Digital Content Editor, Eve Goode spoke exclusively with Brandon Smith, Vice President of AURA’s US Division who reflected on International Security Officers’ Day.
Why is International Security Officers’ Day an important moment to recognise frontline security professionals?
International Security Officers’ Day is a chance to recognise the men and women who protect people, businesses and communities every day.
They work in unpredictable situations, make quick decisions and are often the difference between a minor incident and a major one.
What people sometimes overlook is that security officers aren’t just there to respond to emergencies.
They’re often the first person someone meets when they arrive at a property, or the first person to approach someone during a stressful situation.
That requires not only strong security skills, but professionalism, good judgment and the ability to treat people with respect.
At AURA, we see the value these professionals bring every day through our nationwide network of licensed security providers.
As public safety resources continue to be stretched, security officers are playing an increasingly important role in keeping people, property and communities safe.
International Security Officers’ Day is the perfect time to recognise the impact they make every day.
How is AI and technology changing the role of security officers, rather than replacing them?
AI and broader developments in technology are helping security professionals become more effective by giving them better information and enabling faster, smarter decision-making.
It is not replacing the human element of security but augmenting their existing capabilities.
At AURA, technology helps connect customers with the nearest available licensed responder, using intelligent dispatch to identify who can respond most efficiently.
When an alarm is activated, this allows us to ensure the nearest vetted responder can arrive onto the scene in an average of under 20 minutes in the US.
The role of the security officer remains essential because, while the tech is important in helping them arrive onto the scene as quickly as possible, it cannot replace the judgement of a trained professional arriving at a real-world situation.
Why will human judgement, empathy and experience always remain essential in security?
Security incidents are rarely as straightforward as they appear on a screen.
Every situation has context, and responding effectively requires experience, communication skills and the ability to make decisions in unpredictable circumstances.
A security officer arriving at a property following an alarm activation needs to determine what has happened, communicate with those involved, assess risks and decide the appropriate next step.
Those decisions require human judgement that it is difficult to envisage being replaced by a computer.
Furthermore, when someone experiences a security incident, they are often looking for more than just a technical response.
They want reassurance from a trained professional who can understand the situation, provide confidence and ensure their property is secured.
A human presence matters, particularly during stressful or uncertain moments.
Technology can help identify an incident and accelerate the response, but it is the security officer who provides the communication, empathy and judgement needed to support people when they need it most.
At AURA, our technology helps responders arrive faster, but the responder’s experience and professionalism are what allow them to manage the situation effectively.
How can technology better support security officers when responding to critical incidents?
Technology can play a major role in improving response times and ensuring the right security professional is connected to the right incident as quickly as possible.
Traditionally, when an alarm or security issue occurs, there can be delays in identifying who is available, communicating the details of the incident and coordinating a response.
Intelligent dispatch technology helps remove those barriers by identifying the nearest vetted responder and automatically dispatching them to the incident site.
For AURA, the focus is on using technology to make security responses quicker, more efficient and more effective from the moment an alert is triggered through to resolution.
By connecting customers with a network of private security providers, officers can arrive faster, better prepared and able to quickly assess the situation and take the appropriate action.
Once on site, AURA’s technology helps security teams follow structured response procedures, ensure incidents are properly managed, request additional support when needed and provide customers with detailed reports and updates.
Ultimately, technology should help security professionals spend more time doing what they do best: responding effectively and quickly when people need them, while giving customers greater visibility and confidence throughout the entire process.
What do you think the public misunderstands most about the work security officers do daily?
One of the biggest misconceptions is that security officers only provide value to the individual or organisation they are directly supporting.
In reality, they play a much broader role in the public safety ecosystem.
Across the US, emergency services are facing increasing demand and difficult decisions about how to prioritise limited resources, particularly in large urban centres.
Police departments need to focus their attention on the most serious, life-threatening incidents where their expertise and authority are essential.
This means some lower-level incidents, such as alarm activations or property-related issues, may be deprioritised.
While this is understandable given the situation, it also potentially leaves businesses and homeowners feeling exposed and worried that when an alarm is activated, they will not necessarily receive a response.
This is where security professionals provide an increasingly valuable service.
By responding quickly to alarms, verifying incidents and escalating to law enforcement only when it is truly required, are helping to reduce unnecessary pressure on public services and allow police officers to focus their resources where they are needed most.
In this sense, security officers are not only vital in providing assurance to businesses and homeowners after an alarm has been triggered.
They are also playing a wider role in making communities safer by freeing up police time and resources to ensure they can focus on the most serious emergencies.
As security continues to evolve, what will define future successful security professionals?
The most successful security professionals of the future will be those who combine traditional security skills with the ability to work alongside new technology.
They will need strong judgement, communication skills and adaptability, as they always have, but also the ability to use tools that improve situational awareness and response times.
The future of security will be built around collaboration: between security officers, technology providers, monitoring centres, public services and communities.
As security continues to evolve, professionals will increasingly need to embrace technology as a tool to enhance their capabilities.
The most effective security teams will be those that combine human judgement with technology that improves situational awareness, communication and response times.
Technology will not replace the role of security professionals, but it will help them make better informed decisions, respond quickly and more effectively, and operate as part of a more connected safety ecosystem.