Facility Issues Nuggets
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Planning for Your Post Disaster Power Needs
Post disaster losses can be reduced and you can speed the recovery process by installing emergency generators and other power systems. We have found numerous sites to help you determine which systems and equipment are essential to the continued operation of your business.
http://www.fema.gov/plan/prevent/howto/how2022.shtm
http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/preparedness/han/backup-and-emergency-power.pdf
http://www.fema.gov/pdf/plan/prevent/howto/how2022.pdf
http://home.howstuffworks.com/emergency-power1.htm
http://home.howstuffworks.com/emergency-power2.htm
http://home.howstuffworks.com/emergency-power3.htm
Keeping Focus on Hazard Mitigation
Collaborative for Disaster Mitigation The Collaborative for Disaster Mitigation
(CDM), established in June 1999, is a collaborative effort among local governments, the private sector and academia. Its main focus is to limit loss of life, injury and property damage from natural disasters, and to accelerate economic recovery, through implementation of mitigation measures.
Earthquake Engineering Research Institute Mitigation Center
The Earthquake Engineering Research Institute Mitigation Center includes information on many ways to reduce losses from earthquakes. The resources of the Mitigation Center are found in seven broad categories of interest groups: building professionals, homeowners, business owners, educators, emergency managers, community planners and public policy makers.
Hurricane Tips from the Institute for Business & Home Safety
The Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) is a nonprofit association that engages in communication, education, engineering and research. IBHS has released new guidelines for hurricane season.
The Top Three Hurricane Protection Myths and why believing them can be dangerous...
Shutter Selection Guide
Keeping wind and water out is critical to your home's survival. Shutters should be a planned element of any vulnerable home. Plywood should be a last-minute alternative, and if used, it must be properly fastened...
Top 5 Ways to Protect Your Home This Hurricane Season
IBHS has outlined the Top Five ways to better protect homes from damaging wind and rain this hurricane season...
Improving the Flood Performance of New Buildings
Communities and Local Government, Defra and the Environment Agency in the UK have published a new guide advising industry how to reduce damage to new buildings in flood risk areas.
The guide, "Improving the flood performance of new buildings: Flood resilient construction" recognizes that while planning policy aims to direct inappropriate development away from flood risk areas, some building will be necessary to maintain existing services and communities. Therefore, structures should be designed and constructed to keep people safe, reduce financial losses and speed up disaster recovery. Many experts predict that climate change could mean an increase in the prevalence of flooding as we experience milder, wetter winters and hotter drier summers. It is therefore important to construct new buildings in flood risk areas in a way that minimizes flood damage and resilience measures have a role to play in ensuring the safety and robustness of necessary development. To link to the guide, visit www.GUIDErequest.com/FAC
NIST Guide Helps with Facilities Risk Assessment
Identifying the most important hazards threatening buildings and other constructions and taking action to eliminate them or reduce their potential impact makes sense, but the task can be daunting. What are the risks associated with various natural and man-made hazards? What strategies might mitigate the threats? How do you select the most cost-effective combination of strategies? The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is offering some answers in a new Web-enabled Risk Mitigation Toolkit.
The Toolkit is an interactive document version of the printed NIST report, "A Guide to Printed and Electronic Resources for Developing a Cost-Effective Risk Mitigation Plan for New and Existing Constructed Facilities" (NISTIR 7390).
The guide and toolkit are organized around three main topics: risk assessment, risk management and economic evaluation. References are provided for relevant software programs, data and studies. Appendices outline a step-by-step template for developing a risk-mitigation plan, list relevant clearing houses and web portals for specific types of information and cite key risk mitigation-related research studies on risk-mitigation strategies. Two comprehensive indexes, one organized by subject and one organized by author, make it easy to find key reference documents, databases and software tools. An extensive glossary of economic terms used in evaluating the cost effectiveness of disaster mitigation investments in constructed facilities also is included.
(www.bfrl.nist.gov/oae/oae.html)
ASIS Throws Hat into Standards Ring
ASIS, a 35,000-member security organization, has announced that it has a responsibility to aid in the process of developing standards. ASIS will now actively contribute to the process of developing professional standards in the security arena.
Reflecting this new concentration on standards development, the ASIS Board of Directors has approved a name change from Commission on Guidelines to ASIS Commission on Standards and Guidelines.
According to ASIS, international, national and regional standards bodies have initiated aggressive standards development programs that will profoundly impact security practitioners. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) - the international body of such standards development - has itself launched a technical committee that is preparing security standards that will directly impact domestic and international communities. ASIS will play an important role in this technical committee, ISO/TC 223: Societal Security, by lending the experience and expertise of its 35,000 members to the ISO effort.
