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Thought Leadership by Tom Henkey
Director of Emergency Management, Titan Security Group

As the American public continues to digest the news of a widespread coronavirus outbreak within the White House, it provides a stark moment of reflection for those of us who have some responsibility for a place of business or similar location.

After all, if this threat made its way into one of the most secure facilities on the planet, how can we possibly keep it outside of our walls? The answer, frankly, is that we may not always be able to meet that goal. But having the right mentality and a realistic timeframe makes our odds of success far better.

From the outset of this novel or new virus emerging in Asia, it has been clear that this will be an extended or long-term crisis. This makes complacency one of our biggest threats. We know the effective mitigation measures – frequent handwashing, not touching our faces, maintaining social distancing, wearing face coverings or masks, not gathering in large groups. But if we are to be honest with ourselves, we’d admit just how difficult it is to maintain such vigilance month after month after month.

This will truly be a marathon and not a sprint. Modern human beings simply aren’t wired for this mindset. We expect to see immediate results, instant satisfaction.

Unfortunately, pandemics don’t work that way. They are slow-rolling crises – ebbing and flowing over time as infection rates rise and fall. And the only two developments that can truly bring about a positive conclusion are an effective treatment regimen or a reliable vaccine.

A few recommendations for areas worthy of ongoing action would include:

Take the long view. Due to the nature of this hazard, we need to maintain the right mentality and the right time horizon. This will truly go a long way towards setting each of us, and our operations, up for success. Complacency is the enemy, and refreshing and updating internal messaging is vital to keeping organizations focused. Ignoring best practices for even the briefest of windows can let the virus into the most protected of facilities.

Build on what is working. When possible, avoid reinventing the wheel. If there is an existing emergency process or protocol in place which can be adapted to the resurgent threat of coronavirus, such “edits” are preferable to starting from scratch. Organizations of any size should be furiously reviewing existing emergency and continuity-of-business plans for any and all relevant processes.

Stay on top of logistics. Don’t be lulled into complacency on needed supplies. Highly sought-after products include effective cleaning supplies, disinfectants, virus tests, masks, and face shields. All organizations must review their supply chains to assure they are given priority by primary suppliers, while setting up alternative channels as backups. We have not seen the end of hoarding and widespread shortages for critical materials.

Fully leverage relationships with other sectors. Subject matter experts – including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state and local health departments – should continue to be relied upon for their continued subject-matter expertise. Strengthening existing relationships with partners from the public and nonprofit sectors can be vital to weathering extended crises.

Be prepared to deal with positive cases. If the beast does get inside the walls, we have to have a plan. Any team member experiencing COVID symptoms should stay home, self-isolate, and contact their doctor via phone or email. (Testing locations in Chicago: https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/sites/covid-19/home/managing-your-health.html?#tab-shouldtest ) It is vital that employers then perform internal contact tracing to identify any other stakeholders that have come in contact with any confirmed case.

Be honest and direct with stakeholders. This battle will ultimately be won or lost at the local level, and addressing internal and external stakeholders with a trusted, consistent, and competent voice is absolutely invaluable during a period of crisis, including notification of positive test results (by location not name). Employees, vendors, customers, and clients need to know what is being done on their behalf, and what is coming next.

Individual lives and businesses, as well as the overall economy, still hang in the balance. This is not the time to let up, or to be lulled into thinking the challenge has passed. Instead it is the time for each of us to demonstrate decisive and innovative leadership – to hope for the best and be prepared for the worst.

As always, if you “See Something, Say Something.” For life-threatening emergencies, call 911. To report suspicious activity, call 855-RPRT-2-S4 (855-777-8274).

Anyone can start a youth preparedness program, or join an existing one. The Youth Preparedness Catalog is a great place to start if you are looking to implement a youth preparedness program or activity.

Building a youth preparedness program takes a lot of work. However, many resources are available to help you with the process. The resources below will walk you through seven steps to implementing a youth preparedness program, while checklists and workbooks will help you out along the way. Many of these resources are available in both Spanish and English.

Why Youth Preparedness?

Children make up about 25 percent of the population of the United States, and are the future of our communities. While they face unique vulnerabilities, they can also play an important role during emergencies. However, many programs do not consider children in their planning, whether at home, at work, or in transit. It is important that children know what to do in an emergency and that all disaster planning, preparedness, response, and recovery efforts include children’s unique needs and abilities.

Getting Started

Youth preparedness is important to the resilience of any community. As the leader of a youth preparedness program, you are supporting the preparedness effort within your community. The resources below will help ensure that you are on the right track as you launch your program.

