Feeling of security decreased

04. Juli 2025

Uniform, mandatory basic training would be an effective step towards real safety.

Custody

Gewerkschaft vida | Midjourney

In a recent OGM survey, 40 percent of respondents said they felt less safe in outdoor pools than they did five years ago. The assessment in a representative study by the Association of Security Companies in Austria is even more drastic: 55 percent of respondents believe that the security situation has deteriorated since 2020.

Take security seriously, improve training

This development should be taken seriously. After all, the government's promise of security to the population can only be fulfilled with concrete measures. One of them: better training for those who provide security every day. After all, employees in the security sector bear an enormous responsibility for their fellow human beings and the objects they protect. The training courses currently common in the security industry often last only a few days. With this short and inconsistent training, Austria lags behind many other European countries.

STEFANJOHAM

"It cannot be that after a two-day seminar you are burdened with the protection of life and limb of others. Not to mention that this is also risky for the employees themselves."

Gernot Kopp, vida-Vorsitzender Fachbereich Gebäudemanagement

"It cannot be that after a two-day seminar you are burdened with the protection of life and limb of others. Not to mention that this is also risky for the employees themselves," criticizes Gernot Kopp, chairman of the vida department for the security industry. Standardized training is therefore needed for all employees, for example on topics such as fire protection, first aid, de-escalation and job-specific technology. In addition, it is important that guards are only given tasks that can be clearly assigned to the security industry. In outdoor pools, for example, they should not have to perform activities of lifeguards, cashiers or other professional groups.

Upgrading the profession through higher standards

Many employees themselves would like to receive more sound training – not only in terms of safety, but also as a development perspective: "In an industry with high fluctuation, qualification measures can help to retain good staff. The employees want to develop. They need prospects to stay – and the necessary tools to perform their tasks in the best possible way," says Kopp.

The trade union vida therefore demands: Interior Minister Karner must finally act. The improvement in the quality of safety training laid down in the government programme must not be postponed any longer. There is a need for mandatory, Austria-wide uniform basic training in the security service – and quickly.

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