Tag Archives: Security Communication

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

Security Managers: Understanding the Role of the Independent Assessor

There is often a reluctantly on behalf of the experienced Security Manager to call upon the services of the independent Security Risk Assessor. Reasons may include the fact that the Security Manager may feel he is placing his job in jeopardy because the board may view him as incompetent or that the company has simply not allocated sufficient funds in regards to security, but to name a few. The role of the independent consultant also remains largely misunderstood.

What is not realized is that the Security Consultant is actually an ally to the Security Manager. Often when the Security Manager presents a problem to the board alone, the situation is not fully acknowledged or realized, but if the same information is provided by the Security Risk Assessor, as a professional and external source, the board understands the problem and is more likely to allocate the necessary funds required for the solution. Furthermore the detailed Security Risk Assessment report supports better budget planning in regards to security and the expenditure of the company becomes more stabilized as unnecessary costs will be eliminated.

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The Security Risk Assessor is also in the best possible position to reveal the true status of the company’s security. As an outsider, the Security Consultant can provide an unbiased and accurate view without the fear of stepping on someone’s toes. Often the Security Manager may feel that he cannot reveal the full reality of the situation or company losses as it may place his position in the company in endangerment. It also needs to be noted that sometimes due to familiarity and close involvement with the company, that the Security Manager may not be able to see the source of the problem or may unintentionally overlook some important details. Again, the assessor can provide the Security Manager with a new perspective in regards to the company’s security and be able to recommend workable solutions to alleviate the problem.

The process of the Security Risk Assessment is complicated and intricate. There is no quick, checklist and security can by no means be based on guesswork. The first phase consists of a full, thorough investigation of the site from the outside in. Various layers are considered and inspected before the next phase can begin. All threats and weaknesses in the security status of the company is identified and revealed. Based on these findings and extensive, active research, the independent assessor will then begin to derive workable solutions based purely upon functionality and need within the individualistic and unique Security Plan. This information will greatly aid the Security Manager in his important and vital role within the company by allowing the value of security to be measured and communicated to the board of the company.  Furthermore the Security Risk Assessment can be used by the Emergency & Disaster Management Coordinator in good and effective future planning.

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.