A MESSAGE FROM ICTS EUROPE PRESIDENT & CEO- OREN SAPIR

Page created by Jacqueline Norris
 
CONTINUE READING
A MESSAGE FROM ICTS EUROPE PRESIDENT & CEO- OREN SAPIR
ISSUE 4 — 23 April 2020

                         A MESSAGE FROM ICTS EUROPE PRESIDENT & CEO—
                         OREN SAPIR
                         Dear ICTS Family members,
                         Days become weeks. Weeks become months. And as time goes by, we grow to
                         realise the impact of the pandemic on our daily lives at home and work with the
                         valued perspective of time.
                         My priorities continue to remain, keep your health intact and spirits as high as
                         possible. Those aspirations keep you in my thoughts day and night. Only with
                         good health can we address the future. It might appear a bit foggy right now, but
                         rest assured, brighter days will come.
  “We are dynamic,
                         To be ready – and even thrive – in a future where extraordinary changes become
 we are innovative,      the “new normal,” we all need a bit of confidence; confidence that things will get
  we are dedicated,      better, confidence in each other, and confidence in the human ability to adapt to
and we will prosper. ”   a new reality, however different it may be.
                         The entire ICTS management is working vigorously on ideas and solutions that
                         will inspire and boost confidence across the broad aviation community: our
                         airlines and airport clients, regulators, and hopefully, passengers, which we miss
                         so much in public transport and airports.
                         Throughout the history of ICTS, spanning over 30 years, we have seen some tur-
                         bulent times but have always weathered the storm and maintained our position
                         as industry leaders by being proactive and embracing change. This time is no
                         different! We are dynamic, we are innovative, we are dedicated, and we will
                         prosper.
                         Soon enough, I hope to be able to share with you, our new ideas for the new
                         world. Ideas that will allow us to get back to a high level of activity, and in which
                         you will be the faces delivering them in airports across the world.
                         When the future is unknown, the opportunities to shape it are huge. Periods like
                         this are rare, but we stay ahead of the curve and prepare for a new reality once
                         air travel is able to resume.
                         So, while we look to shape the future of our business, you can be proactive in
                         shaping your own future.
                         Wishing you all plenty of health, plenty of smiles, and plenty of good news.
                         Still looking forward to meeting you all in person in the near future.
                         Yours truly,
                         Oren
                                                                                                                 1
A MESSAGE FROM ICTS EUROPE PRESIDENT & CEO- OREN SAPIR
AN INTERVIEW WITH EVP ICTS EUROPE — SHAI MEIRAV
                        How are you?
                        I feel very good and very proud. Proud to work for a company that responded so
                        quickly and so appropriately to the COVID-19 crisis. Proud and grateful for all our
                        staff that despite the situation still go to work every day. Proud and heartened by
                        how the extended ICTS family is supporting those who are forced to wait at
                        home until our activities pick up again. Proud and confident that thanks to these
                        strengths we will come out stronger on the other side.

                        What message do you want to send to your employees and the wider ICTS Europe
                        Group?

     “We’ve always      First and foremost – stay safe, look after yourselves and your families. The health
                        of our people is the most important thing. And, over my 25 years in ICTS, we
 known how to stick     went through several crisis situations. We’ve always known how to stick togeth-
   together, support    er, support each other, draw strength from one another. We always had the
   each other, draw     courage to make the right decisions. And we always saw each crisis as an oppor-
  strength from one     tunity to reinvent ourselves. We are strong today thanks to all of these principles.
                        We will stay strong because we are already applying the same code.
 another. We always
  had the courage to    On a personal note, what have you learnt to appreciate during this forced change
make the right deci-    of routine?
sions. And we always    I rediscovered my family. Normally I travel a lot and spend 2-3 days a week away
saw each crisis as an   from home. It’s now two months that I am at home with my wife and two sons.
                        I’m happy to report that I am enjoying this very much! But I must admit that I’m
    opportunity to
                        also eager to be able to travel again and see all my friends and colleagues in my
 reinvent ourselves.”   extended ICTS family.

