IFSEC Insider is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.
A former Merchant Navy officer, Stefan has 20 years of senior management experience, most recently in the building services engineering, built environments, and fire and security industries, mainly in trade association, representative body, and professional support services environments. He is a highly capable, confident, and resilient senior director with diverse experience of strategic, operational, and change management primarily in the PR, commercial, membership/customer development, and human resource areas. He is well organized, with a positive approach to problem solving, and a highly motivated leader of people. He has an analytical eye for detail and the ability to communicate and network at all levels within any organizational structure, coupled with a caring attitude towards people and a proven record of accomplishment in building effective relationships with sector employers, client specifier groups, and key supply chain stakeholders.
Stefan is an articulate, multilingual, confident, and frequently engaged public speaker and media spokesman on marketing and business development, vocational skills, community safety, fire, security, and electrical building services related topics in the UK and Europe. He has also written more than 300 published articles for the UK fire, security, policing, electrical, building services, construction, and facilities trade press. He is an expert panel member with three online trade journals and has contributed to a number of features in national newspapers such as the Guardian, Financial Times, and Daily Telegraph.
One of the great inconveniences afflicting our sector is licensing.
While I recognise the need to ensure that those carrying out security work are reputable and reliable, there are far better ways of demonstrating this. Indeed, we’ve been using one such method successfully for many decades now: the concept of third-party accreditation.
Third-party accreditation keeps both clients and contractors safe, and doesn’t place an unnecessary burden on hard-working businesses looking to grow.
However, despite its proven track record, the march toward enforced licensing continues apace with plans afoot to expand SIA licensing to include companies operating in the public-space surveillance sector.
This means many Remote Video Receiving Centre (RVRC) operatives must be licensed by the SIA because the licensing requirement is now based on the principle that manned guarding firms conduct video surveillance.
In other words, an operative based in a remote monitoring centre who never has to deal directly with the public is now required to have the same training as a doorman at a nightclub – simply on the basis that both view CCTV footage!
‘Tick the box’
Without doubt, the SIA’s approach will frustrate many firms and lead to them needlessly spending money, sending staff on irrelevant training courses just to ‘tick the box’.
However, as Skills for Security launches its new Remote Monitoring Operations National Occupational Standards (NOC) for consultation, we have a chance to amend the system and make it work in our favour.
The new NOC can help prevent remote operators being treated as if they’re shopping mall CCTV operators watching members of the public on the off-chance that unusual activity may happen.
Potentially, our sector could draw up a framework to license remote operatives based on the NOC, meaning we can cut out the pointless training and let staff get on with the jobs they specialise in.
We believe licensing is unnecessary for our industry, as quality firms are already accredited by a UKAS-approved body such as SSAIB or NSI. But if licensing is inevitable, we can at least make it fit for purpose and work to minimise the burden it places on us.
The new NOC will give us a strong platform to build on if we’re prepared to stand up and grab the opportunity.
Free Download: The Video Surveillance Report 2023
Discover the latest developments in the rapidly-evolving video surveillance sector by downloading the 2023 Video Surveillance Report. Over 500 responses to our survey, which come from integrators to consultants and heads of security, inform our analysis of the latest trends including AI, the state of the video surveillance market, uptake of the cloud, and the wider economic and geopolitical events impacting the sector!
Download for FREE to discover top industry insight around the latest innovations in video surveillance systems.
SIA Licensing is Seemingly Inevitable – So Let’s Make it WorkLicensing may be inevitable so let’s minimise the burden and make it fit for purpose, says Stefan Hay, head of the FSA.
Stefan Hay
IFSEC Insider | Security and Fire News and Resources
Related Topics
Firestopping training course launched by ASFP for installers
Two new Experienced Worker Assessment routes approved for fire and security industry
Amthal expands accredited fire and security training to consultant and specifier customers
