Life Safety Alliance - Experts & Thought Leaders

The Life Safety Alliance (LSA), an organisation committed to improving global life safety and security through best practices, networking, and collaborations, announces the launch of the Executive Women’s Leadership Council (EWLC). This strategic initiative is designed to elevate senior women leaders and transform individual excellence into collective industry advancement across the global security and life safety ecosystem. The Life Safety Alliance is a not-for-profit organisation open to all members of the security and life safety community. Cross-organisational collaboration LSA’s EWLC will bring together senior women leaders with decades of experience at the intersection of business strategy, operational leadership, and security expertise. Through structured mentorship, cross-organisational collaboration, and shared research, the Council is designed to create lasting, systemic change for women at every stage of their careers in security and life safety. “The Executive Women’s Leadership Council exists because experience is the industry’s most underutilised asset,” said Kasia Hanson, VP of Strategic Partnerships at Alcatraz, and Chair of the Executive Women’s Leadership Council. High-performing organisations “We have extraordinary women in this industry who have spent decades solving hard problems and building high-performing organisations. This Council creates the structure to turn that wisdom into a force multiplier for the women coming up behind us, for the organisations we serve, and for the profession as a whole.” The Council will operate across three core pillars: Untapped Wisdom, capturing decades of lived experience in business leadership and security operations; Organised Collaboration, partnering with associations, academic institutions, and research bodies to centralise training and best practices; and Industry Advancement, driving systemic progress through shared insights, advocacy, and innovation that blends business strategy with security resilience. Strengthening organisational performance Key focus areas for the Council include mentorship excellence, technology innovation, talent pipeline development, and industry elevation — each designed to strengthen organisational performance while advancing the careers of women across the profession. “The launch of the Executive Women’s Leadership Council is a natural extension of LSA’s mission,” said Becky Lane, Acting CEO of the Life Safety Alliance. “Women have always been central to advancing this industry as innovators, as operators, and as leaders. The EWLC gives us a dedicated platform to ensure that contribution is recognised, amplified, and built upon. This is exactly the kind of initiative that moves the profession forward.” Senior leaders in the security and life safety industry interested in joining the Executive Women’s Leadership Council are encouraged to visit lifesafetyalliance.org for membership information.

The Life Safety Alliance (LSA), an organisation committed to improving global life safety and security through best practices, networking, and collaborations, announced the inaugural class of the Life Safety Alliance Legends Program, formally establishing the highest level of recognition within the global security and life safety profession. The Life Safety Alliance is a not-for-profit organisation open to all members of the security and life safety community.  Acknowledging contributions The Legends Program was created to define, preserve, and uphold the profession’s most enduring contributions. It acknowledges individuals whose contributions have significantly benefited their organisations or fields. These leaders helped shape the modern practice of security, safety, and risk across sectors and generations.  “From the outset, we wanted this program to reflect the full breadth of our profession,” said Michael Gips, CPP, CSyP, Life Safety Alliance president and co-chair of the Legends committee. “We evaluated dozens of nominees across physical and cybersecurity, life safety, intelligence, loss prevention, resilience, governance, investigations, and so on. Our goal is to recognise those whose influence transcended any single role or sector.”  Selection of the nominees The selection of the inaugural class was thorough and carefully considered. Nominees were assessed using a structured process based on professional judgment, historical importance, and long-lasting, influential contributions to the field. From an exceptionally accomplished pool spanning disciplines, sectors, and geographies, only a select group met the threshold required for elevation to Legends status.  Measure of Legend “We set out to establish the measure of a Legend, which is an order of magnitude above the top, the best, or even the most popular,” said Jonathan Perillo, Co-Chair of the Legends Committee. “Legends are the few who turn the tide of theory or practice, whose stories are carried through generations, and whose efforts are frequently invoked to inspire greatness. To capture this, we abandoned traditional measures and instead collected what truly resonates as a Legend. I’m delighted to announce that we were successful in this pursuit across all fields of the security spectrum, and we are thrilled to announce our inaugural class of Legends.”  The Life Safety Alliance is honored to announce the Inaugural Life Safety Alliance Legends, listed alphabetically by last name:  Marene Allison, a barrier-breaking security executive and among the first women to graduate from West Point, she pioneered the integration of physical and cybersecurity leadership at Fortune 500 corporations, setting the model for converged security functions.  Steve Bellovin, an Internet security pioneer who co-invented encrypted key exchange, password-authenticated key agreement methods, and coauthored the seminal Firewalls & Internet Security: Repelling the Wily Hacker, helping define the technical foundations of modern network defense.  Jason Brown, a transformative corporate security leader who advanced enterprise-wide security strategy, operational resilience, and executive engagement across global organisations.  Russell J. Cancilla, a distinguished security executive and educator who elevated the professional stature of corporate security through leadership development, industry service, and standards advancement.  Tim Crowe, a criminologist instrumental in the development and global adoption of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), reshaping how the built environment reduces crime and enhances public safety.  Sandi Davies, a driving force behind the professionalisation of frontline security, she expanded education, certification, and global engagement through her leadership of the International Foundation for Protection Officers.  Whitfield Diffie, a co-creator of public-key cryptography, whose groundbreaking work on asymmetric encryption and secure key exchange fundamentally transformed global communications security and enabled modern digital commerce.  Eduard Emde, a longtime international security leader and standards advocate who strengthened global collaboration, certification frameworks, and professional governance within ASIS International and across the worldwide security community.  Larry Fennelly, a prolific author and educator in physical security and CPTED whose publications and instruction shaped generations of practitioners and embedded environmental design principles into mainstream security practice.  Martin Gill, a criminologist, researcher, academic, and longtime editor of Security Journal who elevated evidence-based scholarship and helped bridge research and real-world security practice.  Godfried Hendriks, a global security strategist and certification champion who advanced international professional standards and strengthened cross-border collaboration within the security field.  Sandra Jones, a respected public- and private-sector security leader who advanced professional standards, mentorship, and the development of diverse leadership talent within the industry.  Bonnie Michelman, a pioneering healthcare security executive who elevated hospital and campus safety into a strategic discipline and championed collaboration between public safety and private security.  Ray O’Hara, one of the principal architects of Enterprise Security Risk Management (ESRM) and an ASIS President, he helped align security strategy with organisational objectives while advancing global standards and certification.  Don W. Walker, an ASIS President and cofounder of the CSO Center who played a pivotal role in aligning corporate security with business leadership, strengthening executive skillsets, and advancing professional standards and certification.  Collectively, these Legends represent the architects, stewards, and standard-bearers of modern security and life-safety practice. Their influence spans physical security, cybersecurity, risk management, governance, research, education, intelligence, and professional standards development.  Future of the programme The inaugural class also lays the foundation for the program’s future. Designed as an enduring institution rather than a one-time recognition, the Legends Programme will continue to identify individuals whose careers demonstrate the same level of transformative and sustained impact.  “This first class establishes the standard,” Gips added. “In the years ahead, the program will continue to recognise those whose work has shaped, and will continue to shape, how our profession protects people, information, organisations, and communities.”