                                                                                                               2
A MESSAGE FROM ICTS EUROPE PRESIDENT & CEO- OREN SAPIR
Quarantine is an unchartered territory and we are here to help!
Every week we will be looking to tackle a different challenge by sharing your survival tips.
This week’s topic: COOKING & BAKING - YOUR BEST RECIPES AND LOCAL DISHES

                                                Thank you to Janine Kay, Office Manager and HRM Four Winds Diag-
                                                nose K9 Solutions in the United Arab Emirates, for sharing the follow-
                                                ing recipe: Arabic Sweet Dumplings - Luqaimat
                                                A favorite in any Emirati kitchen, often eaten during Ramadan. These
                                                doughnut-like balls take no time to make and even less time to disap-
                                                pear!
                                                Method:
               Ingredients:                     1.  Mix the flour, yeast, sugar, salt, cardamom powder, saffron and
•   2 cups all-purpose flour                        warm water together to make your dough. Use an electric
•   1 teaspoon dry yeast                            blender with a hood or paddle attachment for the best results.
•   1 ½ teaspoon sugar                          2.  Leave the mixture in a warm place for 10 minutes to prove and
•   A pinch of salt                                 rise.
•   ½ teaspoon cardamom powder                  3.  Take small pieces of the dough mixture and make little dough-
•   ½ teaspoon saffron                              nut balls.
•   1 ¼ cup warm water                          4.  Ensure your cooking oil is hot then gently drop in the balls and
•   Sunflower oil for deep frying                   cook for two to three minutes or until golden brown.
•   Date honey syrup*                           5.  Remove from the frying oil and place onto paper towel to ab-
    *Top tip If you can’t source date honey         sorb any extra oil. Serve the dessert with drizzled black or date
    make a simple syrup by boiling – without        honey and garnish with pistachios.
    stirring – one cup of sugar and a quarter       Saha wa Afia!
    cup of water.

                                                “In order to prepare a good Carbonara, one of the most famous pas-
                                                ta dishes of the Rome area, you only need to get a few good quality
                                                ingredients” says Monica Salomoni, Operations Manager, ICTS Italy.

                                                Method:
                                                1. Boil the water.
                                                2.  Mix the three eggs with the cheese until you will have a thick
                                                    cream and add a little pepper.
                                                3.  Put the bacon in a pan and cook it until the fat melts and be-
                                                    comes crispy.
        Ingredients: for 4 people               4.  Cook 500 grams of pasta in boiling salted water as per the in-
• 1 egg                                             structions on the pasta package.
• 2 egg yolks                                   5.  Drain the pasta “al dente”(set aside a little cooking water).
• 300 grams fresh bacon                         6.  Pour the pasta into the pan with the bacon for one minute.
• 150 grams pecorino romano (but                7.  Remove the pan from the heat (very important).
  also parmesan will be ok)                     8.  Pour the hot pasta into the bowl with the eggs and mix well.
                                                9.  Add a little cheese and a sprinkling of pepper (if you need, add
• 500 grams pasta like macaroni or
                                                    a little of cooking water to make it creamier) and serve it hot.
  spaghetti.
                                                    Buon appetito!

                                                                                                                         3
A MESSAGE FROM ICTS EUROPE PRESIDENT & CEO- OREN SAPIR
Petra Nash , Executive Assistant , A.S.P. Security Services in Canada,
                                       shares with us the iconic Canadian dessert recipe for The Ultimate
                                       Nanaimo Bar .
                                       Method:
                                       Bottom Layer
                                       1.   Pour 2 cups (500 ml) water into bottom of double boiler. Place
              Ingredients:                  on stove over medium heat and bring water to simmer.
                                       2.   In top of double boiler; combine butter, cocoa and sugar; place
Bottom Layer                                over simmering water. Heat, stirring, until butter has melted
• ½ cup (125 ml) unsalted butter            and mixture is smooth.
  (preferably European-style           3.   Add beaten egg; stir until thick. Remove top of double boiler
  cultured butter)                          from heat. Stir in graham wafer crumbs, coconut and almonds.
• 5 Tbsp (75 ml) cocoa powder          4.   Scrape into parchment paper-lined 8-inch square baking dish.
• ¼ cup (50 ml) granulated sugar            Press firmly to create even bottom layer.
• 1 egg, beaten                        5.   Tip: If you don’t have a double boiler, half-fill a saucepan with
• 1 ¾ cups (425 ml) graham wafer            water and heat over medium heat until water begins to sim-
  crumbs                                    mer. Then, place a metal or glass bowl over the simmering wa-
• 1 cup (250 ml) shredded coconut           ter and proceed as directed.
• ½ cup (125 ml) almonds, finely       Middle Layer
  chopped                              1.   In bowl, cream together butter, cream and custard powder.
Middle Layer                                Gradually add icing sugar; beat until light and fluffy. Scrape
• ½ cup (125 ml) unsalted butter,           over bottom layer, smoothing top with spatula or palette knife.
  softened                             Topping
• 2 tbsp + 2 tsp (40 ml) whipping or   1.   In clean double boiler, melt chocolate and butter together. Re-
  heavy cream                               move from heat; let cool slightly. When cool, but still liquid,
• 2 Tbsp (30 ml) vanilla custard            pour over custard layer.
  powder                               2.   Cover and refrigerate until cold.
• 2 cups (500 ml) icing sugar               Bon appétit!
Topping
• 4 oz (115 g) semi-sweet chocolate
• 2 Tbsp (30 ml) unsalted butter

