With the summer season and vacations just around the corner, the desire to spend time with friends in the sun, listening to music and partying is making itself felt. Open-air summer festivals have already begun to appear, events that often attract large crowds. To ensure the smooth running and protection of participants and staff, it's important to take into account safety aspects such as crowd and flow management, access control and emergency exits, and first-aid zones.

Access control is not just about checking tickets. Bag checks and security palpations can be set up to prevent dangerous objects or prohibited substances from entering the festival area. To ensure the protection of festival-goers, it is important to set up a surveillance system. In fact, certain sensitive areas can be used as hiding places for drug dealing or aggression. Security personnel are trained to patrol the premises regularly for preventive purposes, but must also be able to intervene rapidly in the event of any incidents.

Good crowd management is central in venues that attract so many people, whether during popular concerts or in gathering places such as the catering area. It's also important to have an emergency plan, and to know how to react in the event of serious situations such as fire, crowd movement or other more serious threats. Security managers are able to collaborate with local police, medical and fire services. Their strength lies in their ability to liaise with these different players to ensure optimum coordination in terms of safety.

It's also important to make festival-goers aware of the need to look after their own safety and that of others, whether in relation to crowds, excessive consumption of alcohol or drugs. Clearly signposted evacuation routes, first-aid zones and emergency numbers are also essential. All these measures are intended to have a preventive effect, but on-site security and rescue personnel are also on hand to react quickly to any incidents that may occur.

If one were to take a survey on the street, the "typical" security guard would probably be described as a physically imposing man, like a burly, intimidating nightclub bouncer.

Traditionally, the security sector, like other similar sectors such as the military and the police, has suffered not only from a macho reputation but also from an under-representation of women. This lack of female officers is largely due to stereotypes that women are not capable of, nor interested in, performing such physically demanding work. The security industry has unfortunately suffered from discrimination that has contributed to a lack of recognition and respect for female officers.

But this is changing. While men are still in the majority among agents, there is a real awareness of the inclusion of women and the importance of diversity. In fact, more and more women are now working in the security industry. And while typically male physical attributes such as strength and size still have their place in some areas of operation, other values and skills are now recognized as equally important. In other words, the profession is changing.

Modern security strategies are more about communication and diplomacy, qualities that are generally considered softer and more feminine. In addition, women often have a physical appearance that can be perceived as less intimidating than a man, which can help when dealing with fragile, frightened people or children for example. Having mixed teams can then be a real advantage to de-escalate a conflict by verbal de-escalation, or to communicate in a more reassuring way.

In addition, the inclusion of women in field teams as well as in management brings diversity in strategic approaches and practical problem solving, which can facilitate collaborative team relationships.

Apart from the relational aspects, there are much more practical reasons for employing more women as security guards, for example when doing rounds in women-only areas. There are also situations such as security checks at festivals or airports that require the presence of female agents. At Altras Security, one out of every four agents is a woman, and female agents are spread over most of our operating sites.

In order to promote female representation in security, it is critical to continue to raise awareness of the benefit of diversity through education and training to create work environments that encourage women to pursue a career in this field.

A dog, for most people, is a valuable member of the family that provides companionship, long walks and also strong emotional bonds. However, what is sometimes quickly forgotten is that the dog's strength, agility and protective abilities are among the primary reasons for their domestication for thousands of years. The use of animals for protection is therefore not a new concept. In addition to new technologies such as security cameras, dogs are able to quickly detect anomalies and warn their masters, which makes them valuable partners. A security guard accompanied by a dog is often called in to protect the staff already involved.

Dogs are a very efficient and versatile asset to ensure the safety of people and property. Their agility and flexibility make them capable of working in a variety of demanding conditions. They can be engaged in a variety of situations, such as the surveillance of train stations, construction sites, underground parking lots, the patrol of industrial, commercial or festive areas, without forgetting the protection of people or sensitive installations. Security dogs are very useful in risk prevention, working on the psychology of people. They are impressive and their mere presence can dissuade altercations or illegal acts such as intrusion.

It is a full-fledged teammate who, when well trained, can protect its master in a dissuasive manner, usually by barking. If necessary, they are capable of attacking a person who threatens their master or someone else. They are trained to be obedient to their handler and to react to potential danger or aggression signals. Security dogs on duty are considered weapons and are only used in case of necessity or self-defense. They are the responsibility of their handlers, who must ensure that they receive quality training. This is imperative in order to avoid undesirable incidents.

The training of a security dog is a long process that starts at a young age, for several hours a day. The young dog needs a minimum of two years of preparation and maturity before it can pass a certification exam that includes an obedience and a biting part. These exams are then repeated every two years until the dog reaches retirement age. The training that must be maintained throughout the dog's career as well as the tests serve to ensure that the dog has the necessary aptitudes to ensure quality work. It must have excellent obedience to its owner and certain skills such as responsiveness to hazards and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations (e.g. confined spaces or with many people). They must also be in excellent physical condition and in good health.

Security dogs can come from any breed (except listed breeds) but some are particularly well suited to this purpose, such as Belgian Shepherds, German Shepherds and Dutch Shepherds. They often come from working lines and are usually chosen for certain traits, such as predatory instinct, self-confidence, intelligence and strength of character.

These dogs have great working abilities, and need competent handlers to form a symbiotic pairing, characterized by mutual trust. The handler only works with one partner dog at a time throughout the dog's career, and the bonds formed between them are strong. The personal investment is enormous, and that is why being a handler is more than just a job. It is a true passion and a lifestyle.