On 4 October, the 9th annual Security Industry Alliance (SIA) awards ceremony was held at the Indaba Hotel in Fourways and attended by almost 450 representatives of the private security industry. This was the first time the awards were held in partnership with The Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA).
From humble beginnings, the awards have grown from just three awards in 2008 to 197 awards this year and three posthumous awards. Steve Conradie, CEO of SIA said that the night really belonged to the hundreds of private security officers, the unsung heroes, who often put their lives on the line every day and are committed to ensuring our safety. “For most South Africans, the thought of arriving at a premises knowing that there are criminals at work within its doors is a very daunting one, but for these reaction officers it is part of a day’s work and they don’t hesitate when called to duty,” he said.
There was a record 700 nominations from 16 companies in five different categories namely: cable theft, control room, guarding, armed response and assets in transit.
Fidelity Security Group which earlier this year made headlines with its acquisition of ADT Security, walked away with 79 of the awards. Wahl Bartmann, Fidelity Security Group CEO commented, “It is overwhelming to see the level of bravery, resilience, commitment and loyalty of the recipients of last night’s awards. We live in a volatile crime environment which provides unique challenges for the private security industry.
“Tonight we can be so very proud of the persistence, professionalism and bravery shown by our officers,” says Bartmann. “They are deserving of these awards and the recognition they have received from the security industry. Every day our officers and CIT guards put their lives on the line protecting our clients. It is awards like these that recognise their contribution to the ongoing fight against criminals.”
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