The Official RJWestmore Blog

A hot topic among property owners and managers is “going green.” But what does that phrase really mean? How can you achieve the goal of practicing energy-efficient standards to protect and improve the environment? And can you “go green” without breaking the bank?

As a proud member of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), we at RJWestmore are committed to sustainability. So we would like to offer a few explanations and suggestions for property managers and building owners to help sort through all of the hype.

• What does that phrase “going green” really mean?

The folks at Earth Care say “going green” means using various alternatives to help save energy and the environment. This is a very broad definition because the practice of energy conservation and environmental protection is evolving. At first, just the invention of a few crazy hippies in the 1970s, the environmental movement is now big business.

Consider a recent story in The New York Times, which compared government subsidies to the gold rush, since developers of large-scale clean-energy projects are encouraged to cash in on stimulus spending by adopting green practices. The article discussed a ranch in San Louis Obispo wherein one million solar panels will provide enough power for 100,000 homes, at a cost of $1.6 billion. But subsidies are not limited to large corporations. Even homeowners can benefit from tax incentives like rebates for solar window installation and energy efficient appliances.

• How can you achieve the goal of practicing energy-efficient standards to protect and improve the environment?

What would it take for the Average Joe to convert his own business and/or property to a facility that is energy efficient? Start small. Wherever you are on your sustainability journey, many options are available for improving performance. You needn’t hire a contractor to rip out all of your walls, ceilings and floors and replace the roof, lighting and parking structure all at once. Instead, find a sustainability consultant and ask what you can conservatively do to reduce your property’s carbon footprint.

• Is it possible to “go green” without breaking the bank?

The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. And so it goes with going green. Simple things like starting a recycling program or switching from plastic plates in the cafeteria to eco-friendly productswill effectively help save the planet. Many such actions and products are so simple and affordable; you’ll wonder why you didn’t use them all along.

Are you prepared to Go Green?

One of the best ways to get going in the right direction is to join existing groups that promote earth-friendly construction. The US Green Building Council is one such organization, which is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. The council’s community of leaders is working to make green buildings available to everyone within a generation through programs such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), which is redefining the way people think about the places where we live, work and learn.

An internationally recognized mark of excellence, LEED is a system which provides building owners and operators with a framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions. What’s more, the LEED system is set up to evaluate new construction, existing buildings including operations and maintenance, commercial interiors, cores and shells, schools, retail, healthcare, homes and neighborhood development. If you own or manage a facility that would benefit from a LEED-rating evaluation, contact the USGBC today.

When disaster strikes, prior planning and clear decisive action can help save lives. For the latest emergency management training for facility/building managers, contact RJ Westmore, Inc. Our new Version 2.5 e-based training system offers the best emergency training system with automated and integrated features. Visit RJWestmore.com for more information.

Tail-gating can pose a security risk. Are you prepared?

As the NFL football playoff season enters a fever pitch, you might consider hosting a tailgate party before heading into the stadium for the big game. But tailgating of an entirely different sort may be putting your property at risk. Even if the security team at your building has things well in hand with turnstiles, documented access, PIN numbers or visitor badges, the practice of quickly slipping in behind someone who has passed through screening is called tailgating and is a very common technique for breaching building security. Is your building at risk?

The threat might start out innocently enough—with an employee opening a door and thoughtfully holding it open for others, or security personnel naively trusting and allowing entry of uniformed workers who are carrying heavy packages. But these seemingly common courtesies could put your company in harm’s way. So the way to protect your property is to develop, adopt and stringently adhere to anti-tailgating strategies.

At RJWestmore, we have come up with some simple suggestions for preventing tailgaters, built on the acronym “STOP TAILGATERS.”

Security First—the first step to prevent unauthorized entry to your building is to proactively develop a comprehensive security plan for your property.

Tell your tenants and employees the risk of ignoring security protocols. If they understand the tailgating can expose your building to domestic violence, theft, sabotage, and terrorism, they might be more inclined to follow the rules.

Open your doors only to people who have valid IDs and associated PINS (where necessary), or stop to sign in as visitors.

People who are already allowed access to your building might also present security risks if admitted to every area of the property. Since not all threats are external, restrict access for subpopulations for high-security areas such as laboratories, pharmacies, operating or equipment rooms and computer centers. You may want also want to restrict and track access to valuable equipment, sensitive files, copy machines and areas containing toxic chemicals.

