For many years there has been no organised recognition of the work performed by Security Officers across the globe. Since 2020 however, things have changed. The Australian Security Industry Association Limited (ASIAL) decided that enough was enough and their members deserved a day of recognition and appreciation. This idea rapidly spread, due in no small part to the choice of date, the 24th of July, every year. This represents the 24/7 nature of security work and made the date immediately memorable.
Celebrating International Security Officers’ Day is straightforward, and everyone can get involved.
As a member of the public, you need only acknowledge any security officers you see on the day. Simply smile at that person and say thank you. It’s that simple, costs nothing and makes a Security Officer’s day so much brighter.
Security companies can do a whole lot to recognise the day, without denting the bottom line:
As ASIAL put it:
- Send an email to your staff acknowledging the day and thanking them for their service;
- Your ops managers could organise a morning tea or make a site visit to say thank you in person;
- If you are a company that uses security staff, a simple smile and a thank you is all it takes. Why not send an email out to your staff asking them to participate by doing the same;
- Download the International Security Officers’ Day logo or poster for distribution around your office or via your communications channels;
- Post photos of your security officers being acknowledged to your own Facebook page;
- Share the #thankyousecurityofficers hashtag on your social media output.
- Mention International Security Officers’ Day in a press release.
Over the last couple of years, ISOD has gained strong support across the UK industry, with the BSIA, Security Institute, IFPO, Guild of Security Industry Professionals, TPSO Magazine and many others, promoting the day and publicising events planned to celebrate it.
It is a great opportunity to highlight the professionalism and great work performed by Security Officers every day and was a large part of the BSIA’s “Changing Perceptions” initiative. The work of front-line Security Officers is absolutely essential, and a crucial business need, but is so often treated as an unproductive drain on company finances. International Security Officers Day provides an opportunity to remind employers, users of security services, and the general public, of the huge potential for loss, harm, and disaster if it wasn’t for the diligence of well-trained and committed security professionals, performing their routine duties every day.
As people only see when things go wrong, acknowledgement of the actions taken by Security Officers to successfully prevent disaster is rare. ISOD is an opportunity to both celebrate the work of security and enlighten those who aren’t aware of the chaos that would ensue if these security professionals were not there.
Take a second look at the security Officer working in your building or at the supermarket you use, and on the 24th of July, why not shake his or her hand and say thanks? They are there to protect, and little could be more worthy.
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