                                       Jérémie Castera, Quality Manager at ICTS France, shares with us her
                                       recipe of gluten-free and lactose-free cookies. These cookies are also
                                       very tasty for people who don’t have an gluten and/or lactose allergy
                                       or intolerance.
                                       Method:
                                       1.  Pre-heat the oven to 180° C.
                                       2.  Mix the compote, margarine and brown sugar with an electric
              Ingredients:                 mixer.
                                       3.  Add the rice flour and yeast and mix until you get a homogene-
•   50g of applesauce                      ous dough.
•   100g of vegetable margarine        4.  Add the chocolate pieces and mix.
•   120g of brown sugar                5.  Place baking paper on the oven tray, make small pieces of the
•   170g of rice flour                     dough and place on the oven tray.
•   150g of chocolate                  6.  Bake about 14 minutes at 180° C.
•   1 sachet of gluten-free yeast          Bon appétit!

                                                                                                                4
A MESSAGE FROM ICTS EUROPE PRESIDENT & CEO- OREN SAPIR
Manuel Joao, Security Director ICTS Portugal, shares with us a tradi-
                                          tional recipe from the North of Portugal called ‘Portuguese Duck
                                          Rice’, in Portuguese ‘Arroz de Pato’. The below recipe serves 4-6 por-
                                          tions.
                                          Method:
                                          1.  Put the duck in your largest pan, cover with water and add the
                                              coriander, bay, thyme, star anise, leek top, onion, carrot, or-
                                              ange zest and a grinding of black pepper. Place over a medium
                                              heat and bring to the boil, skimming off any oil from the sur-
                Ingredients:                  face. Turn down the heat slightly, cover and simmer for 45
•    1 whole duck, trimmed of excess          mins, then turn off the heat and let the duck cool in the stock
     fat and jointed                          for 15 mins. Drain the stock from the duck, reserving it to cook
•    small pack coriander                     the rice. Leave the duck to rest until cool enough to handle,
•    2 bay leaves                             then shred the meat away from the bone.
•    1 thyme sprig                        2.  Heat oven to 180°C | 160°C fan | gas 4.
•    1 star anise                         3.  To make the rice, heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medi-
•    1 leek (green top only, keep the         um-high heat and sauté the leek, onion and garlic for 10-12
     white part for the rice)                 mins or until soft and aromatic. Add the rice and fry for 5 mins
•    1 onion, halved                          or until the grains are turning golden and crispy, and sticking to
•    1 carrot                                 the pan. Add 400ml of the duck stock and cook for 15 mins,
•    1 large orange, zested and juiced        covered, without stirring, or until the rice is puffed and dry.
                                          4.  Stir the duck meat and orange juice through the rice, season,
    For the rice                              then transfer the mixture to an oiled roasting tin or casserole
•     2 tbsp olive oil                        dish. Top with the chorizo and place on a high shelf in the oven
•     reserved white part of the leek         to cook for 20-25 mins or until the rice is crisp and golden. Gar-
•     1 onion, sliced                         nish with coriander or mint leaves, and serve with a salad, if
•     1 garlic clove                          you like.
•     250g basmati rice                       Bom apetite!
•     100g chorizo, cubed mint or cori-
      ander leaves, to serve

