Security for Your Facility

Security is freedom from danger or from the exposure to danger. Security measures protect people and property, and secure information (trade secrets and private individual information such as medical records and social security numbers). The objectives of security are to identify, deter, detect, observe, report, and respond to conditions that present a threat to people and property.

Many organizations have come to recognize the importance and value of conducting business not only a functional facility, but also a secure one.

Effective building security is a combination of design features, such as physical barriers and electronic systems, and staffing strategies that are integrated into a well-defined program. Security procedures should anticipate potential problems and vulnerabilities and present detailed, planned responses.

Building Security: Physical Plant

Building security is challenging. A balance must be struck between security and the need to be open to the public. Favorable relations need to be maintained with customers and employees, as well as senior management, who may view the extra security as an expensive inconvenience. Today, 90 percent of office buildings in the United States operate as ‘open buildings’ during normal business hours, with no access control. (Note that the World Trade Center was a ‘closed building’ with access control procedures at various points.)

It can be a monumental task to transform a building into one that has a closed environment—one with turnstiles, visitor controls, security personnel, access control systems, cameras, changes in employee attitudes, and so forth. Costs can run as high as $500,000 for a 23-story office building.

Whether a building has closed or open access, there are several areas in every building that require proper security measures:

• Windows
  • Glass windows can be reinforced with metal bars or grates placed on the outside to improve the physical barrier. Window alarms, such as foil alarms, are often used to prevent window entry. In addition to window-foil alarms, vibrator or glass-breakage alarms can be discreetly placed on the inside of windows.
• Ventilation intakes
  • Ventilation intakes can be either intentional or unintentional intakes. Many buildings are particularly vulnerable to chemical and biological attack due to the relative ease of access to the building systems through intentional intakes. For this reason, it is recommended that fresh air intake grills be located at least one-third of the way up a one-story building and secured against easy access.
• Doors
  • Intruders often gain access to a building by attacking the door or door frame. Given enough time and privacy, an intruder can gain access to practically any building. Special procedures should be considered when installing doors to ensure that the door or its frame cannot easily be removed by an intruder. A recent development is the delayed panic door release (check local codes). This emergency exit door hardware requires a person who is exiting to hold the handle down for 15 seconds before the latch is released and the door is opened. This delayed release can provide an improved level of security.
• Locks and key control
  • Locks are one of the cheapest security investments. Although they are no guarantee against entry, locks are another device that can enhance protection against unlawful intrusion. Most importantly, locks impose a time delay in gaining access, which works in tandem with other security measures and allows your system to respond to the threat.
• Lighting
  • Good lighting is used for decoration, safety, and security during, and especially after, business hours. One of the most effective deterrents to crime is good lighting. An intruder does not want to be on stage. Lighting provides a psychological deterrent that convinces a would-be intruder that entry attempts would likely lead to detection or apprehension. Motion- and heat-detection lighting are good examples of protective lighting. Protective lighting should:
    • act as a psychological deterrent
    • discourage intrusion
    • make detection almost certain
    • be reliable under all conditions
    • be secure from attack
    • be easily serviced with scheduled maintenance

Security Procedures

An adequate manual of SOP (standard operating procedures) should be developed for use by security and other building personnel. This manual is referred to as the SOP or Post Orders. It includes the following five sections:

• basic orders
• access control
• patrols
• emergencies
• miscellaneous procedures

The basic orders section of the SOP presents a comprehensive description of the security operation. It should include the following:

• a brief description of the facility
• 24-hour emergency contact lists
• general orders
• specific post duties

The access control section details the policies and procedures regulating entry, exit, and removals from the property. It should include these specific procedures:

• identification checks
• sign-in and sign-out process
• property and equipment removal
• package inspection
• shipping checks
• visitor and contractor access
• card access

The patrol section describes the plan for deterrent patrols and specifies procedures and times for the following:

• opening and closing patrols
• monitored patrols
• unmonitored patrols
• vehicle patrols

The critical component of the SOP is the emergencies section. It should describe in detail exactly who does what, when, and how in the event of an emergency. The following contingencies must be covered:

• fire alarm response
• building evacuation
• medical emergencies
• bomb threats
• mechanical problems
• electrical problems
• elevator problems
• water leak problems
• severe weather
• criminal emergencies
• riots and civil commotion

A miscellaneous procedures section should also be included in the SOP to cover such issues as the following:

• complaint handling
• key control
• telephone use
• move-in and move-out policies
• lost and found
• parking control
• traffic control
• radio communication

SOPs must reflect the specific circumstances of a building and its occupancy. The consequences of SOPs that are less than comprehensive can be disastrous. Incomplete or inadequate SOPs hinder the security staff’s performance and expose the site to excessive vulnerability and liability. Therefore, the security director or property manager should find a security manager or contractor who has the cap- ability to develop comprehensive SOPs.

Security for a facility can be difficult to achieve, and as a consequence many buildings lack even basic measures to guard against aggression. However, security is just as vital to the proper functioning of a property as its other daily operations. As building and property managers, it is critical that we make the effort to protect facilities against harm and prepare detailed criteria for responding to threats or attempted crimes.

This article is excerpted from BOMI International’s The Design, Operation, and Maintenance of Building Systems, Part II. The guide can be purchased by calling 1—800—235—2664, or by visiting www.bomi.org.