Nation's thin fluoro line between chaos and order

On November 13, 2015, three suicide bombers attacked the national sports stadium, Stade de France, where the French president and almost 80,000 people were attending an international soccer game. One suicide bomber was stopped from entering the stadium by a private security guard who noticed the attacker’s hurried behaviour and attempt to enter the stadium without a ticket.

The attacker quickly fled capture but detonated the vest seconds later, killing himself and a bystander. It’s believed that the bomber intended to detonate the vest inside the stadium, triggering patrons to flee in a panic into the street, where two other suicide bombers were lying in wait.

In the Manchester terrorist ¬attack at a concert arena in May last year, the denial of entry of the bomber to the auditorium by private security personnel reduced the number of fatalities because of panic and crowd crush. Security guards also provided lifesaving first aid after the bomb exploded in the foyer.

The role and contribution of private security services in preventing and responding to terrorism has been a neglected issue in Australia’s national security planning. The security guard force sector observes and reports suspicious activity. Security guards most often are the first people on the spot after a terrorist attack. Security personnel are responsible for implementing appropriate facility-level security plans, emergency response plans, crisis management and business continuity plans.

The security industry is vital to the continuous operation of Australia’s economy. Without security officers there would be no screening at airports. Hospitals, shopping centres and sports stadiums would be easy targets. Cash deliveries and the restocking of ATMs would cease. Licensed venues would be forced to close. There would be no monitoring of security alarm systems.