Frontline
Mounted security and mounted first responders
A By Scott Taylor CPP
10 | Australian Security Magazine
s a security consultant I'm often asked to attend various sites and also to test various types of security related equipment to give my thoughts on its suitability and effectiveness. The type of work we do is quite varied, and no two weeks are the same. When I was first approached by Lisa from “Mounted Security” to attend their premises and give my thoughts on their scope of services, I was a little apprehensive on a number of fronts. The first of those being whether this visit was going to culminate with me riding one of the large Clydesdales that I had seen in the initial images that I have been forwarded and the second point being my thoughts on the industry level of acceptance for what is a relatively untried and untested resource. There were also multiple considerations that I wished to investigate with the visit. Some relating to the selection of the personnel, the selection and training of the horses, questions regarding the deployment logistics response methodology, animal welfare and a number of other related elements. On arriving at the premises, (a 5 acre facility in northwest Sydney, equipped with a large Barn consisting of seven rubber lined stalls, multiple paddocks and a riding arena) I could see the property was well equipped for this type of unit to operate from. Lisa was quite forthcoming with information regarding the recruitment and vetting protocols in place for the selection of the mounted unit riders. The personnel obviously had to be carefully selected for their ability to competently ride and their personnel have a broad and colourful history of horse related roles such as track work riders, vet nurses, stunt doubles and competition riders. Additionally, all personnel had qualifications, licenses and diverse backgrounds in both security and law enforcement.
But that was only half of the recruitment pool. The horses also had to be uniquely selected to both the temperament and ability to cope with a variety of situations in unique environments. The horses undergo a range of continuous training involving scenario situations relating to crowds, traffic, unique landscapes as well as a range of other elements such as loud noises from fireworks. the horses are also trained to disregard normal noises, activities and physical contact. I asked Lisa some specific questions regarding the manoeuvrability, stability and response range of the units to which Lisa replied “we can cover off more of those specifics with the practical demonstration which you can witness first hand” which further reiterated my first concern. Upon arriving to the stable area, I was first greeted by what could only be described as incredibly large equine that was quite professionally attired in hi-vis security -related signage. Whilst this is not a sight you see every day, the first item that caught my interest was the Oxy Viva and semiautomatic defibrillator that was mounted on the horse’s back. The first-aid capabilities of this mounted unit were further enhanced by an advanced first-aid kit, communications equipment and crime scene preservation kits. Although this horse was designated as a mobile first responder, I can validate that it's overt presence would clearly serve as a highlevel visual deterrent to antisocial crime and poor behaviour. It was now time for some practical demonstrations. A number of the mounted security team were mustered in an open arena type area. The first scenario demonstration was escorting a VIP through a crowded foot traffic area. The mounted units moved briskly into place and were surprisingly quite efficient at positioning and maintaining the safety of the designated VIP through the group of people provided for the demonstration. This same response could just as easily
