The January 6, 2021 storming on the U.S. Capitol was a
violent attack on American democracy.
The attack is also a sobering reminder that leadership,
vigilance, and collaboration are mission critical to the protection not only of
government facilities, but also privately owned facilities.
The breach of security at the capitol is a wakeup call to
all responsible with facility protection - law enforcement, administrators,
security directors, emergency management officials, property managers – all
must have an expertise with emergency planning and security management.
This expertise is critical to protecting life, property, information,
the survival of an enterprise, and in the case of the Capitol attack, the
morale of the nation.
There will undoubtedly be assessments, or even a commission
to review the Capitol tragedy, that will inevitably focus on a leadership
deficiency, lack of collaboration, and failure to effective respond to warning
signs and a culture of aggression.
But the purpose of this article is to present fundamental
principles that will enable enhancing security at facilities throughout
America.
When enhancing security at sites such as the U.S. Capitol, it is important to implement Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED), a pillar of crime prevention.
CPTED ensures that security is enhanced where esthetics are respected and sites do not contradict our democratic open society principles by appearing to be like fortresses.
In Memoriam: U.S. Capitol
Police Officer Brian D. Sicknick
Before we continue, we are reminded that securing facilities
is essential to the protection of life.
Therefore, let us pause to honor the memory of U.S. Capitol Police
Officer Brain D. Sicknick.
Officer Sicknick died “due to injuries sustained while on
duty on Jan. 6, .. he was injured while
physically engaging with protesters,” U.S. Capitol Police said in a statement.
Officer Sicknick had his body lie in honor in the Capitol
rotunda from Tuesday evening, Feb. 2 to Wednesday morning, Feb. 3 before his
internment at Arlington National Cemetery.
Lying in state is typically reserved for elected officials,
which is why Sicknick's ceremony is designated as lying in honor.
Following his death, his family released the following
statement:
“There really aren’t
enough kind words in any language to describe how sweet Brian was. He was truly a lovely, humble soul. We are
missing him terribly.
“He was sweet natured
through and through. Everyone who met
him adored him. He also loved his
dachshunds dearly, spoiling them, and ensuring they got the best care possible.
“He loved his job with the
U.S. Capitol Police, and was very passionate about it. He also had an incredible work ethic. He was very serious about showing up to work
on time and refused to call out sick unless absolutely necessary.
“Our loss of Brian will
leave a large hole in our hearts.
“The tremendous support we
have received from the U.S. Capitol Police, the law enforcement community, and
the community as a whole has been overwhelmingly warm and generous. We’re very grateful for everyone’s kindness
during this difficult time.”
Emergencies: Man Made
or Natural
Essentially, an emergency is any situation that can divert a facility from normal operations or production.
Emergencies can be caused by man-made or natural
circumstances. Man-made emergencies can be due to a crime such as workplace
violence, terrorism, civil disturbance, or fire.
Natural emergencies can arise due to a hurricane, earthquake,
tornado, or storm.
A professionally designed emergency plan can save an
enterprise from loss of life and property, financial chaos, marketplace loss
and reputation.
Emergency planning is the description of actions necessary
by an organization to protect employees, the public, and assets from threats
initiating from natural or man-made incidents.
America’s
Infrastructure Requires Protection
Aside from the protection of government facilities such as
the Capitol, government buildings, schools, courthouses, police departments,
and administrative buildings - emergency planning for private entities is also
critical.
Since 85% of America's vital infrastructure such as oil
refineries, chemical plants, banks, and port facilities are privately owned,
emergency planning must be the order of the day for every enterprise.
ASIS International
Tips
According to the "Emergency Planning Handbook" of
ASIS International, an association dedicated to leadership and education in
security and safety issues, the following activities are essential to initiate
an emergency planning process:
·
Review existing plans and procedures for their
validity.
·
Gain upper management involvement and support.
·
Identification of facilities to be included and
thoroughly understand all distinctive elements of each of them
·
Conduct a vulnerability assessment of the
strengths and weaknesses of the facility. Parenthetically, this aspect of
emergency planning must be conducted by a certified individual with a reputable
and licensed company that has solid references.
·
Identification of the facilities resources and
their priority such as people, equipment and existing plans.
·
Study the organization’s demographics which
include knowledge of employees (especially emergency planning managers and key
personnel) homes and response ability.
·
Identification of members of the emergency
planning team and agreement on the appointment of a coordinator and committee
representing various organization disciplines such as operations, information
technology, finance, customer service, auditing, risk management and labor
relations if applicable.
ASIS International encourages major considerations to the
emergency planning including the following:
- Centralized emergency management structure
- Effective communication with numerous levels of
back up
- Timely forecasts
- Facility shutdown procedures with clear assignments
of responsibilities
- Evacuation plans
- Mutual aid agreement for sheltering when area
evacuations are not feasible
- Trained emergency assistance employees
- A media spokesperson
- Supporting materials such as maps and call up
lists.
