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Security officers, who strive to help maintain safe and secure workplaces, schools, shopping malls and communities, deserve heartfelt appreciation. Hard-working, highly trained men and women, security officers are counted among our country’s first responders. These individuals deter crime, lead evacuations, provide information, work closely with local law enforcement and are constantly vigilant in their efforts to keep us safe. 

Hollywood, the media, and elected officials have all combined to bring light to horrific crimes associated with human trafficking. More people are aware of sex trafficking than the issues of forced labor and domestic servitude, all of which are elements of human trafficking.

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.

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. 

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.

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. 

In the classic Game of Life board game, one of a player’s earliest decisions, after deciding the color of her free car with room for six, is to decide whether to go to college, or to take a job and begin a vocation right after high school. Valid arguments for each pathway exist, but whether you have chosen the trade or college route, you still have to decide on a career that will fulfill your dreams.

People who live or work in high-rise residential or commercial buildings face very specific disaster-preparedness challenges. Emergencies such as fires, bomb scares, weather-related incidents and earthquakes present special dangers for such buildings as dormitories, apartment homes, condominiums and office complexes.