FAQ Security service - Here you will find the most frequently asked questions
On this page we answer the questions that we have repeatedly encountered in our many years of experience.
What does a security service do?
A security service (also known as a guard service or security) is a company that offers services in the security industry. In addition to personal protection, security services also include event protection and property protection. The security service can include various other activities. These also include entry and exit checks of the property, visitor control and surveillance of the (factory) premises. Services in the area of plant, property and site security are mainly used at night and on weekends and public holidays. Security services often also offer shop surveillance, fire protection and detective agency services. The range of services offered by security services is aimed at both commercial enterprises and private individuals.
What do I need to look out for in a security service?
The legal requirements for security services in Germany are rather low. The prerequisite for the activity is the official authorisation of a security company (guarding permit), proof of an expert examination in accordance with §34a GewO of the managing director as well as a business liability insurance. This makes it all the more important to pay attention to the certified quality of security companies. Certifications are awarded by the VdS, for example, and certification in accordance with DIN 77200 for security service providers and ISO 9001 quality management should also be available. Equally important is the continuous training of security service employees.
What are security service employees allowed to do?
In principle, employees of a security service are entitled to the same rights as every citizen: the right of everyman (provisional arrest on urgent suspicion of an offence), as well as the right to self-defence and the state of emergency. Violence may therefore only be used in self-defence.
Employees of a security service are not permitted to carry out sovereign tasks such as those performed by the police. The legal basis for the work of security service employees is Section 34a of the German Industrial Code (GewO), the German Guarding Ordinance (BewachV) and the accident prevention regulation DGUV Regulation 23, as well as the provisions of the German Weapons Act, if applicable.
How do you become a security guard?
For entry into the security industry or as an employee of a security service, the §34a Trade Licence Examination is required in order to carry out all activities. The IHK examination is demanding and should be prepared by a certified training organisation. However, this is not enough to be able to work successfully in the security industry. A first aid licence, de-escalation training, training as a fire protection assistant, firearms expertise and driver safety training are further qualifications required to gain a long-term foothold in the security industry.
How much does a security service cost?
The prices for security services vary greatly. Reputable security firms or security companies offer their services at a correspondingly higher price, as they have to comply with all the requirements of the respective BDSW tariff groups and employ well-trained, permanent staff. Very favourable offers are often based on company structures that do not work with permanent employees, but hire them on a daily basis as required. The price should therefore always be set in relation to the service, with certifications providing a good indication of quality.
What kind of training and certifications do the security guards have?
In accordance with §34a of the German Trade Regulation Act (GewO), all emergency personnel have at least undergone training or expertise in accordance with §34a. The standard training of our emergency personnel includes first aider and fire safety training. In addition, all mobile emergency crews receive regular driver safety training and intervention crews receive intervention training before their first deployment. The standard certification of our emergency crews includes SHE personnel certification in accordance with Doc. 16 and 17.
How is the quality and professionalism of security personnel ensured?
To ensure the quality of our emergency crews, all emergency crews take part in task-specific training courses, which are determined in the property-specific requirements profiles we draw up. The requirements profile is reviewed on an annual basis or when performance requirements change to ensure that it is up to date.
Time-limited training courses such as first-aid training are monitored in our qualification matrix and scheduled in the further training concept before the deadline expires. Where possible, employees with a migration background are deployed in properties who have relevant foreign language skills in addition to German, thus preventing escalation due to misunderstandings in communication.
The professionalism of our emergency services is ensured through operational training, e.g. de-escalation training, and checked through unannounced monthly property inspections by our operational managers or our management officers. Any deficiencies identified are rectified through targeted training or instructions. Service instructions are the guidelines for the proper provision of the agreed services. For this reason, we instruct all deployed personnel, including deputies, in these instructions and then instruct them again in an annual cycle or if the instructions change.
Before starting work for the first time and subsequently on an annual basis, all emergency personnel are instructed in all relevant regulations for the protection of their safety and health, as well as in the relevant legal regulations of the security industry, in order to protect them from unintentional criminal offences and thus ensure quality and professionalism.
What measures do you take to ensure that your security staff are reliable and trustworthy?
When an employee is hired, they are registered in the Central Security Guard Register. The first assignment only takes place after a positive decision on reliability and approval in the Central Security Register by the competent authority. To ensure the protection of information that has become known, in particular trade and business secrets, all employees undertake in writing to maintain confidentiality before taking up employment and this obligation continues even after leaving the company. The declaration of commitment also includes compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation. All employees are made aware of the declarations of commitment as part of an annual training programme.
Do you offer customised security solutions according to our specific requirements?
Each order is realised according to the specific requirements of our customers. All agreed requirements are documented by us in a task or property-specific service instruction and sent to our customers for approval. In this way, we ensure that all of our customers' specific requirements can be properly fulfilled.
Do you have liability insurance for your services?
We have liability insurance with Nürnberger Versicherung. The scope exceeds the liability amounts specified in the BewachV and DIN 77200-1. In order to meet the requirements of our customers, each order is analysed for the liability sums described therein so that we can adjust our policy accordingly if necessary.
