Four senior executives from some of our country’s most prominent security providers sat down for a round-table interview with the Canadian Security magazine in late August to talk about the challenges and opportunities facing industry professionals in this day and age. Among the participants was GardaWorld Ontario’s own Regional Director, Amir Atri.

As an ASIS Certified Protection Professional and proud member of the GardaWorld team for the past 9 years, Amir knows what type of employees are needed in the industry today and is happy to share his views on how rapidly the world of professional corporate security is changing for the better. 

During the discussion, Bryan Kelly (Logixx Security), Gary Del Bianco (Regal Security), Paul Guindon (Ottawa Commissioners) and Amir Atri agreed that the new generation of security guards will be better trained, have a thorough understanding of new technologies and will increasingly be asked to act as a first responder.

Technological expertise

According to Mr. Atri: “in our service offerings, we provide solutions that are the most cost-effective and benefit the customer instead of just providing them with bodies. Certainly, we make recommendations for systems that need to be added in order to enhance service delivery.”

As a result, security guards are now receiving better training and are better equipped to use new technologies.

As Amir explains, “ The industry is no longer looking for a retired police officer to sit at a desk and read the paper. They’re looking for someone who has the tech savvy in order to be able to operate and navigate the different systems.“

Security guards who act as first responders

Today's security guard receives specific training in mental health and first aid. He knows the procedures to follow in situations involving active shooters and is familiar with evacuation protocols. He must respond to fire or bomb alarms and knows what to do in case of an emergency evacuation.

“ The situation, in my view, is they are first responder based on their capabilities and their training and there’s a level of expectation as their duties go. But they will be an initial person on the scene to give direction until the emergency responders arrive on site. “

GardaWorld is proud of Amir’s contribution to Canadian Security Magazine.