To develop the bodyguard profession in the right direction

(Baonghean) -In 2005, the security service business began to appear in Nghe An. Up to now, there are 9 businesses operating in this field, with nearly 600 bodyguards. Besides meeting the needs of society and contributing to creating jobs for many workers, this type of service still shows some shortcomings...

Nguyen Ba Hung, from Nghi Thuan, Nghi Loc, an employee of INVICO Security Services Joint Stock Company, currently working as a security guard for Vietnam Electronics Company Limited - BSE in Nam Cam Industrial Park, with the task of managing vehicles entering and leaving the factory, said: After returning from Korea, I applied to work at INVICO Security Services Joint Stock Company and was assigned to my current job, with a salary of 3.2 million VND per month.

With nearly 2 years of experience in the profession, Ho Thanh Long, a security guard at the Provincial General Hospital, believes that to become a professional bodyguard, in addition to being able to withstand high pressure at work, one must also have the ability to react quickly to all situations. Because this job requires dealing with all elements of society, especially troublemakers, criminals, etc., bodyguards not only apply the knowledge they have learned but also require practical life experience.

Regarding the effectiveness of security services, Mr. Phan Sy Thong - Head of Administration Department of Provincial General Hospital, said: At the hospital, the number of people coming in and out is high, since the hospital has contracted to hire security guards, the number of thieves has been limited. Therefore, patients and their families are more secure.

INVICO Security Services Joint Stock Company is recruiting workers.

According to Ms. Le Thi Huyen Nhung, in charge of human resources at Nhat Hoang Security - Bodyguard Service Joint Stock Company: The standards for recruiting professional security - bodyguards, men must be over 1.65m tall, weigh over 50kg; women must be over 1.60m tall, weigh 45kg; graduated from junior high school or higher, have a clear background, no criminal record, no tattoos on the body, good health, priority given to demobilized soldiers, demobilized police, have martial arts certificates...

In addition to the above standards, after being recruited, students will be trained in basic law, security services, communication skills, company rules and regulations, fire prevention and fighting, first aid, use of support tools... Strong companies will train many subjects, invite many teachers from functional agencies to teach, otherwise they will self-instruct and instruct each other. In general, currently, businesses are recruiting, training and issuing certificates themselves, so the quality of bodyguards also depends on the business itself! Mr. NTB (an employee of a security service company X) said: I submitted my application, then they called me for an interview and told me to go home and wait, they will call me when there is work. Then before I got the job, I was instructed in the rules for a few days and then went to work right away, there was no training... just security!

Meanwhile, Decree 52/2008/ND-CP of the Government issued on April 22, 2008 on the management of security services business stipulated that a 3-month training period must be ensured before being able to work. This is the main reason why the quality of bodyguards, both in terms of ethics and professionalism, is still poor. This has led to a number of cases where security guards have impolite words and gestures, even beating people. For example, the incident that occurred at 1:30 p.m. on January 23, 2013 at the Provincial General Hospital of Friendship. At that time, Mr. Nguyen Dinh Sy and his younger brother went to the hospital to visit his brother who had a traffic accident. When they arrived at the door, the security guard (hired by the hospital from a company specializing in providing security services in Vinh City) did not let them in because it was past visiting hours. Because of the long distance (Mr. Sy flew from Ho Chi Minh City) and because they were so worried about their brother, the two brothers begged the security guards to let them in to visit but were refused. There, the two sides got into an argument and four hospital guards used batons to beat the two brothers. Mr. Sy was also electrocuted, then handcuffed and dragged out of the hospital gate.

Major Ngo Sy Chien - Captain of the Special Forces Team, Department of Administrative Management of Social Order of the Provincial Police said: The Department has provided the addresses of some People's Police schools with the function of training security services so that security service businesses can proactively send their staff for training. However, in reality, the number of security guards sent for training is very small and is only to deal with cases where customers request.

Mr. Le Manh Hung - Director of INVICO Security Services Joint Stock Company admitted: In addition to foreign joint ventures that are currently contracting with the company for security services such as Vietnam Electronics Company Limited - BSE, Em-tech Electronics Company... they require bodyguards to have training certificates issued by police schools, forcing the company to send its employees to be trained at the Police Academy, the rest are self-trained.

Along with the quality of training, the security service business is currently developing relatively quickly, leading to an imbalance between supply and demand, which has led to the phenomenon of attracting employees, offering low security contract prices to compete for partners... among businesses. In addition, the payment of salaries to employees in some businesses is not timely, such as the case of SV Security Company Limited... from which employees are not attached to the business, they work when they like, and quit when they don't like, causing the security service business to always fluctuate in terms of personnel.

In order for the "bodyguard profession" to develop in the right direction and be recognized by society, management agencies need to inspect, supervise, and strictly manage to help this type of business operate properly and avoid abuse. Along with that, there needs to be a formal training center to unify the content and training methods as well as issue professional and appropriate certificates. Organizations and businesses providing security services need to be serious in recruiting and training bodyguards in a serious and professional manner. In the long term, a professional association should be established to have a common voice to resolve disputes, as well as protect the legitimate rights of businesses operating in this rather sensitive field.

Article and photos: Dang Cuong