I help organizations, their leaders and security managers develop security arrangements that work over the long term. Through mentoring and strategic consultations, I support internal teams in building the skills and confidence to manage their work independently.
I am not a company and I do not try to be everywhere. I work alone, and for specific projects I bring in trusted specialists.
I provide regular support to the person responsible for security in your organization. I help them develop strategy, work through specific situations and build their skills. The aim is for them to manage security independently and develop a system that works for their organization.
This includes regular consultations, usually several times a month, phone availability during crises and additional consultations as needed.
On shorter projects, I help leadership or coordination teams assess the security situation, develop strategy and prepare decision-making materials or presentations. I work as an external adviser.
We agree on the scope and deliverables in advance. Projects usually last from a few weeks to several months.
I develop training programs for security managers, drawing on twenty-five years of practice, international collaboration and lessons from real incidents. I currently direct the comprehensive course for soft-target protection managers described below.
I offer multi-day courses, in-house training and individual seminars for leadership teams.
I work with organizations that want to improve their security and support the people responsible for it.
Universities need to protect large numbers of people while remaining open and respecting academic culture. I support their security managers and help develop a strategy for their leadership.
Museums, galleries and theatres need to remain accessible to the public while responding to specific threats. Together, we develop arrangements that account for high visitor numbers and a limited security presence.
I help companies whose employees travel to high-risk countries or work abroad. We develop their duty-of-care arrangements, from preparing for travel and working abroad to responding to a crisis.
I work with regional and municipal authorities, ministries and other public institutions. I advise on security strategies, leadership briefings and crisis plans.
Each organization brings different needs. These nine topics come up most often in my work with security managers.
These topics mainly concern the security of buildings and sites belonging to schools, museums, cultural institutions, businesses and public authorities. For one-off events, I choose topics according to their specific needs.
How to record, assess and review incidents so that the organization can identify recurring problems and prepare for more serious events.
Clear procedures for employees: what to do, whom to call and what to avoid.
What the people who encounter problems first need to know. What they check, when and to whom they report concerns, and how we review the quality of their work.
How to plan security over the longer term and give leadership the information they need to make decisions.
How to survey spaces and assess which could serve as shelter. We examine door strength and other features that may make a room unsuitable.
Who prepares, approves and sends a message, and how it reaches people. We develop templates and backup procedures in case technology fails.
How to identify and assess warning signs without intruding disproportionately on people’s lives. We agree on when action is needed and how to proceed.
Reviewing public-address systems, text messages, apps and in-person warnings. We develop scenarios and check that the system works at night and on weekends.
Preparing the team around the director or rector to make decisions and communicate during a crisis. Tabletop exercises help clarify roles, situation monitoring and shift handovers.
Six projects that have had a particular influence on my work. I am happy to share further examples on request.
I led the team that produced the first comprehensive guidance on soft-target protection for the Czech Ministry of the Interior. It brings together facility security, critical infrastructure protection and crime prevention. Organizations across the public sector now use these materials.
After the shooting in December 2023, I served on Charles University’s Central Crisis Staff. I then led an extensive security analysis and the preparation of recommendations for the faculties and rectorate. This work also became a reference point for other universities in the Czech Republic.
I provide ongoing advice on soft-target protection, helping develop strategy, prepare briefings for the rector and establish security arrangements. I would like to develop this kind of collaboration further.
I contributed to the analysis, planning and coordination of support measures for vulnerable groups. I continue to draw on this experience of making decisions under pressure with incomplete information.
I prepare security arrangements for Forum 2000 Foundation conferences, attended by prominent figures and journalists facing threats. We work to keep the event open to the public while protecting participants.
I developed and delivered a series of training sessions for Czech Police specialists from across the regions. I also carried out a threat assessment for the Chamber of Deputies building, considering both security and public access.
I worked with Zdeněk Kalvach for several months after the attack at the Faculty of Arts of Charles University in December 2023. I appreciate that even in such demanding situations he is able to bring calm and structure into the team. I value the understanding and respect with which he always approached the employees and students affected by this event.
We worked with Zdeněk on several editions of the Forum 2000 conference and on other events with high security demands. Working with him and his team was always very professional and trouble-free. His approach combines high expertise and knowledge of current international trends with the ability to understand our context and specific needs. I appreciate that Zdeněk did not limit himself to running the events themselves but actively engaged in their preparation and risk prevention. I would especially highlight the simulation exercises, which significantly strengthened the readiness of our crisis team.
I value the cooperation with Mr. Kalvach in clarifying the methodological approach to soft-target protection and in training our Police CZ specialists.
We worked with Mr. Kalvach on security inspections of university buildings and on training in crisis communication. His approach was very professional, to the point and helpful. He named the real problems and proposed realistic measures.
Working with Zdeněk is very valuable and enriching for us. I appreciate his ability to bridge the world of security with an empathic and very specific approach to people affected by demanding situations.
We have had a very good experience with Zdeněk on the preparation of the Emergency module. You can see that the work interests him and that he enjoys it — he always tries to move things forward. At the same time we can rely on him for deadlines and schedule, which is critical for us. For us he is not only an expert partner but also someone with whom it is simply nice to work.
Three thoughts from interviews I have given to Czech media in recent years. I return to them with every client.
„Unfortunately we have plenty of experience with attempts to raise security by trying to turn a ‘soft target’ into a ‘hard target’. And the work is not done by those cameras — it is done by the people who operate them.“
UK Forum, 2024„We are taking the path of building resilience — so that we are able to absorb with the smallest possible impact. And in the end, the center of gravity will lie in the readiness of individuals to use whatever they can.“
UK Forum, 2024„With active shooters, preventing the attack is very difficult or simply impossible. All we can do is reduce its impact and make sure the warning spreads through the building as quickly as possible.“
Hospodářské noviny, 2023I serve as the course’s academic lead and director.
The first comprehensive program of its kind in the Czech Republic. It combines Israeli lecturers from the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (Reichman University) with Czech and Slovak experts. Three four-day blocks, 87 hours of instruction, simultaneous EN ↔ CZ interpretation. Organized by Soft Targets Team in cooperation with VOX and ASIS International.
Eight questions take you through four areas of preparedness for serious incidents. Your results appear in a chart with my comments on each area. The assessment takes about five minutes.
Start the self-assessmentAn anonymous call, a suspicious package, an unattended bag, a colleague in crisis or an armed person at the entrance. Choose a character and decide how to respond. After each choice, you can see what the actual procedures recommend. The jokes are fictional; the procedures are not. The game is in Czech.
Play the game (in Czech)Selected interviews on soft-target protection, crisis planning and raising resilient children.
A special episode by Jaromír Průša in cooperation with the Czech Ministry of the Interior and Gabriela Ben David. On risk assessment, crisis planning and scenario drills in organizations.
A video version of the interview on the protection of soft targets, security culture, and why technology alone is not enough.
On the security of universities a year after the shooting at the Faculty of Arts of Charles University. What can and cannot be done — and why human resilience matters more than locks and barriers.
An hour-long interview on the safety of children — how to balance protection with the freedom to try, so that children grow up to be resilient adults. The view of a security expert and a therapist in one person.
If an interview interests you, get in touch. I am happy to suggest others.
If you are considering long-term cooperation or a short-term consultation, a few sentences about what brings you here are enough. I usually reply within two working days.
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