Tailgating not only affects safety but building management practices as well. If your HVAC or lighting system is tied to occupancy, an influx of unexpected bodies could affect energy-spend.

Allow flexibility in your plan. The security system that is right for you will depend on the specific entry points you wish to secure, location of the entrance, the reason for controlling access to it and the flexibility of your budget.

Inaccurate headcounts during emergencies can lead to occupants unknowingly being left behind or emergency personnel needlessly searching for people who were never on the premises. So make sure that the system you adopt keeps accurate counts.

Leave security to professionals. If you have a security system in place and believe that your building is important enough to protect, why would you allow unauthorized access to it? For a fail-safe system, hire a team of pros.

Guards might be worth the expense. While you might be inclined to cut personnel costs by eliminating security guards, you should consider a simple cost-benefit analysis to decide whether full-time security guards might be right for you. Guards can visually confirm badges match the people seeking to gain entry.

Anti-tailgating programs are most effective if they are multi-pronged. So consider adopting more than one strategy for keeping tailgaters at bay.

Timothy McVeigh was granted access to the Oklahoma City building he blew up long before he committed the crime. So, when it comes to granting access to unauthorized personnel, better safe than sorry.

Everyone in your building should be aware of the safekeeping culture. So consider holding safety seminars or providing materials that clearly communicate your security system.

Risks to building safety frequently result in crimes carried out by someone you didn’t even know was in your building. So make sure your security team understands their role as gatekeepers.

Smart cards house multiple credentials on one card. Consider issuing these to building tenants, employees and visitors to electronically track traffic.

Tailgating strategies are easy to retrofit and complement most existing security systems. So adopt those systems that will work best for you and then build a culture that encourages adherence to the plan. Even if you have the best security system on the market, your safety measures will fail if occupants don’t buy in.

When a disaster strikes, prior planning and clear decisive action can help save lives. For the latest emergency management training for facility/building managers, contact RJ Westmore, Inc. Our new Version 2.5 e-based training system offers the best emergency training system with automated and integrated features. Visit RJWestmore.com for more information.

In light of recent anti-vaccine rhetoric, it’s important to review the very positive role vaccinations have played in maintaining public health throughout the years. The community is always better served by the prevention of diseases instead of treatment, which can overwhelm the healthcare industry—particularly in case of epidemics.

There is a very long list of vaccines for a variety of debilitating diseases such as: cervical cancer, diphtheria, influenza, Lyme disease, pertussis, rabies, tuberculosis, and yellow fever—just to name a few. Likely the biggest vaccine triumph is the eradication of smallpox, a disease which once killed one out of every seven children in Europe.

In addition to savings lives and improving well-being, vaccines also save society money, as the cost of a single dosage is many times less than the time and resources required for treatment of the associated disease.

How do vaccines work?

• The human body is attacked by pathogens and produces antibodies every day.
• Antibodies become a sort of “memory cell” in the body to help ward off future attacks.
• Vaccines contain a weakened form of a disease that, when injected, does not produce the disease itself but encourages antibodies and subsequent memory cells.
• These memory cells can remain in the system for decades.

There is a long history of distrust of vaccines in the United States. In 1879, a gentleman named William Tebb created the Anti-Vaccination Society of America. Skeptics still remain, refusing childhood vaccinations for their children due to concerns about the risk of autism, ADHD and hyperactivity.

• Some individuals contend that vaccinations do not stop diseases at all, and that factors including better sanitation practices, reduced poverty, and better education work together to lower disease rates.
• Any link between vaccines and autism has been thoroughly discredited.

Let’s review two notable vaccines, one developed half a century ago, and another which is currently in the news:

The poliomyelitis viral disease, commonly known as polio, afflicted hundreds of thousands of people annually before the development of a vaccine:

• Scientist Jonas Salk created the safest and most effective polio vaccine in the 1950s, which instantly saved thousands of lives. Salk was hailed as a hero, as the country came to a standstill to celebrate the news.
• The polio vaccine is heralded as a major scientific achievement, an example of how hard work and diligence can conquer problems.

Gardasil is the brand name of a relatively new vaccine that prevents the human papillomavirus virus, (HPV), which can lead to cervical and other genital area cancers:

• According to the National Cancer Institute, nearly two thirds of cervical cancer deaths can be prevented through widespread adoption of the vaccine.
• Controversy surrounds some states and school districts which call for mandatory HPV vaccinations.

