RETA Security, Inc. - Experts & Thought Leaders

ASIS International, the world's largest association for security management professionals, today unveiled the workplace violence focused education sessions that will be featured during its 63rd ASIS International Annual Seminar and Exhibits (ASIS 2017), Sept. 25-28 in Dallas, Texas. With the U.S. Department of Labor reporting that nearly two million American workers report being victims of workplace violence—and that is just in the United States—the ability to identify, prepare for, and respond to the risk of violent incidents is paramount. ASIS 2017 has developed a program to provide best practices and education for organizations small and large. Risk of workplace violence "To demonstrate the serious and escalating nature of workplace violence, an FBI review of active shooter events between 2000 and 2013 found that over 70 percent of these incidents occur in the workplace or in an educational environment," said Eugene Ferraro, CPP, PCI, CEO, ForensicPathways, Inc. and chair of the ASIS Active Assailant: Prevention, Intervention, and Response standard initiative. "ASIS is taking a leading role in developing industry standards to address security design considerations, security protocols and response strategies, as well as the procedures for detecting, assessing, managing, and neutralising assailants. The sessions at ASIS 2017 will help any size organisation analyse its current risk positioning, and establish or enhance their workplace violence response plans." "ASIS is taking a leading role in developing industry standards to address security design considerations, security protocols and response strategies" Preparing for workplace violence A selection of the ASIS 2017 sessions open to the media that focus on helping businesses, schools, and community centers prepare for workplace violence incidents include: Corporate Security Can Prevent Domestic Violence Attacks, presented by Lynn Fairweather, President, Presage Consulting and Training, LLC Defusing Hostile People, presented by Bruce Blythe, Chairman/Crisis Management Consultant, R3 Continuum Emergency Response by Retailers in Active Shooter Incidents, presented by Alan Greggo, CPP, Regional Asset Protection Manager, Microsoft Corporation Strategies for Violent Predator Mitigation, Parts 1 and 2, presented by W. Douglas Fitzgerald, CPP, President and CEO, Fitzgerald Technology Group; Kathleen Kiernan, CEO, Kiernan Group Holdings; Michael Rehfeld, Vice President, Realistic Training Solutions, LLC; and Joseph Robinson, CPP, Senior Vice President, Fitzgerald Technology Group Workplace Bullying: Time to Grab the Problem By the Horns, presented by George Vergolias, Associate Medical Director, R3 Continuum; and Oscar Villanueva, Chief Operating Officer, TAL Global Applying Behavioral Analysis to Soft Targets, Parts 1 and 2, presented by William Martin, Principal Consultant and Trainer, Advanced Security Protection Conducting a Safe Employee Termination, presented by Jeffrey Sweetin, CPP, Executive Vice President of Operations, Athos Group Dealing with active shooter incidents Additionally, ASIS 2017 is offering a special programme on Wednesday as part of its Security Cares initiative focused on active shooter/assailant response featuring Dallas Sheriff Lupe Valdez. The first panel will cover the unique risks facing small/medium-sized businesses and community and cultural institutions and steps these organisations can take now to both prepare for, and respond to, an active shooter/assailant incident. Insights will spotlight the importance of a crisis management plan and the various free resources available through local law enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The full panel lineup of speakers includes: "ASIS is committed to helping organisations of all sizes provide safe work environments for employees and the public at large" Kevin Doss, CPP, PSP, author Active Shooter: Preparing for and Responding to a Global Threat Michael Dailey, Chief, Outreach Programs Branch, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Infrastructure Protection, Region VI Paula Ratliff, author Crime Prevention for Houses of Worship Paul Timm, PSP, author School Security: How to Build and Strengthen a School Safety Program and president, RETA Security Sheriff Lupe Valdez, Dallas County Sheriff's Department Prevention and emergency response plans Wednesday's second session, "Preventing Violence: Developing and Testing Your Readiness Plans," focuses on having effective prevention and emergency response plans in place and includes peer-to-peer collaboration in an immersive, simulated scenario focused on testing protocols to surface vulnerabilities. "ASIS is committed to helping organisations of all sizes provide safe work environments for employees and the public at large," said Peter J. O'Neil, Executive Vice President and CEO of ASIS International. "The breadth and depth of our program this year to address this issue is second to none. Our educational lineup combined with leading solution vendors on the show floor will give business, human resources, and community leaders the information and tools they need to educate and protect their workforce."

