Certificates from the International Foundation for Protection Officers (IFPO) were presented in Dublin after candidates completed the first IFPO CPO (Certified Protection Officer) exam in Ireland. IFPO UK and Ireland Director Mike Hurst CPP, pictured centre, flew in from London for the day to make the presentations. Mike also sits on the US-based IFPO’s main Board of Directors.
The exam was facilitated by, and took place at Manguard Plus HQ, the privately owned Irish security company. Speaking at the event Leo Harris, Chief Operations Officer with Manguard Plus, said: “The security industry is now a highly regulated and professional industry, and continuous assessment is just one of the methods we all employ to ensure that the most exacting standards are adhered to.
“Manguard Plus works closely with the IFPO, one of just three Irish people on the IFPO UK and Ireland Advisory Board, Garry Bergin, is a valuable member of our Management Team.
“Security is such a fast paced industry, demanding a unique skill set and stringent adherence to industry protocols and professional benchmarking as determined by examination is key to ensuring professionalism.
“The people who undertook this IFPO CPO exam are amongst the best in the country and it was a privilege for us in Manguard Plus to be in a position to facilitate this certification examination.”
Pictured also are Paul Kellett CPP CPOI, left; and Garry Bergin CPP CPOI, right.
Dr Linda Florence, CPP, Chairman of the Board at IFPO, with Executive Director Sandi Davies joined the event, via Zoom, from the United States. Dr Florence paid tribute to everyone involved. She said: “It is critically important to mark these milestones and we in the IFPO are delighted to see such consistent commitment to improving the security industry in Ireland. We want to promote certification throughout the world and this is a huge step towards our mission of realising this. I wish these programmes were available when I was starting out; the fact that they now exist is testimony to the security industry demanding the absolute best practice in all it does.”
And Sandi Davies said: “Security is a very responsible career and it is still true to say that security officers are the forgotten soldiers of an invisible empire. We are all working tirelessly to ensure that the dedication, intelligence and commitment of our officers is recognised, valued and rewarded. That is why we are constantly working to upskill officers. Professional development is key to professional advancement. It is truly inspirational to see the dedication displayed by the participants here today and I wish to thank Advisory Board members Garry Bergin CPP CPOI, Paul Kellett CPP CPOI, Damien McDcDonough CPP CPOI and Manguard Plus for affording the delivery of this important certification exam.”
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