Looking towards the future, advances in medicine will likely reverse the likelihood of many diseases. Research into HIV and advanced smallpox vaccines, as well as DNA-based solutions, are an example of this type of treatment, which has generated significant interest.

Despite unproven claims about vaccines, booster shots play a vital role in limiting the spread of some of the most crippling diseases in the world. For more information about preventable diseases, vaccine schedules and the importance of following all recommended guidelines, visit the CDC’s site at www.CDC.Gov.

When a disaster strikes, prior planning and clear decisive action can help save lives. For the latest emergency management training for facility/building managers, contact RJ Westmore, Inc. Our new Version 2.5 e-based training system offers the best emergency training system with automated and integrated features. Visit RJWestmore.com for more information and remember to BE SAFE.

With wildfires, droughts, historic flooding and several other disasters, 2011 proved to be quite a year for emergency managers. To help with what is expected to be a turbulent 2012, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently announced the Resolve to be Ready in 2012 campaign. The purpose is to promote individual and business preparedness in the face of disasters.

FEMA is encouraging the private sector to be more self-sufficient in its management of disasters. After such a busy year as 2011, the reserves of FEMA and other organizations are sparse. The private sector can help itself by limiting losses incurred following disasters or by preventing damage altogether through proper planning and safeguards.

Many training materials and tips for improving readiness can be found through the site Ready.gov:

• Multi-language communication materials are available in several languages including Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, French, and Hindi, among others.
• Voluntary Private Sector Preparedness Accreditation and Certification Programs are intended to help organizations to follow proven standards for optimal safety. Followed standards come from three sources— the American Society for Industrial Security, the British Standards Institution, and the National Fire Protection Association.
• Voluntary certifications through Ready.gov are the result of a partnership between the Department of Homeland Security and the private sector and are designed to promote self-sufficiency and a decreased reliance on government aid.
• Disaster kit contents are detailed on the site, including the importance of following the rule of storing one gallon of water per person per day.
• Pledges can be taken at www.ready.gov/resolve, which certifies an individual or business entity is taking necessary steps to be ready to act during a disaster.
• Free materials including the publication Ready Business are available through the site.
• Business continuity plans that will allow companies to resume business operations quickly are fully explained on Ready.gov. Companies are encouraged to consider work-at-home arrangements, backup data storage, and other safeguards that will prevent delays in business.
• Disaster planning exercise training materials can be downloaded from the site and used to run real-world drills.

Business owners and facility managers are encouraged to offer readiness tips, including:

• Incorporate readiness information and products into any holiday parties. Perhaps you can provide a NOAA radio as a party gift.
• Need a theme for your party? While “disaster preparedness” might not sound too exciting, you could build a fun volcano or rent a fake snow machine to bring some lightness to the party while raising awareness.
• Perform fire drills during the holiday season to ensure tenants don’t forget about safety.
• Hang up various print and electronic banners available for free from Ready.Gov.

Resolving to be ready does not mean you have to live a constant state of paranoia or fear of disaster. It simply means implementing the right practices, products, or facilities that limit your building’s exposure to harm. Your tenants and their employees will have confidence in your safety features, which can prove invaluable in an emergency situation.

When a disaster strikes, prior planning and clear decisive action can help save lives. For the latest emergency management training for facility/building managers, contact RJ Westmore, Inc. Our new Version 2.5 e-based training system offers the best emergency training system with automated and integrated features. Visit RJWestmore.com for more information and remember to BE SAFE.

We are pleased to announce our new Fan Page on Facebook! The RJWestmore Training System Fan Page is intended as a meeting place for emergency management professionals to “virtually gather” to share information. Our goal is to facilitate engaging discussions about disaster preparedness, fire life safety and building management among Facebook users around the world.

We remain committed to continually advance our social media presence as a service to the community—to help business leaders, property owners and managers, first-responders, healthcare professionals and everyday folks prepare for and recover from disasters of all kinds. Serving commercial real estate companies for more than 20 years, we at RJWestmore Inc. offer a state-of-the-art Training System, which was recently upgraded to Version 2.5, to building managers and property owners throughout the country.

