Blog

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.

Lately, it has become unsettlingly common to wake up to stories of mass shootings, regular civil disobedience, violent robberies, and our nation’s ongoing opioid epidemic. 

In Colorado, we have been shielded from some of these national issues for many years. However, as our population continues to grow by leaps and bounds, these problems are hitting home much more often. According to an article from the Denver Post, our statewide population exceeded 5.6 million people in 2017—ranking Colorado on the top 10 list of fastest growing states.

The first cellphone was developed in 1973 by Motorola Researcher, Martin Cooper. Heavy and clunky, that first device was a far cry from the sleek, versatile mobile phones of today. Since Cooper’s invention, companies have competed to produce more portable technology and offer better connectivity. And they have largely succeeded.

Whether regional or national, business leaders face the impact of globalization. In today’s world, it is not a question of if a crisis will affect an enterprise, but when. Events, such as a terror attack, data breach, pandemic or travel ban, that happen on the other side of the world can affect business resilience and valuation just as much as those down the street or on premise. 

Now that the holiday excitement has finally settled, it’s time to decide how to truly improve yourself in 2018. You may still have that flyer from your local fitness club and are strongly considering spending time in a cycling class or on the pull-up bar. To some, physical fitness and appearance are main priorities. For rising security leaders, I would like to put a different flyer in your hand—one that touts developing yourself professionally.