Businesses ramping up their security to be compliant with various organizational guidelines and land use regulations know how difficult it can be to meet the criteria without a professional on-site to guide you through the process. While the Department of Homeland Security has a nice plan of connecting, planning, training, and reporting, meeting those requirements can be tough. With the help and consultation of AEGIS Security & Investigations, your business can increase its security programs and implement training workshops quickly and efficiently.8
AEGIS has worked within the realm of homeland security since its inception. When you are looking for the top-notch security professionals, you are also looking for updated trainings and the latest trends in the sector. Because we are constantly improving our knowledge and teaching programs, we tend to be at the forefront of security training and know-how, and our security consultation team is ready to address any questions you may have.
So, why is it important to talk about the short and sweet execution of community preparation? For a start, the DHS thinks it is important. “Hometown” security is the link that allows the private sector and public sector to collaborate in efforts to mitigate risk for private and public sites. The development of those partnerships posited by the DHS is mainstreamed into four essential components: connect, plan, train and report.
AEGIS can help you enhance your organization’s security and connect you to partnerships like that with Homeland Security, and we can make the process simpler.
Connect
When building a communal sense of security, the implementation of partnerships is essential. Your business should be connected with local law enforcement in some form. Typically, this is shared knowledge of a direct line to your closest law enforcement agency in case of an emergency. However, this correspondence should go deeper.
Teaming up with Infragard, a community security and preparedness organization that unifies the FBI with private companies, takes the extra step to providing greater awareness about crime and terrorism. AEGIS’ management is a proud member of the Los Angeles InfraGard. Not only do we host trainings and attend monthly meetings, we build connections for fellow businesses in Los Angeles with Infragard. In fact, our own Jeff Zisner, CEO and President of AEGIS, is the Commercial Facilities Sector Chief in LA and works to build partnerships with organizations in entertainment and media, lodging, outdoor events, real estate, retail and sports leagues. As such, AEGIS is equipped to work with any commercial site to enhance its law enforcement and counterterrorism infrastructure.
Plan
Building an emergency plan is a necessary task for every organization. It entails understanding the immediate risks to your site and people as well as the numerous possible threats that exist from a criminal and terror perspective. Most companies encounter a large emergency before they look to update their plan, leaving large gaps of knowledge for current employees — it is critical that your organization have a current emergency preparedness plan that takes into account these essential elements:
- Response to natural disasters
- Response to internal disasters (i.e., workplace fire)
- Response to workplace violence
- Response to active shooter
- Response to localized terror threat or attack
Hire a professional to review your current plan. Hire a professional to modify your current plan. AEGIS has professionals who are prepared to conduct a risk and vulnerability assessment for your organization come the new year. We know that hiring an internal team often means relying on a group of people finding time to come together and evaluate separate entities and pull together a report that often is not coherent. That’s why we have experts in risk management and emergency management who can conduct the assessment relying on their experience and knowledge. We work with clients to minimize liability to their operations and risk to staff through a full analysis of their security and emergency programs to make recommendations and changes that best suit the needs and abilities of each client. For more quick tips on planning your emergency management plan, see our guidelines for every business.
Train
Perhaps the most central element to activating a comprehensive Hometown Security program, as well as a strong company emergency response program, is training. Employers should provide staff with all resources and potential scenarios through practiced exercises. Once an emergency plan is set in place and your connections with local law enforcement and other community watchdogs are established, you should move toward program management. Per Ready.gov, the investment in a preparedness program allows companies to actualize their response plans in the event of an emergency more accurately than when a program is not in place.
Implement training as quickly as you can once you have finalized an emergency response plan. AEGIS offers multiple trainings in conjunction with its consultation services. We highly recommend the following trainings be taken into consideration:
- Active shooter training and situational awareness
- Workplace violence and terrorism awareness
- Emergency evacuation, shelter in place and lockdown drills
- Cross training for security best practices to inform auxiliary employees on methods to enhance security passively and actively in emergency situations
- Proprietary security officer training for all in-house security staff
Once trainings are completed, it is highly recommended you implement tests and exercises that enhance awareness and response. AEGIS’ live active shooter demonstration is a prime example of a proactive exercise that teaches staff how to react to an active shooter in a real-life scenario.
Report
The adage “see something, say something” goes a long way in deterring suspicious activity and preventing attacks. When individuals report who, what, when, where there is an out-of-place occurrence and can tell law enforcement why is suspicious to them, those agencies are better able to stop crime. If you are uncertain of what looks suspicious, hire someone who can tell you. Commercial facilities and office security is a large sector, and AEGIS has the staff and equipment to help you be prepared to report activity on site.
Security officers are trained to not only spot suspicious people and activities but also investigate incidents enough to know when it is time to contact law enforcement. AEGIS’ officers are additionally trained in customer service protocols that make them ideal candidates for professional work spaces. Adding a physical security team to your corporate site will enhance your ability to report concerns and events to local authorities.
In the end our key takeaways on Hometown Security are these:
- Connect to your local agencies and law enforcement authorities through a program like InfraGard and reach out to current members like AEGIS
- Plan for emergencies ahead of time and bring in consultation whenever there is a question about best practices
- Train your staff for all types of scenarios and exercise drills that reinforce that training on a regular basis to encourage preparation
- Report suspicious activity within your company and community and remind others to do the same
AEGIS Security & Investigations is a Los Angeles region company that is licensed and insured in the State of California to provide high-end armed and unarmed regular and temporary off-duty police officers, bodyguards, security officers, loss prevention agents, and event staff. Additionally, we offer services for private investigation, consultation, people tracing, and background investigation. Our trainings and workshops in the field of security licensure and counter-terrorism have been featured in news media and are renowned for their efficacy. For more information or to contact us, visit www.aegis.com.
By Chelsea Turner & Jeff Zisner
