The courses offered are life guarding at pools and water rescue; first aid and cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR); fire safety; advanced driving techniques; security awareness; health and safety; and crisis management.
The SGS Training Centre was given its public launch on January 29, but has long been an ambition of SGS Director Barrie Buck.
“I’ve been planning it for eight years. It was a question of finding the right people, making sure I’d done it right, and a lot of regulatory hoops to jump through.
“I just wanted the island – and Thailand – to be more secure. I noticed when I came over here that there was no training for anyone, be it the guards or the people in hospitality.
“When you look at all these people in Provincial Hall who say, ‘We want to make the island more secure,’ they don’t seem to be following it up. It’s like a toothless shark. It’s almost as if they’re saying these things because that’s what people want to hear.”
The main target market is hospitality, he says, but looking further ahead, schools are also a target.
“[The target is] hospitality for the people who need it right now and schools for the next instructors. We can’t teach people who are driving the wrong way with 17 people and a pig on a bike at night with no lights. You can’t teach them.
“So you go back to grass roots, take it to the schools and say [to the children], ‘Spread the message.’ They then spread it to their parents and grandparents, who would rather listen to the children than to some 6’4” bald-headed foreigner [like me].
“It’s not schools but children in general. So at weekends we’re working with the Phuket Lifeguard Club, and the CSR groups [to teach children]. The children of today are our target market in 10 years’ time.”
Training can be done at the centre or, where appropriate, at the client’s property. Price quotes for the courses are on application. For details see the SGS website at sgsphuket.com
SGS also recently became the only security company in the region to offer a K9 service, with dogs trained for security patrols and detection of a variety of substances.