Unfortunately we are increasingly placed at risk from threats that 20 years ago would be considered far fetched or unlikely to occur in North America. The threat to our Personal Safety by the use of explosive devices and other forms of terrorism has never been greater. 9/11 and events such as the bombing of the Oklahoma Federal Building has forever changed the way Western culture views itself in relation to our vulnerability to this sort of attack. Let’s examine some of the facts surrounding this phenomenon and look at what we can do to reduce their risk of being the victim of this type of attack.

Analysis

First we have to admit there is a problem. Our office buildings are soft targets; meaning they are vulnerable in numerous ways to terrorists and criminal activity. They may have CCTV, perimeter barriers, alarms and an onsite security force. Some will have x-ray and metal detectors if they house high risk or high profile clients. Most however do not have a comprehensive security/safety plan, nor are their security forces adequately trained or prepared to recognize, assess and deal with these types of incidents in order to preserve lives, property and infrastructure. I work with many clients who are based out of office towers. When I visit them at their workplace I get to observe just how vulnerable they are firsthand. Multiply this vulnerability by the number of office buildings in your city and you begin to see the scope of the problem.

So why don’t we take the time to institute an operational security plan and ensure that any onsite security has adequate training to implement the plan in case of an emergency? Well, it comes down to money. You see having a security audit conducted and developing an operational security plan is not cheap. Companies that specialize in this area have a breadth of knowledge and experience to ensure that all aspects of safety/security are addressed. Diligence and Superior Protection & Consultancy and are two excellent examples.

Properly equipping and training security personnel takes time, training, experience and money. Properly instituted security can be minimally intrusive while ensuring that adequate protection is instituted based on a realistic threat assessment. Obviously buildings with high profile or high risk clients (consulates, federal or provincial government agencies) would need a much greater level of security in place. What it comes down to is Risk Management and Mitigation. Now multiply this cost and use of resources by the number of office buildings just in your city and you begin to see the cost of remediation.

Some of the common areas of concern that need to be addressed in the security plan are;

Fire/Arson
Theft (information, technology, infrastructure, data, blueprints, key personnel)
Explosive Devices (bomb threats, suicide bomber, mail bombs, truck bombs, etc)
Cyber Attacks
Criminal Activity
Weapons Related Incidents
Hostage Situations
Biological/Radiological Incidents
Attacks on Utilities Infrastructure (power, gas, communications, information/data, emergency response)

Buildings have unique characteristics that must be analyzed and accounted for to ensure the safety of the buildings tenants and employees. Some of the factors that should influence security planning are;

Proximity to High Value Targets
Building Design
Types of Tenants/Occupations
Potential for Collateral Damage
Fire Suppression Limitations/Vulnerability
Site and Perimeter Vulnerability
Access Control Vulnerability (tenants, visitors, parking, loading docks, elevators, food services, stair wells, etc)
Vulnerability by Design
HVAC Vulnerability
Infrastructure/Operations and Utility Vulnerability
Emergency Response Vulnerability
Information/Data Vulnerability

Conclusion

9/11 has shown us that North America is a viable target for attack. We need to realistically examine our potential value as targets for various political, financial or ideological reasons. We need to be aware of our potential to becoming a target for crime or terrorism and that our safety and security are our own responsibility. If you work in one of these buildings then see if your company has emergency response procedures in place to keep you safe. If they do, ensure that you know it and understand it and that in the event of a crisis you’d know what to do. If they don’t you may want to do a little homework in the areas I’ve listed above. Remember it’s always better to have something and not need it than it is to need something and not have it.