Although each of the aforementioned has checklists necessary
for effective emergency planning, it is critical that clearly established
procedures for evacuations from company buildings exist, and that they are
tested periodically through table top, partial scale, and full scale exercises.
ASIS International strongly recommends that maps be posted
in the workplace identifying evacuation routes and shelter areas, and that
safety monitors are assigned to assist with evacuations.
Employees should be assembled in specific locations and able
to be easily accounted for.
The evacuation plans should also have alternative plans in
case routes are blocked, as well as procedures to assist the physically
challenged and visually and/or hearing impaired individuals.
Evacuation plans should also have coordinators who confirm
the area/building has been effectively evacuated, appropriate distance assembly
areas from the disaster scene, are aware of predetermined muster points for
emergency response personnel, know the marked routes, and are aware of exits
with appropriate back up lighting, shutdown and restart procedures. Someone assigned to protecting the vital
record storage plans is necessary.
Emergency planning, as ASIS International specifically
relates to the evacuation procedures, must have a checklist with
provisions. These include conditions
under which an evacuation is ordered.
Also essential is the individual responsible for authorizing
the evacuation, with established lines of succession, appropriate options for
various hazards - such as live wires that could fall, fire damage or disrupted
fuel lines, indications of when facility shutdown authorizing would be safe
before ordering of a general evacuation, procedures for search and rescue
teams, exit options and understanding of fire escape locations, backup lighting
in stairwells and corridors, continual updated education of personnel,
attention to non-English speaking employees and visitors, management of organized
head counts, a missing person system, and evacuation of critical equipment.
Occupational Safety
and Health Administration Guidelines
Aside from practical recommendations and guidelines from
ASIS International, it must be noted that an emergency action plan (EAP) is a
written document required by particular Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) standards of the U.S. Department of Labor.
According to OSHA, the purpose of an EAP is to facilitate
and organize employer and employee actions during workplace emergencies. OSHA
mandates:
- Evacuation procedures and emergency escape route
assignments
- Procedures to be followed by employees who
remain to operate critical plant operations before they evacuate
- Procedures to account for all employees after an
emergency evacuation has been completed
- Rescue and medical duties for those employees
who are to perform them
- Means of reporting fires and other emergencies
- Names or job titles of persons who can be
contacted for further information or explanation of duties under the plan
Properly and effectively securing a facility is a demanding
responsibility in an age of uncertainties where a disaster can strike any time
and any place. Individuals responsible for facilities must have updated tested
effective emergency plans to protect the lives of individuals entrusted to their
care and to safeguard the very survival of their organizations.
Organizations fully dedicated to emergency planning should
also ensure that key emergency and security personnel attain the ASIS
International designation title Certified Protection Professional (CCP) which
is a coveted certification by law enforcement, security professionals, property
managers, and emergency management authorities.
Final Reflections
It has been my responsibility throughout my career, to
conduct hundreds of board certified security vulnerability assessments and
facility post orders – which include emergency plans – for governmental and
private security sites.
It has also been my honor to conduct training programs
nationwide, and to author extensive articles on security management, emergency
planning, and crisis management.
It is my fervent hope that this article encourage an
enhancement of leadership, vigilance, and collaboration to safeguard facilities
throughout America from preventable tragedies, and that individuals entrusted
with security exhibit unwavering dedication to their professions.
We must all serve as catalysts to protect our workplaces,
schools, communities, public spaces, and houses of worship.
Public safety demands visionary leadership as well as vigilance,
and collaboration.
Security demands proactive threat assessments comprehensive
ongoing enhancements, continual training and certifications, effective response
to warning signs, and building partnerships with law enforcement, private
security professionals, and every member of the community.
Photos
- Tear
gas deployed during Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riots. (Public Domain, Creative
Commons Attribution)
- U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian D. Sicknick (Courtesy U.S. Capitol Police)
- National
Guard, U.S. Capitol, Jan. 12, 2021 (Courtesy National Guard, Master Sgt. Matt
Hecht)
- FBI
poster seeking information on Capitol violence (Courtesy FBI)
- Published as 3 page article in The Chief of Police, winter 2021 and distributed hard copy to police chiefs nationwide.
About the Author
Vincent J. Bove, CPP, is a national speaker and author on
issues critical to America with 275 published works.
Bove is recipient of the FBI Director's
Community Leadership Award and former confident of the New York Yankees.
He served as spokesperson for a coalition of Virginia
Tech tragedy families of victims. His most recent books are Reawakening America
and Listen To Their Cries.
For more information: www.vincentbove.com or
twitter @vincentjbove
Labels: Collaborative Policing, Cybersecurity, Emergency Preparedness, In Remembrance, Law Enforcement, Policing, Private Security, Public Private Partnerships, Workplace Violence
