Abstract:

The global development of the security situation is characterised by local and international conflicts, terrorist attacks and criminal acts, which are often fuelled by intolerance or poor social and economic conditions. Attackers use a variety of tools in acts of violence - firearms, cold weapons, improvised weapons or even improvised explosive systems. In connection with attacks, the term soft target protection has come to the fore. A typical characteristic of a soft target is that it is an area with a high concentration of people and low level or no of protection. Soft targets are therefore an easy target for attack by the attackers regardless of their motivation.

When protecting soft targets, it is important to develop possible attack scenarios and create a protection system that eliminates all identified scenarios. Physical protection has an irreplaceable place in the protection system. Security professionals act preventively and at the same time provide a response to a security incident - an intervention. The preventive role of guards consists in control activities, which are usually carried out at the entrance of the protected area or in the protected area in the form of patrols. In connection with the protection against explosive systems, security professionals use various technical means. Such means (inspection mirrors, cameras, X-ray, etc.) used for the detection and identification of an object that may be an explosive system. In addition to detection equipment, there are also elements that serve to mitigate the effects of an explosion (e.g. blast suppression blankets, blast containers or blast protection shields). These tools are designed for situations where a guard identifies an explosive device and needs to secure the area until an explosive ordnance disposal specialist arrives. Another group of items create the permanent elements in the environment and are used to secure stand-off distances (e.g., barriers).

The aim of the paper is to propose the implementation of practical training, focused protection against IED for area of private security. The practical training of security managers and security staff to protect against improvised explosive systems is not just about their ability to handle the means entrusted to them or about knowing and following strict procedures. IED protection involves the need to think conceptually, to be able to prioritise concerns to be able to develop scenarios of possible attacks and to express qualitatively and quantitatively the primary and secondary consequences of attacks. Only then can a protection system be created with individual subsystems, including guarding, and different means and methods of protection. Protection against improvised explosive systems is specific and does not concern the protection of random assets. This issue and its interconnection with private security forces are particularly relevant to the protection of soft targets. Protection from IEDs is, in some form, an extension of the conventional approach to asset protection. Based on the intersection of the requirements for IED protection of selected assets, mostly soft targets, and the requirements of security managers, a block of recommended competencies for security staff is compiled. This is structured from core competencies to expert-level competencies and includes a precise description of key theses, skills and knowledge.

Keywords:

Education, guarding, security management, IED, technical means, competencies.