OnCampus brings together educators, administrators, and thought leaders to address the state of security on campuses The upcoming OnCampus Educational Seminar in Chicago is pleased to announce that Jeff Bean, Senior Consultant at RETA Security and Founder of Act on Bullying, Inc., will be the event’s featured speaker, and will talk about how administrators can address today’s most complex school security challenges, mitigate risk and assess a school’s security posture. Specialised in school safety Bean has more than 17 years of law enforcement experience with a police department in the suburbs of Chicago. Over the course of his career, he has specialised in school safety. He is currently assigned as the primary Liaison Officer for a school district of more than 2,500 students, and is the Resource Officer at the junior high school. Bean is also the Founder and President of Act on Bullying, Inc. Established in 2012, Act on Bullying focuses on mitigating the effects of bullying, cyber-bullying and improving school safety. In this capacity, he has presented at several state-wide conferences sponsored by the Illinois Principal’s Association, the Illinois Association of School Social Workers and the Illinois Parent Teacher Association. Safety and security on educational campuses OnCampus is a campaign dedicated to the ongoing discussion of the state of safety and security in the education market. OnCampus brings together educators, administrators, and thought leaders to address the state of security on campuses and how to address concerns related to the threats that schools face. Laura Stepanek, Editor and Associate Publisher of SDM Magazine will moderate the discussion. Additional speakers include Jumbi Edulbehram, Regional President, Americas, for Oncam, and Brandon Reich, Senior Director of Surveillance Solutions, Pivot3. Save

The ASIS event will bring together local businesses, schools, hospitals & community leaders to discuss security preparedness ASIS International (ASIS), the world’s largest association for security management professionals, announced the launch of Security Week, a series of community preparedness and educational events that will be held in conjunction with the organisation’s 62nd Annual Seminar and Exhibits (ASIS 2016). Nearly 20,000 security professionals from across the globe are expected to attend ASIS 2016, which is being held Sept. 12-15, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. Response to attacks Security Week, supported by the Department of Homeland Security Office of Infrastructure Protection, was developed in response to the violent attacks being carried out where citizens work, play and assemble around the world. It is designed to educate small business owners, community leaders and other organisations that have not considered themselves targets about the importance of security and preparedness in today’s evolving threat environment. The initiative will be a valuable component of the annual ASIS seminar moving forward, providing host communities with expertise on emergency planning, safety, and security. "DHS recognises that communities are the first line of defence when it comes to keeping the public safe and secure. Security Week aligns with our work to ensure the security and resilience of our critical infrastructure and our way of life,” said Caitlin Durkovich, DHS, Assistant Secretary for Infrastructure Protection. "Recent events across the world illustrate the need to protect against these threats and mitigate the consequences. ASIS is taking a significant step in helping educate communities on possible threats and ways that organisations can takes steps to better prepare for emergencies. We are pleased to be a part of this discussion.” "ASIS is taking a significant stepin helping educate communitieson possible threats and ways thatorganisations can takes steps tobetter prepare for emergencies" “Security Week was created to help prevent the violent attacks being carried out in places where people seek to go about their lives in a peaceful manner,” said Peter O’Neil, CEO, ASIS International. “ASIS International brings together thousands of security management leaders and experts, and now we look to extend this expertise to our seminar host cities to ensure these communities are stronger and more resilient.” Preparedness and prevention community seminar Security Week kicks off with a free Preparedness and Prevention Seminar at 2 p.m., on Sunday, September 11, 2016, at the Hyatt Regency Orlando. Local businesses and institutions, including houses of worship, hospitals, schools, retailers and restaurants, community leaders, law enforcement and first responders are invited to learn how to build preparedness plans, harden soft targets, and work with law enforcement and first responders. Kevin Doss, CPP, PSP, CEO of Level 4 Security, and author of Active Shooter: Preparing for and Responding to a Growing Threat, will moderate the event, which will feature speakers discussing the fundamentals of proper safety planning and risk assessment. Doss has more than 26 years of experience providing protective services in high-risk environments and currently serves as a consultant with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Naval Special Warfare Development Group, and other state and federal agencies. He is a subject matter expert on active shooters and workplace violence. Dr. Jennifer Hesterman, author of Soft Target Hardening: Protecting People From Attack, will outline strategies for addressing preparedness. Hesterman is a retired Colonel in the U.S. Air Force and is one of the few analysts specialising in the terror-crime nexus. She designs courses for federal law enforcement and security organisations, and is a senior fellow at the Center for Cyber and Homeland Security at George Washington University. "Security Week creates a holistic approach to community actionand preparedness, and will leave our host seminar communities,as safer, more prepared environments"             “Today’s threat landscape is constantly changing, and cities face risks to the safety and security of citizens every day,” Dr. Hesterman said. “Security Week aims to provide businesses and communities with a high-level view of the tools needed to prepare for possible threats, identify risks and think critically about ways to protect the public. I commend ASIS for their drive to create this initiative, and I am excited to offer insight into these efforts.” Paul Timm, PSP, President of RETA Security, and author of School Security: How to Build and Strengthen a School Safety Program, will provide insight on challenges facing educational institutions and community organisations. A nationally recognised school security expert, Timm has more than 17 years of security consulting experience and has received the Regional Certification Award from ASIS International four times. Additional activities Attendees on Sunday will receive passes to attend free educational seminars presented in the exhibit hall, September 12-14, during the Annual Seminar. Topics include active shooter response, fundamentals of a risk assessment, protecting soft targets and security guard service standards. On Wednesday, September 14, law enforcement, first responders and military personnel are invited to experience the full scope of the annual seminar at no cost. The comprehensive line-up of education programmes, demonstrations, and events enables individuals to learn about future opportunities in private industry, educate themselves on enterprise security and cyber best practices, and hear lessons learned from seasoned professionals. Security Week wraps up on Thursday with recognition of the winner of the 2016 ASIS Foundation School Security Funding Competition. This year’s honouree, Lake Brantley High School, received a $20,000 donation for security upgrades. There will be a media event at the school on Sept. 9, 2016, and the principal will be recognised at the ASIS 2016 closing lunch on September 15. “Everyone deserves a safe place to work, live and play," said David C. Davis, CPP, President, ASIS International. "Security Week creates a holistic approach to community action and preparedness, and will leave our host seminar communities, as safer, more prepared environments."