A new report jointly issued by the Rutgers University Miller Center on Policing and Community Resilience, the Global Consortium of Law Enforcement Training Executives (GCLETE), and the Life Safety Alliance (LSA) addresses rising concerns from civil liberties groups over the use of drones by law enforcement. The comprehensive white paper presents evidence that unmanned aerial systems (UAS)—commonly referred to as drones—are saving lives, improving officer safety, and increasing police efficiency at a time when departments nationwide face severe staffing shortages. Severe staffing shortages However, the report’s authors conclude that such fears are largely speculative or anecdotal The report responds directly to recent claims by organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which has warned that police drone programs may usher in an era of mass aerial surveillance. However, the report’s authors conclude that such fears are largely speculative or anecdotal. “Civil liberties are a precious cornerstone of democratic societies,” said Michael Gips, co-author and President of the Life Safety Alliance. “We need to respect and preserve them. But our analysis shows that drones are being used responsibly and transparently, with policies and oversight already in place in many jurisdictions.” Law enforcement drone The 32-page report: Cites dozens of examples of drones aiding search-and-rescue, criminal apprehension, and public safety. Highlights a 150% increase in law enforcement drone use since 2018, driven by proven effectiveness. Details model policies, such as the “Five Cs” framework by DRONERESPONDERS, which emphasize privacy, transparency, accountability, and community engagement. Explores case law demonstrating that the U.S. legal system effectively balances competing interests in law enforcement drone use. Presents a sample department policy ensuring strict compliance with FAA regulations, data retention rules, and privacy safeguards. Documents the most significant relevant literature on law enforcement drone use. Outweigh theoretical risks Paul Goldenberg, Chief Advisor to the Miller Center and former DHS Senior Advisor, added: “Now is the time to inform—not inflame—the public about how drones can serve communities while upholding civil rights. This report does just that.” The authors argue against halting Drone as First Responder (DFR) programs, as recommended by the ACLU, stating that the benefits of drone deployment far outweigh theoretical risks. In fact, the report cites hundreds of successful missions, including the rescue of missing persons, apprehension of violent offenders, and disaster response. “Let’s not use fear to undermine a tool that protects our communities,” said Dr. David Grantham, national security expert and co-author. “We need thoughtful policy, not paralysis.”