You are currently browsing the ASIS Toronto Chapter Blog weblog archives for September, 2009.
Ric Handren talks about a major security project for RBC and RBC’s role in next year’s Vancouver Games torch run. We also spoke to Ric’s peers — Paul Carson of Garda and Minaz Jivraj of Dufferin-Peel District Catholic School Board — who explained why Ric is the ideal choice for Security Director of the Year.
by Jennifer Brown
If you had to promote someone in your department to a supervisory role tomorrow, do you know who that person would be? If you do, would your choice be based on how they’ve performed in their current role, or, would it be based on tracked performance reviews and a training program created to propel them forward into a supervisory or management position?
If the answer was the latter, you’ve done your employee and your company a huge benefit. As smart security departments move more towards aligning their own objectives to those of the business of the companies they work for it makes for better return on employee investment and for better employees. If you’re more inclined to promote a front line officer simply because you think they’ve put in enough time and you basically like them, think again.
In the words of Kevin Murphy, director of security operations at Woodbine Entertainment Group, the days of promoting “the good soldier” are over. Murphy believes it is his responsibility to plan for the future of employees, departments, and the company, especially in the event of the unexpected.
“The critical piece in this for my supervisors and managers is that I am not the centre of the universe. If something happened to me someone would have to run my department and I have an obligation to make sure that can happen,” he says.
Murphy’s been through the process of succession planning and has witnessed the benefits of moving to a model that coaches lower-level staff into new roles gradually, giving them a taste of responsibility over time, rather than simply rewarding an employee with a good record, or penalizing bad behaviour by denying promotion.
And while many security departments hire individuals who ultimately have their eye on becoming police officers, Woodbine and others are now focused on finding those interested in developing a career as a security professional in the private sector.
by Brian Robertson, B.A., LL.B.
President, Diligent Security Training and Consulting Inc
Companies who were hoping to find out this month whether or not they had been awarded the contract to deliver standardized testing services as part of the mandatory training requirements that are to be brought in under the Private Security and Investigative Services Act (PSISA) have recently been notified that the Province’s original RFP has been cancelled and that a new RFP will be issued within the next few weeks. As a consequence of this development, the Province’s anticipated target for implementation of standardized testing will now be pushed back from around the end of this year to sometime in the middle of 2010.
The original RFP, which was issued in late May, called for a successful contract services vendor to be selected by sometime in September, and for testing services to be up and running by the end of December. With a new RFP slated to come out between now and the middle of October, it is unlikely that testing will now be implemented anytime prior to May or June, if then. The Private Security and Investigative Services Branch (PSISB) is expected to make some kind of formal notification to industry stakeholders over the next couple of weeks.
Meanwhile, the Province’s contract with test development company Castle Worldwide proceeds on schedule. The first test forms are being piloted this month, and subject matter experts from the industry have been invited to participate in standard setting workshops – for the purpose of making recommendations regarding pass marks for the two tests (one for security guards and one for private investigators) – on the last 2 days of September.
It is as yet unknown what effect this most recent setback – the additional delay in the process of selecting an outside company to administer the standardized testing process – will have on any plans the Province may have had to publish the new Training and Testing Regulation which it is in the process of finalizing the wording for. In June of this year the PSISB circulated a draft regulation for comment by industry stakeholders.
ASIS Toronto Chapter - Annual Golf Tournament 2009
The Toronto Chapter of ASIS International recently held its annual golf tournament at Angus Glen in Markham, Ont. Canadian Security Magazine was there to meet some of the winners. To view the winners of various prizes go to; ASIS Toronto Chapter Annual Golf Tournament.
In the ASIS Professional Certification Board – Newsletter for September 2009 there are
several articles of interest for ASIS International members to read. A significant highlight is of course to Canada’s first “Triple Crown” recipients who have successfully completed all 3 ASIS International Certifications; CPP, PSP and PCI. Congratulations to Thomas Fulford CPP, PSP, and PCI who is also the ASIS Toronto Chapter’s – Scholarship Representative and Micheal Thompson CPP, PSP and PCI and is part of the ASIS Toronto Chapter’s Education Committee as one of the PCI Study Group Representatives.