customers each and every day with outstanding courage and professionalism.”
The recipient of this year’s CVIT Special Commendation is:
- · Robert Gilmour of Loomis UK Ltd – Robert was carrying out an ATM Replenishment Service on a machine situated inside a supermarket store. He was on his third walk into the store carrying a box that contained a large amount of cash when he was violently attacked by a robber wielding an axe who viciously struck him about the head, neck and upper body. Despite his best efforts, the attacker was able to retrieve the box from Robert and run from the store. However, luckily, the automatic doors at the store prevented the robber from making a quick getaway and Robert was able to grab hold of the attacker and the cash box. With the help of members of the public and a store guard, the attacker was overpowered and restrained until the Police arrived and made an arrest. Robert displayed enormous courage throughout the ordeal, helping to stop the robber from getting away, despite his own injuries. Speaking modestly about his achievement Robert commented: “I am honoured to be put forward for this award. I do realise the risk that is out there when servicing the customers but this is the industry we work in. I was only doing my job.”
The awards were presented to the couriers by Commander Steve Rodhouse, Commander for Gang and Organised Crime for the Metropolitan Police, at the Association’s annual luncheon, which took place on 16th July at the London Hilton on Park Lane.
‘Bright futures’ for Apprentice Installer Award winners
Jack Finley Apprentice Installer Awards
Young apprentices Ryan Jenkins and Jack Finley were recently presented with the British Security Industry Association’s (BSIA) prestigious Apprentice Installer Awards 2013 at the Association’s Annual Lunch on 16th July.
The awards serve to recognise the achievements of Level Two and Level Three apprentices involved in the installation of alarms, CCTV, access control or a combination of these systems, and represent the commitment of security companies and training bodies in providing young talent with the opportunity to succeed in the security industry.
“We are all well aware that in today’s challenging job market many young people may feel that a long term career is out of their reach” commented James Kelly, Chief Executive of the BSIA. “As such, the BSIA and its members fully support the development of apprenticeships which offer positions to young people who wish to gain practical skills and knowledge in the security industry, allowing them to ultimately develop long-term careers in the sector.
“It’s always a pleasure to be able to recognise the outstanding talent displayed by our young apprentices, and this year the calibre of nominations was so exceptional that the judges felt it impossible to choose between two outstanding individuals. For that reason, we have chosen two joint overall winners. Both apprentices have exhibited exceptional qualities throughout their apprenticeships, and no doubt have a very bright future within our industry.”
Ryan, 23, is a Level Three apprentice at Chubb Fire and Security Ltd. Since beginning his apprenticeship in September 2010, Ryan has excelled in all aspects of his work and is dedicated to delivering the best service to his customer.
His coursework is always completed to a high standard and he even takes manuals home the night before an installation so he may be as familiar as possible with the equipment being used. He is described by colleagues as a resourceful and reliable individual, taking on any challenges in his stride and meeting them with growing success.
“Ryan demonstrates large amounts of initiative and common sense, and we are proud to have him as part of the team. We have great confidence not only in his technical abilities, but also with the commitment he shows towards customers and colleagues alike,” said Dave James, General Manager, Chubb Fire & Security.
Jack, 17, is only a first year apprentice at CTM Fire and Security, part of the Thompson Group, and has already made an extremely positive impression amongst his colleagues and customers.
With aspirations to be in senior management by his early 30’s, Jack dedicates a lot of his time to his apprenticeship, already undertaking additional reading and research outside of normal working hours to expand and broaden his industry knowledge.
To further improve his system specific knowledge and work performance, Jack also takes the time to obtain and study relevant product manuals to familiarise himself with different systems and their full capabilities. He has been noted by colleagues for his attention to detail and positive customer focused attitude, which have allowed him to quickly gain the customer’s trust and confidence.
Speaking about Jack’s progress, Mark Cunningham, Assessor at Skills for Security, said: “Jack has established himself as a reliable, hard-working member of the company, gaining the respect of both his peers and management colleagues with his pleasant manner, knowledge and capabilities going well beyond what they would normally expect from an apprentice at such an early stage of his career.”
Ryan and Jack were presented with their awards by Commander Steve Rodhouse, Commander for Gang and Organised Crime for the Metropolitan Police, at the Association’s Annual Lunch hosted at the London Hilton on Park Lane.
The BSIA would like to take this opportunity to thank Pyronix Ltd for their kind sponsorship of these awards.
The BSIA is also a proud supporter of the 100 in 100 campaign, which aims to place 100 new apprentices in the security sector in 100 days. Over the last two years, 550 apprentices were employed by the security sector, and the scheme is looking to improve upon this in 2013.