Our fully-integrated system allows property management companies to administer one site or an entire portfolio, with all users in the same system. Property Managers can train occupants, floor wardens, and fire safety directors, with all user-training and testing recorded. Subscribers also enjoy quick-access to building-specific Emergency Responder information and other resources. What’s more, the RJW Training System Our system automatically routes certifications and sends compliance reports to every tenant-subscriber.

Our fully-automated system features personalized certificates, which are instantly sent to users via email upon course completion. And annual reminders for each training-module are also automatically sent to each user along with quarterly employee-compliance reports, which are sent to every tenant.

An added benefit, the RJW Training System sends out automatic notifications to local fire departments. And higher-level users can automatically create real time Special Assistance and Floor Warden lists and get automatic notification of updates to Special Assistance, Floor Warden and Fire Safety Director lists. Automatic updates and maintenance make the system even easier to use.

Fans of our Facebook page will receive updates about our training system, further enhancing our innovative service. We also want to encourage clients to talk to each other, to share tips about best practices for emergency and disaster preparedness and recovery.

Highlights of our new Fan Page:

• Use it as a social media gateway to our corporate blog, RJ the Firedog blog, Twitter feed, and YouTube content.
• Take advantage of information available through daily posts which will detail the latest news and best practices in emergency management—covering a myriad of topics such as earthquake preparedness, indoor air quality, government agency news, fire safety, evacuation procedures, disease prevention and CDC warnings, cyber threats and many other related topics.
• Learn about industry events such as conferences for emergency management and first- responder professionals as well as security training summits.
• View engaging photos and videos relative to emergency management communications and training.

Like our Fan Page today to become a part of the best emergency preparedness group on the web. As our fan base grows, we hope the page will emerge as a central hub for networking and information-sharing for dedicated emergency management and building management professionals, property owners, building managers and safety personnel across the country.

When a disaster strikes, prior planning and clear decisive action can help save lives. For the latest emergency management training for facility/building managers, contact RJ Westmore, Inc. Our new Version 2.5 e-based training system offers the best emergency training system with automated and integrated features. Visit RJWestmore.com for more information and remember to BE SAFE.

As a building owner or property manager, are you prepared for holiday-related disasters?

As a building owner or manager, the holidays are a time to spruce up your building with decorations and host fun events. Of course, you will want your tenants to enjoy themselves at holiday get-togethers. However, you will also be wise to keep an eye on safety. Since we are committed to helping property managers and owners BE SAFE, we would like to devote this blog post to offering several key tips to help you manage holiday mail and deliveries, food, parties and decorations!

Mail and Deliveries:

• As the volume of parcels increases, it becomes more likely the mailroom staff might miss suspicious packages. Do a refresher course with these individuals regarding how to spot mail that looks out of place. For tips about what to tell employees, check out the resources available through the Department of Homeland Security.
• With more deliveries in and out of your building, your security staff could become lax in the enforcement of proper protocols. If all deliveries need to be screened at a central location, don’t make exceptions for people who are “just” bringing flowers or honey-baked hams. Terrorism or the actions of disgruntled individuals are always possible. So every situation demands vigilance.

Holiday Food:

• Practice good hygiene when handling any group lunches. Don’t allow employees to eat food such as lunch meats and cheese that has been sitting out for hours. Observe the two-hour rule and move food quickly to a refrigerator or throw it away. A tenant’s business could become crippled if half of the employees get food poisoning.
• If tenants are preparing food on site, be sure they follow safe food-handling rules such as avoiding cutting board cross-contamination and making sure they frequently wash their hands.
• Carefully inspect food-based deliveries such as chocolate-covered fruit or cakes. Be sure that packages arrive from reputable vendors and provide identification and that delivery personnel arrived in clearly marked vehicles.

Holiday Parties:

• If you are serving alcohol at your holiday party, be sure the amounts are strictly limited in order to prevent individuals from acting inappropriately or attempting to drive. Provide shuttle buses or cab drivers to ensure everyone arrives home safely and you and your tenants avoid potential legal problems.
• Be sure your party venue is coded to accommodate attendees and has clearly identified emergency exits. (This should be true not just for parties but at all times.)
• Consider giving safety-oriented gifts such as arm rests for heavy computer users or a quality flashlight for employees.

