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Back to Facility Manager
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Why Should Facility Managers Participate In The DHS Vulnerability Self Assesment Program? By Turner D. Madden, Esquire Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the federal government spent millions of dollars to develop an on-line vulnerability selfassessment program for commercial airports across the nation so that the airports could determine their level of attractiveness as a target and susceptibility to attack. This same computer module was then applied to the maritime industry, which is heavily regulated by the federal government. During several meetings with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) last winter, IAAM became aware of the program. A critical step in establishing a solid infrastructure protection program for the public assembly facility industry is to have a consistently high level of security practices in facilities across the country, regardless of the size or type of building or the type of event. Therefore, IAAM requested DHS to use the same computer module using the International Association of Assembly Managers’ “Best Practices for Safety and Security” to develop a program for the public assembly facility industry. This joint effort by DHS and the IAAM Life Safety Council was designed to encourage facilities to voluntarily operate under the highest standards of safety and security, be prepared to detect and deter terrorism but also to prevent and respond to other safety risks such as natural disasters and crowd disturbances. The primary focus of the DHS Online Vulnerability Self-Assessment (Self- Assessment Tool) is to prevent, deter and mitigate the effects of terrorism. The Self-Assessment Tool establishes an extensive security baseline that assists facility managers in creating a comprehensive security plan. Because DHS incorporated IAAM’s “Best Practices for Safety and Security” with many of its own protective security measures into the Self-Assessment Tool, the quality and quantity of the Self- Assessment Tool is enhanced and specifically tailored for public assembly facilities. The Self-Assessment Tool provides facility managers with information to identify, prioritize and coordinate protection efforts with local, state and federal officials. The Self-Assessment Tool process is even designed as a security training measure divided into seven categories so that facility managers may collectively review the relative strengths, weaknesses and vulnerabilities to terrorism and then creates priorities for improvement of the plan. The Vulnerability Self-Assessment Tool evaluates your current security plan through seven broad categories:
In general, the tool focuses on the prevention and the mitigation of a base array of threat scenarios developed for each mode within the assembly industry. Managers will be required to rate their facility in terms of target attractiveness (from a terrorist’s perspective) and several consequence categories that broadly describe health and well-being, economic consequence and symbolic value of the facility. Managers will also be requested to first list the entity’s baseline security countermeasures that apply for each of the threat scenarios and then rate the effectiveness of the countermeasures in detecting and preventing the terrorist’s actions against each of the provided threat scenarios. Even the countermeasures are divided into seven, broad countermeasure groupings that represent different security layers that can be implemented against the various threat scenarios. Descriptive guidance for the effectiveness rating is provided for each of the countermeasure categories. The performance-based effectiveness ratings range from very high to very low, and describe the facility’s ability to thwart the threat. After the tool is applied across each of the provided threat scenarios against baseline countermeasures, managers will be requested to apply the tool two additional times to assess the impact of adding new countermeasures or enhancing existing countermeasures. The first additional assessment assumes a general increase in the national threat level. The second assessment assumes that the entity is known to be a specific terrorist target. Additional or enhanced security countermeasures should be included in the entity’s security plan along with estimated resource requirements and a timeframe for implementation. After the online Self-Assessment Tool is completed by the facility, DHS measures the effectiveness of the security plan and provides a confidential report to the facility. There are several more advantages and benefits to this flexible DHS program. This tool allows you to complete it at your own pace. While the scope of the project covers numerous security and communication matters, if the project is broken down into weekly security meetings, your management team, including local first responders if you include them, may report back in a manageable and organized manner. You may print a complete copy of the tool and fill it out as your team addresses specific facility issues. The completion and use of the tool should also assist your facility with the reduction of risks associated with fire, theft, employee and patron accidents and general liability considerations not associated with terrorism. The information that you submit to DHS and the corresponding DHS report to you is completely confidential. The security information will not be made available in any form to anyone outside DHS other than the facility manager. Information that managers input into the tool becomes part of a vulnerability assessment, which constitutes Sensitive Security Information (SSI) under TSA regulations. When the tool is completed, it may even be used as objective criteria in your negotiations to reduce insurance premiums. In addition, if you choose to apply for state grant funding through your state’s Department of Homeland Security office to augment your security program, sections of the report may be used for justification. This program relies on your voluntary cooperation as a facility manager and IAAM member. In closing, this program is currently available to public assembly facilities located in the United States. We are in discussions with DHS to make this program available to international members of IAAM. For more information see the IAAM Member Bulletin on the DHS Self-Assessment Tool. The stadium assessment tool was the first tool developed because of the large seating capacity. Soon to follow will be a Vulnerability Self-Assessment Tool for arenas, then convention centers, followed by performing arts theatres. All facility type self-assessments should be available to facility managers by the summer of 2005. Turner D. Madden, Esquire is with the law firm of Madden & Patton, LLC, 1700 Pennsylvania Ave., Suite 400, Washington, D.C. 20006. Turner serves as IAAM’s General Counsel and Lobbyist in Washington, D.C. You may reach Turner at (202) 349-2050 or maddesq@bellatlantic.net. |
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© 2002-2005
International Association of Assembly Managers
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