27-11draft

Una Says
The need to have professional
security standards in a port has
never been more important.
Our regular contributor Una Riley
recently caught up with Roger Felgate
BSc MBA CMC, the newly appointed
chairman of the marine section of
IPSA (International Professional
Security Association).
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Above: Masts at
Holyhead
Right: Roger Felgate
Photo by Una Riley
Una Riley has worked
on behalf of many
security industry
associations. She is
Master Emeritus of the
Worshipful Company of
Security Professionals
and separately a Past
Master of the Guild of
Public Relations
Practitioners.
Credentials
Felgate has the credentials to do the
job having originally qualified as an
electrical engineer. He also worked
as a Merchant Navy Officer and then
joined the Royal Naval Reserve,
gaining experience for over 26 years
in the areas of general security issues.
These included defence of ports
and anchorages, naval control of
shipping, and working at sea as the
RN representative in merchant ships
on exercises. He also cross-trained in
personnel development and is a full
member of the CIPD, and a Certified
Management Consultant. Felgate
has taught management at all levels
internationally. He joined IPSA as
an inspector and trainer 20 years ago
and taught most IPSA courses. He
has correspondingly created bespoke
courses and one in particular for a
property company in Hong Kong that
he recalled. As if that wasn’t enough
for a security professional he also
served 12 years as a Metropolitan
Police Special! I have always been
fascinated by all things nautical,
having been born beside the sea.
Listening to Felgate is a pleasure as
he recalls his experience in this sector
and his ideas.
Standards
He explained the serious need for
standards and responsibility, when the
threat to all levels of transport are on
high alert. Felgate explained about
ports at present and how each needs
a port plan where vulnerabilities, risk
assessments and states of readiness
are reviewed. Port Facilities Security
Officers (PFSO) are responsible for
wharves, jetties, and restricted areas.
Other security staff will be carrying
out port security duties covering
goods and passenger movements,
security, and safety. He also explained
that port police forces have been
NOVEMBER 2017 PROFESSIONAL SECURITY
A marine
experience
reduced and more onus has been
placed on security companies to cover
security and policing duties.
Marinize
There is a need to ‘marinize’ security
officers and ensure they are ‘maritime
aware’. Wharves, jetties, cranes,
ship movements and tide differences
provide a working environment that
is fraught with potential hazards.
He said: “Unfortunately, we still
find security officers with an SIA
blue [guarding] badge working in a
supermarket one day and then given
a dockside post the next day without
having any maritime training.” I
asked if they can get training through
IPSA. Felgate said: “IPSA maritime
specialists have experience in port
security, maritime training at all
levels and police procedures and
operations. This includes Projects
Griffin and Argus and Operations
Fairway, Kraken and Yali.” Felgate
spoke at length about the adoption of
this standard; or the lack of embrace
of it. He added: “The EN:16747 was
supposed to have been implemented
back in February 2016 in the UK. The
standard recognises that qualifications
and skills required to be updated
along with the CPD (Continual
Professional Development) that is
needed.” I enquired more about the
standards. Felgate explained that
in 2011 Skills for Security set up a
working group with maritime and
policing knowledge to produce a
National Operating Standard (NOS)
covering port security operations
with the key purpose ‘to manage
and maintain the security of the port
environment whilst maintaining the
integrity of the restricted area’.
Cost of adoption
This would have to comply with the
ISPS code and probably add to it. The
result of this work was a presentation
to ‘Transec’ [the security side of the
Department for Transport] which
resulted in it being accepted as a good
standard that could be used. However,
due to UK Government departmental
changes it was never implemented.
Felgate went on: “We were told
that it would cost the industry (port,
port operators, security companies)
money to implement. They
concluded that it would not be
acceptable as no-one would
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