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Each year, government organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), nonprofit agencies, such as the American Red Cross and private enterprise, including Allied Universal, mark September as the official month to observe national emergency preparedness.

Security officers act as community ambassadors where they assume customer service roles. They are also first responders in emergencies, act as a liaison with local law enforcement, lead safety efforts, escort patients in hospitals, raise personal security awareness with students, and check in on residents in gated communities.

Did you know that a fire is responded to every 19 seconds? And that it’s one of the most common and most destructive emergencies affecting safety? Moreover, a wildfire or structure fire can ignite with something as small as a lit cigarette butt or electrical spark.

Last month, a gunman stormed the main offices of The Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland, killing five employees. In the hours that followed, local authorities disclosed the attacker had a long-standing grudge against the community newspaper, having posted about The Gazette in approximately 149 out of his 876 tweets. The gunman also posted a threatening tweet just days before carrying out the shooting.

It began with a vision of becoming phenomenal. This week with the announcement that Allied Universal has agreed to acquire U.S. Security Associates (USSA), the foundation has been laid to realize that goal. 

When working with high profile or high net worth clients, executive protection professionals must accept that the media simply come with the territory.  A clear understanding of how the media operate to access the principal is key to ensuring the principal’s well-being and privacy.

According to AAA, nearly 37 million Americans (88 percent of travelers), will drive to their destinations this summer—which represents an increase of 4.7 percent over 2017. Another three million will take to the skies, increasing air travel by 6.8 percent over last summer. Other modes of transportation will include cruises, trains and buses, which will be used by nearly two million travelers.

Clients have different needs, and not all clients are asking for the same solutions when it comes to handling global security operation centers (GSOCs). Some are opening GSOCs for the first time and want to start in the best possible way. Others have been running GSOCs for years but express a distinct lack of enthusiasm for the way their GSOCs perform.

From welcoming guests with a warm friendly smile to giving directions to the nearest ATM to recommending the best local restaurant, the role that security personnel play in a building has changed dramatically over the past few years and is still evolving.

Hospitals and other healthcare facilities can be scary places to work—if the right precautions and measures aren’t put into place for safety of staff, visitors and patients. Violence against healthcare workers tops the list.