Tag Archives: Security Awareness

Disaster & Emergency Managment, Security Advisors, Security Planning, Uncategorized, Understanding Risk

Disaster Management & the Security Risk Assessment

We were recently invited to speak at a conference regarding Disaster & Emergency Planning and I received a lot of insight and new information from my colleagues and the other speakers. When considering disaster, the first things that automatically spring to mind is hurricanes, storms, earthquakes, fire and the like. These are all natural disasters. Furthermore there are technological disasters such as communication infrastructure failure, chemical spills and even power blackouts. Although in South Africa, we are relatively unaffected by such natural disasters as the rest of the world, one real disaster situation that is not immediately considered is that of crime and violence. This is where security and safety play the largest role and relevant information needs to be gathered to facilitate good planning.

This threat is a large one and the perpetrator could be from an external source, such as armed gunmen or a hostage situation, or it could be an internal threat meaning it is someone from within the organisation, the business or the institution. An example here would be a pupil at a school smuggling a weapon into the property and shooting at his classmates and teachers. Or more commonly in our country, a strike situation that turns volatile and violent. Individuality is easily lost in the mob mindset. These are the types of disaster situations that we may be most likely to encounter in our lifetimes.

Planning for such an event is rather difficult as there are so many other factors and variables involved. Furthermore one disaster could trigger another and cause a domino effect such as the strikers purposefully lighting a fire, which could again in turn result in an explosion and subsequent building collapse. In this case people need to be evacuated from the afflicted building as quickly as possible and managed well enough to avoid a panic and stampede. The injured need to be attended to and adequate communications structures, backups and protocols need to be in place to ensure that help is summonsed as quickly as possible. This is a huge responsibility and needs to be shared by a selected group of individuals that make up the Emergency Management team including the Disaster Management Coordinator, Health & Safety Officer and the Security Manager.

Very few properties have actually experienced a full blown emergency situation. This makes it difficult to draw from the past when planning and often such incidents are not properly logged for effective auditing purposes into the future. This is why the sharing of information within the community and even with the local and district authorities, similar institutions and businesses, and insurance companies is necessary to gather enough information to base such vital planning on. Another useful tool would be to have an independent Security Risk Assessment conducted on your property to investigate and fully identify all possible risks, threats and weaknesses present. With this knowledge the planning process will be greatly aided and many factors that could pose a danger in the future can be addressed immediately and eliminated to prevent disaster from occurring.

Security Advisors, Uncategorized

The Security Risk Advisor – Your Security “GP”

When one is physically unwell, an appointment is made with your GP to review the symptoms, discover the cause of the ailment and to provide the cure to restore wellbeing. Your Doctor would also tell you what to avoid in the future or how to adapt your lifestyle so that this problem does not reoccur. This is something we have all done and we consult a health professional to provide us with the necessary advice when so required. The Security Advisor should be seen in the same light, except that our expertise lies within the field of crime and security. Our consultation and the guidance dispensed are within the Security Risk Assessment.

Should your GP discover that your illness requires a specialist to assist you, he / she will consult with or refer you to the right person. This could be a neurosurgeon or a chiropractor, depending on his / her findings and your specific needs. Here again, as Security Advisors, we will do the same and if answers cannot be determined through the ongoing and extensive research we do by default, we will call in an expert to lend a helping hand in the formulation of the solutions with no extra cost to you.

As professional consultants in the security domain, our first step would be to do a thorough security inspection of your entire property and your physical security status. This investigation consists of multiple layers that do not just include your hardware or your security provider. Aspects such as daily routines, the surrounding environment, Security Awareness and differences between various hours of the day are included and examined as a unit, as well as individually. This part of the Security Risk Assessment will determine and identify weaknesses within your security system that could provide a criminal with opportunity. All this is laid out and explained in full detail with accompanying photographs within the Risk Assessment so that you are fully aware of all the risk on your property.

After analysing all this information and a comprehensive security audit has been conducted on the data, the formulation of your individual Security Plan begins. All solutions provided are based on the outcome of the assessment and are researched to ensure that the recommendations are the best for you and your unique situation. This will provide you with the knowledge to make good and informed decisions regarding your security, which will additionally be based on a strong, solid foundation into the future. The Security Advisor will provide you with control of your security. This in turn places you in the position to proactively protect your property, assets and family / employees. Moreover training for the conduction of the Security Risk Assessment can be provided, as well as employee, household or communal residencies in Security Awareness.