Secure in your resources

HEADNOTE

SECURITY MASTER PLANNING

HEADNOTE

Benchmarks, mandates, surveys and research material to help expedite planning

Putting

a security master plan together may seem like a daunting task. But the American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS) and other organizations offer planning resources to accomplish the project. To chart progress, there are benchmarks within industries and across types of facilities. Legislative mandates also serve as guidelines.

To begin or fine-tune a security master plan, ASIS offers many planning resources:

The ASIS Educational Institutions Council investigates and reports on problems in developing and operating security programs in educational institutions from daycare and preschool through post-secondary education.

The ASIS Healthcare Security Council reviews security and safety procedures and techniques for personnel and physical security measures in hospitals, nursing homes and extended care facilities.

The ASIS Commercial Real Estate Council investigates and reports on security problems in offices and multiresidential dwellings.

The ASIS Hospitality and Themed Entertainment Council focuses on protection of guests and employees at these facilities.

The ASIS Retail Security Council identifies methods for preventing crimes in retail settings and works with other councils.

The ASIS Security Architecture and Engineering Council was formed to serve members interested in the design and engineering of security systems. The council focuses on promoting an open channel of communication between the technical and operational sectors of the security profession.

Outsourcing security services and hiring consultants are two options many facilities executives are tapping to make security master plans work. Pinkerton's survey of Fortune 1000 security professionals found that 49 percent of respondents felt outsourcing was increasing and 45 percent believed their outsourcing of security services was stable. Only 6 percent found it was decreasing.

PROVIDER-CLIENT PARTNERSHIPS

"Increasingly, a provider-client partnership is emerging at America's leading companies," maintains the Pinkerton report. "The security provider can be expected to identify and recommend ways to improve the quality of service and the fiscal effectiveness of the security program as it relates to client profitability overall."

"Outsourcing is a very valuable resource for security plan execution," says Keith Blakemore, CPP, director, security and safety for Boise Cascade Office Products. "It is particularly valuable when you need a specific expertise."

Many commercial facilities use a combination of outside security professionals as well as an internal support staff. But whether the staff is inhouse or contracted out, training is crucial to the security master plan's success.

"All security people need building orientation training," says Carlos Villarreal, director of security at TrizecHahn Office Properties. "They need to know how systems work in the building, particularly fire alarm panels and life safety systems. They also need training on companies and tenants in the building, because in many cases they act as an extension of the building management."

And when disaster occurs, who do the security professionals call? Villarreal relies on a "Disaster Recovery Yellow Pages."

"It's basically a telephone book with updates every six months," he explains. "It lists everyone who specializes in smoke extraction or emergency generators, for instance."

TURNING TO CONSULTANTS

Security consultants help facilities executives develop a security strategy and allocate resources appropriately to accomplish the security master plan's objectives.

"When we work with retailers, for example, we benchmark their security master plan against other retailers," explains Walter Palmer, CPP, partner in Contact, Inc., a consulting firm that specializes in retail loss prevention.

"We measure frontages, check the CAP Index for risk assessment, as well as social and demographic data for the area and put together a relative risk score," says Palmer.

BENCHMARKS

The ASIS Healthcare Security Council conducted a Healthcare Security Benchmarking Study using Health Resource Network Inc. that was completed in February 2000. Burns International Security Services sponsored the study through the ASIS Foundation.

The study found that 29 percent of hospitals plan to increase both inhouse and contracted staffing. Of respondents, 98 percent have a policy and procedure manual, 95 percent have a security management plan that meets Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) standards, and 86 percent have a workplace violence policy per OSHA. Of the hospitals surveyed, 84 percent provide general security training and healthcare security and facility specific training. More than 20 percent plan to improve general security training, and 30 percent plan to improve healthcare and facility specific training.

Within a year, 29 percent of respondents planned to improve policy manuals to include safety related areas, 27 percent were planning improvements to their management plan, and 32 percent were modifying workplace violence plans.

The survey also found that 94 percent of hospitals use radio communications, 93 percent use CCTV, and 88 percent use VCR recorders and security alarms. Occupant identification systems are used by 83 percent, while 81 percent use access control systems. Monitoring systems are used by 69 percent of hospitals, and 27 percent use metal detectors.

LOCAL, FEDERAL AND PRIVATE PLANNING ISSUES

Consideration also must be given to any legislative mandates required for specific types of facilities. State and federal legislation often sets parameters for safety and security in numerous building types.

At the federal level, hospitals and medical facilities must comply with the JCAHO security and patient safety requirements, as well as the newer security issues addressed in the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Commercial office buildings and retail establishments must be aware of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the requirements of OSHA.

Colleges and universities must comply with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act.

States also have security and safety laws. For instance, in Delaware, nursing home employees must undergo a criminal history check as well as a drug test prior to being hired. In fact, according to Security Management magazine, 14 states passed legislation in 2000 that requires background screening for certain employees. School employees must be screened in seven states, four others require screening of day-care providers, two states require background checks for nursing home employees, and one state requires them for gun dealers.

Arizona modified its retail theft law recently to prohibit theft-detection shielding devices and to provide immunity for merchants and their employees, as well as contracted security personnel who detain suspected shoplifters. Theft-detection shielding devices are designed to disrupt detection of marked or tagged merchandise by an electronic or magnetic alarm system.

These are just a sampling of the mandates that need to be addressed in a security master plan.

SIDEBAR

ASIS Resources for the Building Owner - Page 76

AUTHOR_AFFILIATION

BY RITA TATUM * CONTRIBUTING EDITOR