                                          Julie CARRASCO , Quality Manager at ICTS France, shares with us her
                                          recipe of FAR BRETON. Far Breton is a classic cake or dessert from
                                          the Brittany region of France.
                                          Method:
                                          1.  Preheat the oven to 250 ° C.
                                          2.  Butter a non-stick cake pan.
                                          3.  Mix the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add the eggs one by
                                              one, beating well after each addition. Mix everything with a
                                              whisk to obtain a smooth and homogeneous paste.
               Ingredients:               4.  Gradually stir in milk while stirring.
                                          5.  Place the prunes at the bottom of the mold.
•    125 grams of flour                   6.  Poor the preparation over the prunes and bake halfway up for
•    100 grams of sugar                       5 min at 250 ° C then lower to 180 ° C for 15 min.
•    3 eggs                               IMPORTANT: DO NOT open the oven during the baking process, not
•    1 pinch of salt                      even to take a look!
•    ½ litre of milk
                                          7.   Let it stand for a few minutes before serving.
•    About 100 grams of pitted prunes
                                               Bonne dégustation et KENAVO!

                                                                                                                   5
A MESSAGE FROM ICTS EUROPE PRESIDENT & CEO- OREN SAPIR
Viola Wang, Head of Asia region, ICTS Europe Systems shares her reci-
                                            pe of Port Floss Bun for afternoon tea break:
                                            Method:
                                            1. Pre-heat oven to 160C fan. Grease and line a 16 x 28cm cake
                                                roll tin with baking paper.
                                            2. Start with separating the egg whites and yolks into separate
              Ingredients:                      bowls and leave them at room temperature.
                                            3. In one bowl, whip the egg whites to a soft peak before adding
•   6 Eggs
                                                any sugar. This allows the meringue to keep its volume and not
•   100 g Cake flour / Pain flour is also
                                                deflate when adding the sugar. Please do not add all the sugar
    fine
                                                at once when creating a meringue. It will be better to split the
•   75g Sugar
                                                sugar into three equal parts. 1st: When the big bubbles appear ;
•   60 ml Cooking oil
                                                2nd: When the small bubbles appear ; 3rd: When the mixture
•   75ml Milk/ I used coconut milk
                                                starts to show the curves.
•   1g Salts
•   3-4 drops Vinegar
                                                                            When you finish, the egg whites
•   A few Light Mayonnaise / double
                                                                            should be like this .
    cream is also fine
•   If you don’t have the Pork
    floss don’t worry, you can use
    fruits or coco powder

                                            4.  In a new bowl sieve the flour.
                                            5.  Into a separate small bowl (prepare a clean and dry non-plastic
                                                bowl since plastic tends to trap oil) add 3-4 drops of vinegar/
                                                lemon before you start.
                                            6. Microwave the oil bowl at a medium-high heat for 1 min (be
                                                careful the bowl is hot). Then, immediately add the hot oil to
                                                the flour bowl and mix them together.
                                            7. Mix the egg yolks and milk / coconut milk into this bowl, and
                                                whip them together.
                                            8. Now add 1/3 of the egg whites, and use a gentle folding move-
                                                ment with a spatula to incorporate the meringue into the wet
                                                flour mixture. Do not stir, this will prevent the air in the me-
                                                ringue from deflating. Then add the rest of the egg whites.
                                            9. Put the pastry into the oven set at 160C fan, for 20-30mins.
                                            10. When it is ready, add the Light Mayonnaise and pork floss to
                                                the top layer and push the cake onto itself as you roll.
                                            11. When peeling off the baking paper, try to remove as much of
                                                the “skin” as possible. The cake looks better with exposed
                                                crumbs.
                                                祝你好胃口! ZHU NI HAO WEI KOU!