Decorations:

• Advise tenants who want to hang strings of lights to use a power strip and to keep warm lights away from paper sources. Extension cords must be completely taped to the ground to avoid tripping-related incidents. Forbid the use of candles or lanterns at all times.
• Turn off decorations at night.
• Decorations such as mistletoe and holly berries can be poisonous to pets or children. Encourage the use of man-made decorations in these cases, instead.
• Instruct tenants not to place large decorations in stairwells or on emergency exit signs. They should also make sure they leave sprinklers and smoke alarms uncovered, so as not to interfere with operation.
• Live Christmas trees need water so they don’t become dried out and pose fire hazards.

All of our safety tips are intended to increase holiday cheer! It’s important to embrace the holidays and let your tenants, visitors and employees have fun—as long every individual as well as your property remain intact.

When a disaster strikes, prior planning and clear decisive action can help save lives. For the latest emergency management training for facility/building managers, contact RJ Westmore, Inc. Our new Version 2.5 e-based training system offers the best emergency training system with automated and integrated features. Visit RJWestmore.com for more information and remember to BE SAFE.

As winter rolls around, your tenants can be confronted by icy storms and hectic snow-delayed commutes. Once they get into your building, you will want to be sure they have a safe and cozy environment that provides a respite from the snow and slush outside. We have some steps you can take to “winterize” the inside and outside of your building so you can handle the worst of this season’s weather.

Safety first! Your most important concern should be, of course, for tenants:

• Provide non-slip entry mats (some are even heated) in the lobby and other entry areas to prevent falls.
• Place boot scrubber bristles outside the building so individuals can clean off snow before entering. This will also help protect the floors inside of your building.
• Pour sand and salt on outside stairs and ramps. Also be sure handrails are in good working condition and are optimally positioned for safety.

Flooring is a considerable investment for the average office space. Whether it is carpet, wood, or tile, floors in high-traffic areas take a lot of abuse. If you mix in the winter trifecta of water, sand, and salt, then your floors can be quickly scratched and soiled. So what can you do?

• Vacuum regularly to remove sand and salt.
• Encourage tenants to offer shoe cubbies or other receptacles for boots. In really bad weather, you could even offer “slippers” which employees can change into once they enter the building.
• Be careful using de-icing products which contain pretty harsh chemicals, which can damage both flooring and surrounding exterior plants.

Protect the exterior of your building from the intrusion or rain or snow:

• Replace caulk around exterior windows. This material is very cheap, so you will only need to pay for labor to remove the old caulk and apply a new bead. Make sure you schedule this work during a two to three day stretch of good weather.
• Consider installing awnings above entryways to deflect rain and snow. This gives tenants and visitors an opportunity to remove excess mud and snow from their shoes.

Don’t neglect the one part of the building you typically never see – the roof!

• Be sure your building has the right pitch to discard record snowfalls. For flat roofs, you need plans in place to remove snow to prevent cave-ins.
• Buildings with roof water tanks need extra attention. The controls and piping for the water tank can quickly freeze if they aren’t insulated. Protect them with the proper coverings to ensure your tenants have access to water so they will be able to warm up with tea or coffee.

Checking the heating system is best done in the fall or late summer. But it’s better late than never to get it done in the early stages of winter:

• Review last year’s winter with employees and tenants to identify any floors or areas of the building that were markedly colder or more slippery than other areas. Another tactic for finding warm spots is to release a tabby into the workplace. They will find all the sunny spots. Work with HVAC techs to correct heating flow issues or any leaky ductwork problems.
• Change furnace filters for optimum performance.
• The pumps and motors of your heating system work hard to produce enough energy. Examine and oil these parts properly, especially before the first full-day’s usage.

Making your building safer during the winter is not only the right thing to do, but it can also limit your liability in the case anyone slips. Use handrails! You should also focus on the physical pieces of your building to ensure tenant comfort and to protect your investment.

When a disaster strikes, prior planning and clear decisive action can help save lives. For the latest emergency management training for facility/building managers, contact RJ Westmore, Inc. Our new Version 2.5 e-based training system offers the best emergency training system with automated and integrated features. Visit RJWestmore.com for more information and remember to BE SAFE.

The Emergency Alert System still has a few bugs.

When it comes to emergency management and disaster preparation, communication is king. On November 9^th, FEMA conducted a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS). In 1997, the EAS replaced the Emergency Broadcast System which had been in use since 1963. The current system uses the familiar signal-sound to alert viewers and listeners to impending emergency announcements and to enable localized hazardous weather alerts. But the EAS was developed in order to allow the President of the United States the ability to address the nation within minutes.