"The Commission will continue to publish guidelines both in support of standards as well as independently on important issues in security that may not lend themselves to the creation of standards," says F. Mark Geraci, CPP, the newly appointed Chairman, ASIS Commission on Standards and Guidelines. "The Commission strongly encourages active participation in this new and exciting venture to have ASIS International recognized as a world-class partner in standards initiatives. Only by driving the process can we assure that the interests of the security executive will be reflected in international standards."
(http://www.asisonline.org/guidelines/guidelines.htm)
Research Shows Increase in Certification Value
Approximately 55 percent of security professionals are required to have certifications as part of their employment, according to new research from Security Director News. But what those exact certifications are vary greatly -- 11 percent require the CPP designation, 11 percent look toward association certifications and 11 percent ask for completed International Association for Healthcare Security & Safety's certification. Nearly 27 percent of readers identified other programs including those offering facility security officer, state public safety, certified protection officer and certified lodging security director certifications.
(http://www.securitydirectornews.com/index.php?p=article&id=sd200705mGAHWu)
Sears Tower's Well-Grounded Security
From Security Management magazine
Chicago's Sears Tower, at a height of 1,454 feet to its architectural top, is the tallest building in the United States and a leading symbol of US commerce. After the collapse of the World Trade Center, the former management was concerned about the Sears Tower's prominence as a terrorist target and hardened security accordingly. However, tenants were unhappy. Six years out from 9-11, the building, which is under new ownership, has considerably revamped the security program it inherited to create a robustly secure but subtle environment that does not make tenants feel they work in a fortress. Ann Longmore-Etheridge reports.
(http://www.securitymanagement.com/)
Culture Clash
From Disaster Recovery Journal
While developing a disaster recover plan is difficult for any operation, cultural institutions face the challenge of protecting not only their facility's livelihood, but the daunting task of ensuring that history, art and other cultural artifacts be safeguarded for future generations. Art pieces, historical documents, archeological items and even a historical building's architectural features are often "one of a kind" and cannot be backed up on computer or duplicated. When it comes to disaster recovery planning for these institutions, there often is a "culture" clash, says Craig S. Philson.
(http://www.drj.com/articles/spr07/)
Assessing the Vulnerability of Buildings
From Disaster Recovery Journal
From a homeland security standpoint, typically office, storage and manufacturing buildings are not the subject of a man-made disaster, such as a terrorist attack. Such attacks would typically limited to critical locations such as "key" government buildings, so-called "symbols of democracy," transportation centers, nuclear power plants, and locations where "products of war" are produced (e.g., airplanes, helicopters, missiles, and other combat-related items). Nonetheless, standards are emerging for property owners and building managers to assess the vulnerability, or risk level, of their site and its facilities to a possible terrorist attack. Roger L. Kemp has the story.
(http://www.drj.com/articles/spr07/)
Hospitals Look to Technology to Prepare
From Disaster Recovery Journal
NYU's Downtown Manhattan Hospital was one of many victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The hospital is just blocks from the World Trade Center and was a primary care site on that tragic day. In fact, it was overwhelmed with too many victims to count. By Paul Dimitruk.
(http://www.drj.com/articles/win07/)
Reminded of the Perils of Power Loss
From Disaster Recovery Journal
For any business or organization, being prepared means ensuring a constant and uninterruptible source of power to remain up and running, says author Eric Johnston. Although we will always have to "batten down the hatches" and evacuate until threatening weather passes, businesses must be able to withstand a loss of electricity for an extended period of time to ensure everything from continued operations to inventory controls.
(http://www.drj.com/articles/fall06/)
Evacuation and Shelter Planning
From Continuity Central
According to Paul Moor, emergency planning specialist, many organizations continue to test their evacuation procedures and muster points on an annual basis but their plans fall short of what is now required to ensure the safety of their staff - and meet their corporate responsibilities.
(http://www.continuitycentral.com/feature0460.htm)
Evacuate or Shelter-in-Place?
From Continuity Central
John Glenn, MBCI, Certified Business Continuity Planner, says most business continuity plans include evacuation procedures of some sort. But many are simply "get out and gather in the parking lot." Only a few organizations have ‘shelter-in-place' options. Shelter-in-place, however, is more than just staying inside a building, Glenn says. Shelter-in-place demands a safe environment.
(http://www.continuitycentral.com/feature0461.htm)
Beyond Guards, Guns, and Dogs: Do Corporate Security Officers Have Enough Access to the Top?
From the Conference Board Review
Authors Matthew Budman and Thomas E. Cavanagh point out that all the C-suite wants to know is: Are we safe?
In an ideal world, they say, security would be a back-office function that, like accounting, operates in the background. But the world is hardly ideal. More and more things can go wrong, and corporate security officers find themselves juggling an ever-growing number of areas of responsibility - headquarters security, background checks, information security, disaster recovery, Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, executive protection, fraud prevention. Dealing with each of these - keeping up with fresh threats and ensuring systems are current - requires both input and buy-in from top management. But corporate security officers don't always get that support.
