Petter Säterhed, function manager for safety in the public environment at The Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB), has been appointed Safety Ambassador of the Year 2025.
The award was presented on October 14 during the Safety Banquet at the Stockholm International Fairs and was established by Think Tank Security for Business and Society (Snos) and SecurityUser.com.
The background to the award is MSB's rapid training efforts after the tragic mass shooting at Campus Risbergska in Örebro earlier this year.
Within just a few weeks of the incident starting Petter Säterhed and his colleagues one national training program for school staff, with the aim of strengthening security and increasing preparedness in school environments.
The program has quickly gained a great deal of traction and is praised by schools, municipalities and safety experts across the country.
Quick action after the tragedy
During the spring, over 40 training courses in various locations in Sweden, with around 1,000 participants from schools and municipalities.
During the autumn, another 20 or so courses were added, and so far around 1,600 people received education through MSB:'s investment. According to the authority, the figure is expected to reach 2,000 participants before the end of the year.
“We cleared the table and refocused. Ten days after the attack, the training was completed, and a month later the first course was held in Malmo,”
said Petter Säterhed at the award ceremony.
The jury highlights Säterhed's ability to act quickly in a crisis and his commitment to increasing risk and safety awareness in Sweden.
His work is seen as an example of how knowledge and collaboration can create concrete security in society.
Teamwork behind the success
At the ceremony, Säterhed emphasized that the work is not an individual achievement but the result of a strong team within MSB.
He particularly highlighted Jonas Eriksson, Peter Hällsten and Ebba Hellström as central collaborators in the project, and emphasized the importance of cooperation between government actors, municipalities and schools.
– This award belongs to the entire team. We have shown that when you combine experience, commitment and will, you can quickly make a difference where it is really needed, said Säterhed.
Long-term and systematic safety work
Petter Säterhed leads today MSB's work with safety in public environments, where the focus is on protection against terrorism and antagonistic threats.
He has also written several guides, including: Event Safety Guide, Protection against vehicle attacks and Built-in security – protection in urban planning.
His work has contributed to creating concrete methods for risk analysis, physical protection design, and crisis preparedness in public environments.
“Petter Säterhed shows how knowledge and collaboration can create concrete security. His and MSB's work after the school shooting in Örebro is a clear example of that,”
says Markus Lahtinen, chairman of Snos.
A recognition for Swedish security and cooperation
The appointment to Safety Ambassador of the Year 2025 is seen as recognition of a long-term and systematic work to increase security in Swedish society.
Petter Säterhed represents a new generation of security leaders who combine strategic thinking with operational action.
MSB's initiative has not only increased safety in schools – it has also inspired other sectors to increase their preparedness against threats, violence and risks in everyday life.
The training will continue during the winter and is expected to also include municipal services, healthcare facilities and public events.
“We need a safer Sweden – and we are building it together,” concluded Säterhed during the award ceremony at the Stockholm International Fairs.
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