With about 15,000 radio and broadcast stations participating in the November 2011 national test, most reported a smooth testing procedure, but it was not without its hiccups. Improving the test is an ongoing goal of both the government and broadcast partners which requires the public and private sector working together for a worthwhile common goal of improved emergency communications.

Here are some of the glitches that occurred during the test:

• One North Dakota county reported that only 33 percent of the area stations broadcasted the test.
• Some DirectTV subscribers heard a different kind of piercing sound than everyone else—footage of Lady Gaga singing instead of the test alert.
• Some Time Warner Cable subscribers saw home-shopping wares in place of the emergency alert.
• Individuals using antennas for reception reported that they saw regular programming, or that the EAS image stayed on the screen long after the audible test was completed.

Despite these glitches, the federal agencies involved assured the public that they were conducting a working test, and that data would be gathered and evaluated in order to improve the system. They even sent out a release prior to the test to make it clear that they were not anticipating a 100-percent success rate. One of their reasons for anticipated glitches was because there are so many stations throughout the country, each one with specialized equipment necessary to successfully accept and transmit the test signal and associated emergency announcement.

A frequent criticism of the EAS is that it ignores new communication methods which most people rely on such as the Internet and mobile devices. The EAS was not sent via either of these channels. However, there is a new initiative called the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) which aims to integrate several alert methods and agencies in order to greatly enhance coverage.

Here are a few interesting facts about the new system:

• Intended as an umbrella system that integrates EAS, the National Warning System (phone-based alerts), NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards and the Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS).
• Created in response to criticisms about the government alerts for Hurricane Katrina and other similar disasters.
• Works with the major cell providers to allow the government to send text alerts regarding emergencies. Scheduled to be online in the spring of 2012, the messages from CMAS will have a unique signal and vibration so they will stand out from standard text messages.

Business owners should take a cue from the national warning system, planning in advance of emergencies and developing coordinated methods for communicating urgent messages to their teams. Companies should use multiple technologies including text message, email and available building intercom systems to ensure that occupants and staff members are aware of building-specific emergencies. What’s more, internal systems should be tested once they are implemented.

When a disaster strikes, prior planning and clear decisive action can help save lives.  For the latest emergency management training for facility/building managers, contact RJ Westmore, Inc. Our new Version 2.5 e-based training system offers the best emergency training system with automated and integrated features. Visit RJWestmore.com for more information and remember to BE SAFE.

Security experts such as Graham Alison, who is the funding dean of Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and an expert on nuclear proliferation, point to the comparative ease of acquiring bioterrorism materials as opposed to the technology required to actually make a nuclear device. This ease of accumulation makes it considerably more likely that nations will respond to bioterror-detonations or spread before a nuclear attack. And bioterror attacks have already occurred in this country, and continue to happen, with a recent Washington D.C. anthrax attack making the news.

A key tactic for preventing the widespread spread of bacterial weaponized agents is the production of vaccines. However, creating a new vaccine faces many hurdles. There are some successes and shortcomings for efforts to build and stockpile vaccines:

• Enough smallpox vaccine exists to inoculate every U.S. citizen.
  There is enough anthrax vaccine to cover three major metropolitan areas.
• The organization of Health and Human Services points to a severe lack of urgency with the United States Government’s efforts to stockpile vaccines and prepare for potential calamities.
• According to the New York Times, the cost for the pharmaceutical industry to produce a new vaccine averages about $1 billion. Vaccines are not typically money-makers for these companies, which often focus on drugs that require habitual usage—such as cholesterol treatment medications.

Another key component of managing the risk of bioterror is to protect buildings and personnel:

• HVAC systems pose a severe risk to their very function. They circulate and recycle air throughout buildings, making them the perfect vehicle for contamination.
• Companies can improve HVAC filtration, protect outdoor air intakes, and secure building blueprints that would show HVAC details.
• Buildings with tenants whose companies utilize industrial chemicals should ensure physical access to these chemicals is severely restricted.
• Restricting access of unannounced visitors and couriers is vital to providing some separation between the public and tenants.
• Establish a “safe haven” where employees can congregate after an attack is eminent.

How to prepare for the threat of bioterrorism

During the anthrax attacks of 2001, many postal and mailroom staff members were not able to recognize the risks of suspicious packages, even after opening the contents and discovering powders.