Security isn’t easy for schools and universities. As education institutions increasingly become vulnerable targets for threats and attacks, they face the security challenges of maintaining a welcoming and open environment while ensuring the comprehensive safety of the students, teachers and staff. The balance between providing high levels of security with a certain level of convenience becomes crucial, especially when considering the large audience schools work with – the staff, administrators, students, parents and other organisations that utilise the facilities. In addition, schools are budget-conscious and must use their resources wisely. School administrators are often contacted repeatedly by organisations with multiple safety and security products The Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS) is one of the organisations at the forefront of establishing security standards for schools. In 2014, the Security Industry Association (SIA) and the National Systems Contractors Association (NSCA) formed PASS, which brought together a cross functional group of members including school officials, safe schools’ consultants, law enforcement and security industry experts to collaborate and develop a coordinated approach to protecting K-12 students and staff. School administrators are often contacted repeatedly by organisations with multiple safety and security products. PASS has provided valuable insights regarding an ‘All Hazards’ approach to school safety and security. Data capture form to appear here! Ensuring procedures evolve There is no guarantee that what works to increase safety and security today will also work tomorrow. Because potential threats to safety and security can and do change, it is important that whatever policies, procedures and technology a school implements today can also evolve to address those changes well into the future. It is also important that schools take into account the need to distinguish among a wide variety of possible situations to ensure the appropriate people are notified and correct procedures followed. For example, the response to an active shooter situation is going to be very different from the response to a fight that occurs in a hallway. When it comes to protecting the entry, a video intercom, mounted just outside the main door, is a key component allowing two-way voice-and-video identification with visitors Two top priorities for school security are the ability to communicate within a facility, and the ability to control access of who comes and goes. Paul Timm, vice president of Facility Engineering Associates, an independent school security consulting firm, acknowledges the value (and popularity) of video cameras for school security, but says that value is almost completely realised in terms of forensics – reacting after an incident rather than during or before. A second priority for school security is controlling access to the building Communications, specifically mass notification systems, are an important tool for school security, says Timm. Mass notification must be able to provide emergency information to people in the gymnasium, or on a field trip. A second priority for school security is controlling access to the building. When it comes to protecting the entry, a video intercom, mounted just outside the main door, is a key component allowing two-way voice-and-video identification with visitors. But a video intercom works best in conjunction with other complementary products including remote-controlled locks that allow staff to admit visitors while safely sitting behind locked doors. The object of any solution is to eliminate or delay entry of an assailant long enough for police to respond and for school administrators to communicate with teachers and campus staff so they can lock down their classrooms or evacuate, depending on the situation.

College campuses often operate like small communities – or even like large communities depending on enrolment. Although each college and university campus is unique, there are commonalities such as a young and vulnerable population of students, many living away from their parents for the first time. Campuses can be urban or rural, geographically dispersed or densely populated, with a variety of demographics and “wild card” elements such as partying, drugs and alcohol. Campus police and security officers face a variety of challenging environments. Is it wise to add firearms to the mix? Is it necessary for campus police to be armed? Specifically, we asked this week’s Expert Panel: In what situations should college or university campus police be armed?

Violence in our schools and colleges often makes headlines, suggesting a growing and scary trend. A consequence of high-profile school shootings and other reports of violence is to increase awareness of the need to ensure safety and security of students, faculty and staff. The events have prompted more than one educational institution to take a second look at their security policies and infrastructure, with an eye toward improvement. But to what effect? Has greater awareness of violence in educational institutions actually led to more security? We asked this week’s Expert Panel: Are schools and universities safer today than ever before? How is technology contributing to keeping educational institutions safe?