                                                                                                                    6
A MESSAGE FROM ICTS EUROPE PRESIDENT & CEO- OREN SAPIR
The following is a recipe for Sugary Brioche-Muffins, sent to us by
                                      Jeannette Ikonga, Account Manager at ICTS Europe Systems. Jean-
                                      nette is based in the London office.
                                      Method:
                                      1.  Warm up the milk with a tablespoon of the sugar and mix in
                                          the yeast. Let it proof for about 5 mins. In the meanwhile, mix
             Ingredients:                 the flour with the salt, the rest of the sugar. Add the 2 eggs,
For the dough:                            mix in the yeast-milk mixture and start kneading the dough.
• 250 ml milk                             When it has an even consistency and forms a ball, pour in the
• 22g fresh yeast or 11g dry active       melted butter and keep on kneading until it's nice and shiny.
   yeast or 5.5g instant yeast        2.  Sprinkle it with a bit of flour, cover it with a tea towel and let it
• 140g sugar                              rest for about 40 mins in a warm place. Then knead it again,
• 2 eggs                                  split it into 12 equal sizes. Roll out the small dough balls into
• 1 pinch of salt                         strings, cut them in 3, then braid the strings together. Once
• 550g flour                              you have the 12 braids, place them in the muffin tin.
• 100g melted butter                  3.  Brush the brioches with lightly beaten egg, and let it rest for
                                          another 30-40 mins. After this, brush them with the egg again
For the finishing touch:                  and put them in a warmed up oven (170 degrees). Bake them
• 1 egg                                   for approx. 30-45 mins, though you have to take them out 4-5
• sugar                                   mins before the end to give them another coating of egg and
                                          sprinkle them with sugar, then put it back in the oven till the
                                          end of the baking time. Note from Jeanette: I omitted this last
                                          step, because I didn't want to have too much sugar, they still
                                          turned out pretty and tasty!
                                          Enjoy!

                                      Tracy Fuller, Chief Commercial Officer, ACTS-Aviation Security, Inc.
                                      USA, suggests the Texas Sheet Cake, a uniquely Texas recipe: https://
                                      www.texasmonthly.com/food/texas-sheet-cake-recipe/.
                                      Tracy also shares two of her pineapple jalapeno margaritas recipes:

                                      Perfect Margarita Recipe:
                                      Method:
        Margarita Ingredients:
                                      1.  Mix together and pour over ice
• 3 ounces of Pineapple Jalapeno          Cheers!
  Tequila (see below)
• 2 ounces of Cointreau               To prepare the perfect ‘Pineapple Jalapeno Tequila’, you will need a
• 1 ounce of pineapple or orange      large container to infuse the tequila.
  juice                               Method:
• 1 ounce of fresh lime juice
                                        Grill pineapple slices and jalapenos until pineapple is golden
                                          and jalapenos are starting to blister.
                                      2.  Cut tops off of jalapenos
         Tequila Ingredients:         3.  Add jalapenos and pineapple to container. Pour tequila over
•   1 good bottle of blanco tequila       pineapple and jalapenos and cover. Do not throw out tequila
•   1 pineapple, cored and sliced         bottle.
•   3-6 whole jalapenos (depending    4.  Allow to infuse for 3 to 5 days.
    on desired heat)                  5.  Remove pineapple and jalapenos and strain tequila back into
                                          bottle.
                                          Cheers!

                                                                                                                  7
A MESSAGE FROM ICTS EUROPE PRESIDENT & CEO- OREN SAPIR
“My recipe inspiration came from a beautiful animated movie –
                                         Ratatouille. For those who have kids and would like something fun
                                         to do, I would suggest to watch this animated movie together and be
                                         inspired by it to make your own Ratatouille. It’s easy to make, super
                                         healthy and may help your kids to eat more vegetables! After all, an-
                                         yone can cook!”, says Milda Toliusyte, Finance Administrator , ICTS
                                         UK & Ireland.
                                         Method:
                                         1.  Preheat oven to 190-200C.
                                         2.  Thinly and evenly slice aubergine, tomatoes, zucchinis and car-
             Ingredients:
                                             rot into ~ 1mm rounds and set aside.
Veggies for topping:                     3.  To make the sauce: Heat the oil in the pan. Sauté the onion,
• 1 aubergine                                garlic, bell peppers until soft, around 11 minutes. Now add
• 4 tomatoes                                 chopped tomatoes and tomato passata. Season with salt, pep-
• 2 zucchinis                                per and any other seasoning you like. Stir for another 5-10
    1 large carrot                           minutes until all ingredients are fully incorporated.
Sauce:                                   4.  Pour the sauce into the pan. Arrange sliced vegetables in alter-
• 2 tablespoons of oil                       nating patterns (e.g. I used aubergine, tomato, zucchini and
• 1 red onion, diced                         carrot) on top of the sauce from the outer edge to the middle
• 3 cloves garlic, minced                    of the pan.
• 1 red bell pepper                      5.  Cover the pan with baking paper or foil and bake for 40-60
• 1 yellow bell pepper                       minutes.
                                             Tip: I serve Ratatouille as a main dish with wild rice on the side.
• Salt to taste
                                             Enjoy your meal!
• Pepper to taste
• 2 chopped tomatoes
• 1 tomato passata
• Seasoning to taste (salt, pepper,
   chilli, turmeric, smoked paprika,
   basil etc.)

