Civil engineers involved with the design and provision of security measures can now apply to be ‘Registered Security Engineers’. Secretary Alec Hay introduces the newly formed Register of Security Engineers and Specialists, which is administered by ICE.
Security engineering is a relatively new term that encompasses the broad range of specialist engineering and applied sciences that directly contribute to security.
It is generally defined as ‘the design and provision of protection for critical resources against attack, sabotage and theft in new and existing infrastructure’. The MoD uses the term ‘force protection engineering’, particularly in the context of expeditionary warfare, whereas NATO and the UN refer to ‘static force protection measures’ within a specific security programme or investment plan.
Generic to all, however, is combining threat and vulnerability assessments to present an organisation's chief executive officer with a clear risk assessment and decision tool, from which a comprehensive security engineering implementation plan can be developed.
Consolidating UK security industry
Security and more especially security engineering has been brought starkly to the public consciousness in recent years.
In the rush to ensure commercial and business robustness in the new environment, many experts came to the fore offering potential clients the benefit of their specialist police or military training and experience. However, with skills spread between government departments and private corporations, it has proved difficult to find the most appropriate security advisor or expert.
In a speech to the Royal United Services Institute on 13 February 2006, UK chancellor Gordon Brown announced a consolidation of the security industry with increased public/private projects and centres of expertise. UK Government spending on counter-terrorism alone will reach £2 billion a year by 2008.
In a further effort to harmonise and coordinate UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) research, the Counter-Terrorism Science and Technology Centre was established in April 2006. It draws in experts from across government and private industry to provide a ‘one-stop shop’ for counter-terrorism research and knowledge, complementing the Centre for the Protection of the National Infrastructure (CPNI).
Regulating the security industry
The Private Security Industry Act 20011 was enacted in 2002 and established the Security Industry Authority (SIA) for mandatory licensing of the UK security industry.
The underlying aim is to protect the public by ensuring that all those providing security functions are correctly trained, certified competent, checked for criminal activity and subject to relevant continued professional development.
The SIA also seeks to extend the licensing requirement to the professions providing security consultancy, though under current plans the professions will continue to self-regulate in line with the need for peer review and established practice.
However, the demand for a discernible benchmark of professional quality is being addressed through professional registers. One of the principal registers is the Register of Security Engineers and Specialists, which is administered by ICE.
Sponsored by CPNI, the ICE-run register provides a ‘kitemark’ standard for potential clients and insurers through its code of ethics, demanding peer review and strict continuing professional development requirements. Registrants are not listed in open-source documentation, but if clients want to verify whether a registered security engineer is indeed what he or she purports to be and in good standing, they can write to the ICE membership department.
Registered Security Engineers
Registrants are encouraged to use the descriptor ‘Registered Security Engineer’ in their professional dealings. Those companies employing registrants are invited to include their names in the list of companies shown on the register webpage, which also includes the code of ethics.
Registration is open to all engineers and applied scientists working in security at chartered engineer, chartered scientist, incorporated engineer and technician grades.
There are two broad categories of registration: general security advisor and specialist security advisors. The general security advisor covers the areas of risk assessment, project management and expeditionary force advisor. The specialist security advisor sub-categories are weapons effects; blast effects; electronic surveillance; chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear; vehicle barriers; pedestrian barriers; and explosives detection.
Reference
For Further Information Contact, Alec Hay c/o membership department, TEL +44 (0)20 7665 2102, EMAIL registers@ice.org.uk, WEB www.ice.org.uk/rses