Handling suspicious packages requires several key steps:

• Identify unopened packages that might deserve extra scrutiny. Look for signs such as handwritten or badly written address information, excessive postage, markings such as “Confidential,” mismatched postmark/return address, or misspellings.
• A powdery substance, oily stains, or excessive packaging can be signs of potential bioterror substances in the package.
• Don’t open questionable packages! This advice seems rudimentary. But you should instruct tenants and mailroom staff that no package is worth injury.
• Handle the package gently, without shaking the contents.
• Do not smell the package.
• Keep the unopened package in a secure area that has adequate ventilation.
• If you come in contact with a suspicious package or substance, immediately wash your hands and possibly discard clothing if possible.
• Avoid touching your face when you are handling the package.
• After calling law enforcement, record as many details as possible about the package. Did you notice a new delivery driver, or an unusual shipping carrier? Any details can give law enforcement time to develop evidence.

In the event your building or staff members are involved in an attack, you should take certain steps to limit damage. Designated employees should call the local FBI office to report the incident and coordinate investigation efforts. Affected individuals should be quickly quarantined while they wait for medical personnel. It is important to provide first responders with as many details as possible so they can arrange HAZMAT or other protections.

The threat for bioterrorism is real. Through proper planning, and open communication with agencies such as the CDC and FBI, you can do your part to identify and prevent attacks from occurring.

When a disaster strikes, prior planning and clear decisive action can help save lives.  For the latest emergency management training for facility/building managers, contact RJ Westmore, Inc. Our new Version 2.0 e-based training system offers the best emergency training system with automated and integrated features. Visit RJWestmore.com for more information and remember to BE SAFE.

A growing number of women are filling emergency management positions.

Emergency management positions are traditionally male-dominated. Many war veterans and first responders such as firefighters traditionally filled many emergency management roles. So, since the majority of individuals in these positions were male, emergency management became a male-centered profession—one that is only recently adapting to new hiring practices.

Traditional barriers for women entering emergency management fields:

• Many agencies felt that on-the-ground first responders experience as police officers, firefighters, or EMTs was necessary for effective emergency services management.
• A “boy’s club” mentality existed, where the path to promotion and appointment to leadership-positions was largely directed by men who tended to hire other men.

Some relevant statistics on the changing landscape of security management:

• A 2006 survey from the Emergency Management Professional Organization for Women’s Enrichment (EMPOWER) showed only 10 percent of respondents possessed more than ten years of experience.
• Annual employee survey data from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shows gradual increases in the number of women working for the department, with percentages up to 37.5 in 2010, compared to 32 percent in 2007.
• EMPOWER also notes an increase in women’s involvement in the field following 9/11, which inspired many to join the ranks of emergency management after witnessing and respecting the heroic actions of first responders relative to the attacks. The events surrounding 9/11 prompted the creation of the DHS and raised awareness of the need for coordinated relief efforts and emergency management as rewarding and patriotic career paths.

Another factor that has contributed to the growth of women in emergency management is the fact that numerous professional organizations allow women across the country to share about best practices, and as mentors for others who are hoping to enter the field. Organizations such as the International Association of Women in Fire & Emergency Services offer networking, policy guidelines for fire departments and also a voice for women on policy-making initiatives. These types of organizations promote the capabilities of women in emergency management and are helping to further open professional doors that were previously closed. EMPOWER is another group that pushes mentoring and educational opportunities as ways for women to join the field.

Below are some expert tips for women who are looking to join emergency management:

• Volunteering early in your career is an ideal way to gain experience. You can learn how the organization operates, and the efforts involved in directing and motivating volunteer staff.
• Be open to new opportunities that might indirectly lead to positions in the field. Nobody will get an upper-level emergency management job right out of college. Consider working for a police department or taking a temporary disaster relief job to get your foot in the door.
• Focus on an area of special interest. For example, your medical background would translate well to public health emergency agencies. Or your work in public relations might parlay to emergency management communication positions. So keep your eyes open for opportunities.

Diversity in hiring is always a good thing. The particular community covered by an emergency management agency is best served by the most qualified leader—regardless of gender.

When a disaster strikes, prior planning and clear decisive action can help save lives.  For the latest emergency management training for facility/building managers, contact RJ Westmore, Inc. Our new Version 2.0 e-based training system offers the best emergency training system with automated and integrated features. Visit RJWestmore.com for more information and remember to BE SAFE.