                                                 ICTS Europe’s Compliance and PQCT (Product Quality
                                                 Control and Training) Division has maintained momentum
                                                 during this month of April with the following programmes
                                                 run:
                                                 •     6 online courses were attended by 59 employees from
                                                       both Aviation and General Security from almost all of
                                                       ICTS Europe’s subsidiaries. The courses included: Moti-
                                                       vation in Times of Crisis and Qualification Programme
                                                       for OJT – Trainers.

•     20 Training Managers from across North America and Europe participated in an online conference dur-
      ing which annual recurrent training, present activities of ICTS staff and trainers and PQCT support were
      discussed.
The above activities were well received and the Division looks forward to continuing a busy online schedule of
events and training.
                                                                                                                   8
A MESSAGE FROM ICTS EUROPE PRESIDENT & CEO- OREN SAPIR
Viola Wang, Chief Commercial Officer for Asia , ICTS Europe
                                                           Systems, says;
                                                           “With COVID-19 giving everyone a hard time, here is how we
                                                           are supporting our communities:
                                                           On 30 March, 8 days after the UK Government issued the
                                                           lockdown, we received a box of 200 FFP2/N95 (high level
                                                           medical use) masks from our client Nuctech based in Beijing,
                                                           China. We sent 50 of these masks to our colleagues to help
                                                           them take care of their vulnerable family members. Then, 20
                                                           masks were sent to Barnet General Hospital and an addition-
                                                           al 20 to care homes. 80 of these valuable medical use masks
                                                           were donated to support the heroes and heroines at St
                                                           George's Hospital. The final 30 masks are on the way to
                                                           Beench House Medical Practice.
                                                           A further 100 masks are now on their way to the UK sent by
                                                           our Smart App client, a Chinese carrier - Sichuan Airlines.

We are fortunate to have our partners with their kind and generous support. We are astounded by the
selflessness and dedication of all NHS staff and care workers. They are truly inspiring!
At this very moment, many ICTS staff are still working at the front line, monitoring and updating global immi-
gration travel rules, providing security services to NHS hospitals, warehouses etc., and our lovely dogs are also
doing a good job with the Police to guard our city. Well done team, we are very proud of you!!”

                                                           Every Thursday at 8pm the UK comes together (respecting
                                                           social distancing), clapping for the NHS (The UK’s National
                                                           Health Service) and front-line staff.
                                                           Click on the picture below to see ICTS UK & Ireland joining
                                                           forces with Glasgow Airport’s key workers last week. In the
                                                           video, we are the third vehicle from the left!

Pic (L-R): Holly Boyden (Airport Security Officer)
and Michelle Mclaughlin (Security Team Manager).

                                                           Georgina Inchausti, Station Manager at Barcelona Airport,
                                                           ICTS Spain sent a picture of ICTS Spain’s Security personnel
                                                           working in the facilities dedicated to the housing of home-
                                                           less people. “The facilities at Fira de Barcelona, are where
                                                           Barcelona used to hold the Mobile Congress. The area, now
                                                           transformed, is being used as an isolation hospital and shel-
                                                           ter for the homeless. Mobile Congress 2021 will come soon,
Pic (L-R): Julio Cesar Bobadilla (Agent), Nicolás Chiara
(Guard), Cristóbal Carrasco (Guard)                        and hopefully ICTS Spain will send a different picture, with
                                                           less sadness and happier and healthy people!!!”
                                                                                                                           9
A MESSAGE FROM ICTS EUROPE PRESIDENT & CEO- OREN SAPIR
Janine Kay, Office Manager and HRM from Four Winds Diagnose K9
Solutions in the United Arab Emirates writes, “It can be challenging
to maintain the welfare, both physical and mentally, of teams
especially in cases where large teams or groups finds themselves
quarantined together.
If you live with your family,a partner or a roommate, coronavirus
quarantine isn’t just about managing your own needs and
anxieties. It’s about finding a way to coexist with someone and all
of their needs and anxieties, every minute of every day in a
confined space for an undisclosed amount of time. This has
shown to be challanging for the smallest of households.

