Security training

Chapter summary

All aid workers, no matter their role, should be able to make informed security decisions to avoid incidents and respond effectively in the face of threats. Security training plays a foundational role in this and is a key building block in meeting duty of care obligations and creating a positive security culture.

Security training can broadly be divided into three categories:

• General safety and security awareness, provided to staff through inductions and briefings.
• Personal safety and security skills training, such as hostile environment awareness training (HEAT).
• Security risk management training for staff with security responsibilities, which can include crisis management training.

General safety and security awareness sessions are usually brief and focus on providing staff with a general overview of the organisation’s security policies and procedures, including resources and contact points, as well as key roles and responsibilities (including staff members’ own responsibilities).

Personal security training is often a longer course, more generic in content, and usually focuses on developing behaviours and skills to keep staff safe. The level of detail and duration of a personal security training course is generally determined by the level of risk a staff member may face. Personal safety and security training can take many forms, but ideally should be adapted to each organisation, the needs of staff and the location in question. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, more personal safety and security courses are being provided online and in modular format (both facilitated and non-facilitated).

Security training courses have become increasingly professional and widespread in recent years (though with varying levels of quality and credibility), with many considering hostile environment awareness training (HEAT) the ‘gold standard’ in personal security training for high-risk contexts. While there is no set format for HEAT courses, they typically last 3–5 days and involve a combination of classroom-based learning and exercises and more in-depth simulation scenarios, which generally involve placing participants in life-like stressful situations with props and actors. Some HEAT courses also cover trauma first aid.

Most HEAT courses are provided by specialised external service providers, but some organisations have developed in-house security training. In some contexts, country-level entities offer open HEAT courses. It is important that personal safety and security training courses have appropriate safeguards in place to reduce the risk of harm to participants, particularly when carrying out simulations.

In-person and online training courses in security risk management for humanitarian staff cover essential aspects of managing security, including how to identify risks and mitigate them, as well as how to respond to particular situations or crises, including detention and kidnapping. Specific training on different aspects of security risk management is also readily available, such as training on incident reporting, driving (defensive, safe and armoured vehicles), and crisis management.

Despite progress in the provision of security training to humanitarian aid workers, significant challenges remain. Notably, national aid workers receive much less security training than international staff due to disparities in access and cost and logistical challenges, with HEAT courses being financially and geographically out of reach for many. Additionally, security training varies in quality and is often not tailored to specific contexts or staff identity profiles. Organisations should make special efforts to ensure that all staff, especially those at higher risk, have access to relevant security training and learning opportunities.