(http://www.conference-board.org/articles/atb_article.cfm?id=383)
The Changing Role of Private Security
From Security Technology and Design magazine
Hiring a force of protection officers isn't as easy as it has been in the past. In the ever-changing world of private security, protection officers' roles and responsibilities are quickly adapting to a heightened security environment. Protection officer suppliers are turning to advanced training - in everything from the latest high-tech CCTV system to anti-terrorism - for their officers to be ready for whatever corporate and government security assignments come their way.
Smart Choices for Intelligent Video
From Security Technology and Design magazine
Intelligent video analysis (IVA) is an important security and business productivity tool that can increase safety and security, streamline operations, improve productivity and reduce overall expenditures. While numerous organizations are quick to adopt this exciting technology, others are still left with more questions than answers on how to choose an optimal solution for their short- and long-term needs.
Thinking about deploying an intelligent video solution? Author Yossi Massafi offers a top ten list of practical advice and actionable guidance for businesses and organizations seeking to implement an intelligent video solution.
Who Is in Your Building?
From Security Technology and Design magazine
Background checks and secure credentials should be corporate, not just government, concerns, says author Rich Anderson. Security directors need to ensure that processes are in place to verify the identities of their companies' employees and to control access to their companies' assets and data. Unfortunately, just buying the latest access control technology does not solve this problem. It is a process problem. In this article, Anderson examines the issues behind identifying and authenticating employees.
Creative System Design Solves Airport Security Problems
From Security Technology and Design magazine
Airport security has come under more scrutiny in recent years than at any time in memory. Multiple layers of oversight work in every airport to first prevent incidents, then to minimize the impact of security events that do occur. Author James R. Black offers a snapshot of the commercial airport security picture.
Thoroughly Modern Security
From Security Dealer magazine
Cutting edge security involves protecting the outdoors and the indoors during the day and at night. Many commercial installs require system planning with a top down perspective, yet at the same time, design and implementation go from the bottom up. Regardless, you are going to install it one door, one opening, one area at a time to achieve the final global protection required.
Although some people involved in security are not interested in Federal Homeland Security projects because of the labyrinth of regulations-and the fact that more often than not the contract is awarded to that "closed network" of companies whose strong presence in federal level contract administration everyone knows-for the majority of dealer integrators there are still opportunities to get in on saving the country's assets. Many are winning jobs at local and regional levels. Even more dealers are contracting for facility security as companies realize the importance of securing and protecting what runs their businesses: people. Tim O'Leary reports.
(http://www.simon-net.com/print/Security-Dealer/Features/Thoroughly-Modern-Security-/10967SIW1)
The Emergence Of The Electronic Security Age
From Today's Facility Manager
With more technologically advanced security systems being developed, facility managers are partnering with IT departments for implementation purposes. John Parkinson has the story.
(http://www.todaysfacilitymanager.com/tfm_07_03_special_security.php)
Shelter From The Storm
From Today's Facility Manager
Jillian Ruffino says rethinking installation and maintenance practices can help safeguard roofs against increasingly severe weather.
(http://www.todaysfacilitymanager.com/tfm_07_02_trends.php)
Disaster Cometh...Or Not!
From Today's Facility Manager
Since facility management usually includes risk management, threat assessment, business continuity and emergency response planning, those of us in the profession are painfully aware that experts have a major influence on our industry, even if they're routinely unreliable. Unreliable? Why would author Jeff Crane say such a thing?
(http://www.todaysfacilitymanager.com/tfm_07_02_fmfrequency.php)
All Systems Critical
From Canadian Security magazine
In 2005, Manitoba Hydro was named Canada's largest net exporter of electricity to the United States. When you're that important to the U.S power grid, the pressure to protect that source of energy flowing south looms large. Jennifer Brown reports.
(http://www.canadiansecuritymag.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=315)
Do You Trust The Mailroom Clerk?
From Access Control and Security Systems
Job titles can be misleading as indicators of the level of access to sensitive information. Consider a mailroom clerk, a facility maintenance engineer or a receptionist - just three of the many titles held by employees who may be unaware of the value of information they handle routinely. Clerks process "payment due" notices; facility engineers create work orders identifying malfunctioning door locks, and; receptionists record the name and the digital image of all visitors.
Can you assign a classification level to "payment due" notices in accordance with your Information Classification Policy? Does your organization's Physical Security Policy cover how to safeguard information about access control systems? Since the law does not regard it as Personally Identifiable Information (PII), should you implement controls for the protection of visitor information?
While you grapple with these questions, author Miki Calero says you should also look for ways to foster ongoing awareness of these and other nonstandard security subjects. Consider doing so within a framework that is both simple and effective: the elements of adult learning.
(http://securitysolutions.com/mag/security_trust_mailroom_clerk/)
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