Imagine the same situation for a ‘family’ of 55. Four Winds
Diagnose K9 UAE has a situation where 50 K9 handlers, 2 Kennel
assistants and 3 security guards who all live and work together
daily.

Being in quarantine with movements completely restricted means
that they are spending even more time confined together on a
24/7 basis. This can have a big effect on team morale, individual
motivation and social interactions. Studies show that being in this
type of confinement can lead to emotional discomfort, anxiety,
sadness, irritation, frustration, anger, just to name a few.

This is what we do to help our family of 55 to cope, stay positive
and maintain a high team spirit:
•    They have been divided into 6 teams.
•    We created a Four Winds Olympics with several activities, such
     as Football, Volleyball, Badminton, PlayStation, Carrom, Scrab-
     ble and Dominos where the teams compete with one another.
•    Once the tournament is completed, they create completely
     new teams and start again.

These activities have been put together in a way to keep our team
mentally, physically and socially active.
•   Competition and group activities have shown to have a
    positive psychological effect on individual motivation. Humans
    not only survive by competing but perhaps more importantly,
    they survive by cooperating with one another. In the words of
    Bertrand Russell, “the only thing that will redeem mankind is
    cooperation”.
•   It will maintain their ability to work as
    teams and keep them socialising.
•   Competitive activities also boost morale
    and alertness.
•   It releases“feel-good” neurotransmitters
    such as oxytocin and endorphins that keep
    away sadness, anxiety,and anger.

                                                                       10
ICTS UK & Ireland London Head Office enjoying a virtual Friday
        lunch — organised by Chris Cox, Head of IT.

        Leticia Ballester, Quality & Training Department, ICTS Spain -
        “Apart from doing some telework and cleaning the house as the
        most of us are doing these days, I try to keep myself busy, among
        other stuff updating my Funko collection (it took me a whole morn-
        ing to display them as shown in the picture), and giving online
        dance classes using different tools like YouTube or Instagram. I’m
        also a dance teacher in the evenings, and at least through the in-
        ternet I get to keep in touch with my students and they can dis-
        tract themselves for a couple of hours a week and forget about
        their school home-work and the whole situation.”

         “We had arranged a Mexican dinner at the yard for some
         friends. Unfortunately unable to attend due to Covid, we did it
         virtually instead” - Hilary Curtis - Standards & Compliance Man-
         ager, ICTS UK & Ireland.

      NEXT WEEK’S TOPIC IS:
“CRAFTING—SHARE YOUR CREATIONS”.

                                                                             11
Every week we will be looking to feature a quote of HOPE, RESILIENCE, and SOLIDARITY

Coretta Scott King was an American author, activist, civil rights leader, and the wife of Martin Luther King Jr. An
active advocate for African-American equality, she was a leader for the Civil rights movement in the 1960s.
King was also a singer who often incorporated music into her civil rights work.

NOTE FROM THE EDITORS:

Our thoughts are with our colleagues and their families who have lost loved ones, and we wish all who have
contracted Covid-19 a speedy recovery.
We have created this bulletin because we care. In these uncertain times it is important more than ever before,
that we stand united and reach out to one another. This is our weekly bulletin. Any thoughts, suggestions,
contributions and feedback will be most welcome.
Look after yourselves, be kind to others and remember that you are not alone in this crisis.

               Roberta Puccinelli                      Sacha Miettinen—                        Efrat Thomas—
               Sher—                                   Project Assistant,                      Group Marketing
               Communications                          ICTS Europe/CTSN                        Manager,
               Manager,

                           Follow ICTS Europe on                      www.ictseurope.com
                                                                                                                      12
You can also read