Suspicious objects and anti-terror readiness — the guard's role

Most security guards never encounter a real terror threat in their careers. Yet preparedness against precisely this scenario has become a fixed part of the modern guard's professionalism because the consequences if it happens are so serious. The Police Intelligence Service (PET) has with the guideline 'Think terror security in buildings' given building owners and security personnel a tool to assess risk and respond correctly — and that knowledge is directly relevant to your daily alertness.

§What makes an object suspicious?

If an abandoned object is suspected to be suspicious, it is initially an assessment that the observant guard makes themselves. It is not about being able to recognize a bomb, but about being able to recognize a deviation from the normal: a bag left without an owner for a period, an object placed somewhere that doesn't make sense, or behavior from a person that stands out as different from the normal flow of visitors. The ability to identify behavior and situations that deviate from the normal and react sensibly to it is a core characteristic of security work — also called security awareness.

§Distance and cordoning

The police work with guideline safety distances to an object suspected of containing a bomb — for an ordinary bag or suitcase the guideline distance is about 200 meters. As a guard you should not set the exact distance yourself, but you must be able to act on the instinct 'away from the object, keep others away from the object' immediately, and you must know how to quickly evacuate or keep people at a safe distance while the police are on the way.

§Your task in the first minutes

• 01Observe calmly: what do you see, where, and when did it start to look abnormal?
• 02Create distance between the object/person and other people.
• 03Call the police (112) and give a precise, factual description.
• 04Inform your emergency centre or manager according to the regulations on site.
• 05Avoid using radio or mobile phone close to a suspected object if your workplace's procedure prescribes it.

§Preparedness is a culture, not just an instruction

PET's guidance points out that effective counter-terrorism preparedness is as much about an ongoing culture of awareness as about concrete technical measures. As a security guard, you contribute to that culture by knowing the site's evacuation routes, by having discussed the procedure with colleagues beforehand, and by daring to react to a gut feeling even when it later turns out to be unfounded. It is far better to report ten innocent bags than to overlook the one that was not.

“Your task is not to judge whether something is dangerous — that task belongs to the police. Your task is to observe create distance and call those who can.”