![]() While the emphasis in this chapter (as in most actual practice) is on physical safeguards, it is important to emphasize the human aspect. Firesafety (discussed in Chapter 12, Fire Prevention and Protection), and emergency (contingency) planning is designed to anticipate what might happen to endanger people, physical assets, and information (thus causing damage and interruption to normal business) and to take the necessary preventive measures and make provision-through the use of appropriate hardware and/or personnel response-for prompt and effective action when an emergency does occur. Drill scenario testing on a frequent basis cannot be overemphasized enough. Practice often makes perfect, builds confidence and comradery among players and streamlines the incident management response process. Said another way, drill scenario and testing is akin to being a player on a practice field. Those assigned disaster preparedness tasks must continually play the “what happens if” game. Sigwart, Emeritus Professor, Western Illinois University, current and future security professionals should be aware of the absolute necessity of disaster planning and preparedness as a viable component of the many facets (fire, earthquake, explosions, flooding, and so forth) of which they will have to perform as a practitioner. This includes a certification process to verify compliance. Under an amendment to a 9/11 bill passed by the House, the Department of Homeland Security and the American National Standards Institute established a set of “best practices” for disaster preparedness. In fact, some companies consider crisis planning and drill exercise a bit of a nuisance and do so at their own peril. ![]() Follow up research in 2017 reveals not much has changed regarding general readiness for many companies. Regardless of the functional placement of responsibility, security, fire, and safety personnel must work together when they are confronted with preparing for and responding to disasters.Īccording to a 2006 IOMA Safety & Security Reports briefing, 39% of US companies lack a basic crisis plan and 56% have not conducted crisis drills or simulation in the last year. ![]() In the best of all possible worlds the responsibility is a shared responsibility among security, fire, and safety departments. This is primarily due to the essence of the security mission-that is, to observe and report. While planning for such contingencies is the responsibility of top management, in most situations the task of carrying out emergency response falls specifically on the security management team specifically those resources dedicated to incident management response now considered boutique specialty in many multinational companies. No facility protection program is complete without clear, well-defined policies, and programs confronting the possible threat of fire or any other natural or human-made disaster. A complete contingency planning program has three major elements: Even prior to the events of September 11, 2001, many organizations were becoming more conscious of the need to have contingency plans. Unfortunately, many firms have not gone this far.Ĭontingency planning may not have been a traditional security process, but in today’s global business environment the security organization is assuming a much greater role and responsibility for its implementation. The end result is a better-prepared team of employees ready to respond to any contingency. The most progressive firms offer the team members, fire brigades, and employees an opportunity to preplan (contingency planning) through mock exercises that replicate industrial disasters, explosions, fires, or tornado alerts. Even in those companies with crisis management teams (CMTs), the members often do not meet to plan or even discuss how the team would function in an actual situation. Although there is some recognition of the importance of contingency planning, far too few firms have anything beyond a contingency plan that sits on a shelf in the CEO’s office.
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