According to Larry Cunningham, executive vice president of The Risk Analysis Group and a former agent-in charge with the U.S. Secret Service, now is a good time to ensure that existing security procedures are being followed. Some of the safety measures Cunningham recommends employers share with employees include:
- Ensure that human resources, executive level personnel and the security department are all on the same page - i.e. all three should know what they are doing in terms of company security policies and how they are enforced.
- Initiate liaison with the appropriate police, fire and other emergency service departments so they know where your company is located, what your particular industry is and where personnel are specifically located.
- Review your emergency operations procedures with the police and fire departments. Ensure that they have an understanding of your security operation procedures and the history of previous incidents.
- Ensure that all phone numbers and contact lists are up-to-date.
- Ensure that access egress procedures are appropriate for the level of security you require. This includes items like wearing ID badges; following sign-in procedures and escort procedures (monitoring guests, contractors, etc.). Whatever procedures are being adopted, require that they are consistently implemented and followed.
- Ensure company-wide adherence to in-house IT security policies to include password usage, etc.
- Ensure the security guard force is conducting all of their security checks and including appropriate liaison with law enforcement agencies during each of their respective shifts.
"The single most important rule to adhere to is to be vigilant - report deviations from normal operating procedures and anything unusual," Cunningham says.
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This month in Access Control
- Opening Up About Door Closers
- An Enterprise Approach
- The Framework For Open Systems
- On A Higher Plane
- More from April's issue
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