Resources

This article was repurposed from the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA website “https://www.ready.gov.” To view the original article, visit https://www.ready.gov/kids/resources-for-emergency-planners/start-a-program

When emergencies strike, public safety officials use timely and reliable systems to alert you. This page describes different warning alerts you can get and how to get them.

Wireless Emergency Alerts

Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) are just one of the ways public safety officials can quickly and effectively alert the public to serious emergencies. They are sent through the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), which integrates the nation’s alert and warning systems, technologies and infrastructure.

What you need to know about WEAs:

If you are not are not receiving Wireless Emergency Alerts here are some tips to troubleshoot your mobile device:

  1. Check the settings on your mobile phones and review your user manual (you may be able to find this online too)
    • Older phones may not be WEA capable, and some cell phone models require you to enable WEAs.
    • Most mobile service providers call these messages WEAs, but some manufacturers refer to them as “Government Alerts,” or “Emergency Alert Messages.”
  2. Check with your wireless providers to see if they can resolve the issue

Emergency Alert System

NOAA Weather Radio

NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards (NWR) is a nationwide network of radio stations that broadcast continuous weather information from the nearest National Weather Service office.

Resource Links

This article was repurposed from the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA website “https://www.ready.gov.” To view the original article, visit https://www.ready.gov/alerts

For the National Preparedness Month of September, Titan is proud to have the locally-based subject matter expertise to partner in a wide range of safety, security, training, technology, and emergency planning efforts.

As you assess your preparedness measures, we stand ready to assist. Titan offers fire and life safety training, including fire safety seminars and fire drills that will help prepare and inform building employees and tenants of guidance and best practices for critical emergencies. Titan is also pleased to offer best-in-class, all-hazard emergency planning services.

Benefits of Titan’s fire life safety training and education include:

Benefits of Titan’s emergency planning services include:

If you would like to learn more, contact Titan’s Director of Emergency Management, Tom Henkey at [email protected] or 312.902.3400. 

After an emergency, you may need to survive on your own for several days. Being prepared means having your own food, water and other supplies to last for several days. A disaster supplies kit is a collection of basic items your household may need in the event of an emergency.

Make sure your emergency kit is stocked with the items on the checklist below. Most of the items are inexpensive and easy to find and any one of them could save your life. Headed to the store? Download a printable version to take with you. Once you take a look at the basic items consider what unique needs your family might have, such as supplies for pets or seniors.

Basic Disaster Supplies Kit

To assemble your kit store items in airtight plastic bags and put your entire disaster supplies kit in one or two easy-to-carry containers such as plastic bins or a duffel bag.

A basic emergency supply kit could include the following recommended items:

Additional Emergency Supplies

Since Spring of 2020, the CDC has recommended people include additional items in their kits to help prevent the spread of coronavirus or other viruses and the flu.

Consider adding the following items to your emergency supply kit based on your individual needs:

Maintaining Your Kit

After assembling your kit remember to maintain it so it’s ready when needed:

Kit Storage Locations

Since you do not know where you will be when an emergency occurs, prepare supplies for home, work and cars.

This article was repurposed from the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA website “https://www.ready.gov.” To view the original article, visit https://www.ready.gov/kit

It’s important to talk to your friends and family about how you will communicate before, during, and after a disaster because they may not be together if and when a disaster strikes. It’s important to know how you’ll contact one another and reconnect if separated. Establishing a family meeting place that’s familiar is essential for making it easy to find one another. Below are four steps for you to create a plan today.

Make sure to update your plan based on the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations due to the coronavirus.

Step 1: Put a plan together by discussing the questions below with your family, friends, or household to start your emergency plan.

  1. How will I receive emergency alerts and warnings?
  2. What is my shelter plan?
  3. What is my evacuation route?
  4. What is my family/household communication plan?
  5. Do I need to update my emergency preparedness kit?
  6. Check with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and update my emergency plans due to coronavirus.
  7. Do you have cloth face coverings (for everyone over 2 years old), and disinfectants?

Step 2: Consider specific needs in your household.

As you prepare your plan, tailor your plans and supplies to your specific daily living needs and responsibilities. Discuss your needs and responsibilities and how people in the network can assist each other with communication, care of children, business, pets, or specific needs like operating medical equipment. Create your network for specific areas where you need assistance. Keep in mind some of these factors when developing your plan:

Step 3: Fill out a Family Emergency Plan

Download and fill out a family emergency plan or use it as a guide to creating your own.

Step 4: Practice your plan with your family/household

This article was repurposed from the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA website “https://www.ready.gov.” To view the original article, visit https://www.ready.gov/plan

The Chicago Police Department Crime Prevention and Information Center (CPIC) and the Chicago Police Department Area 3 Detective Division are working to document and investigate the criminal acts that took place recently in the Central Business District in the early morning hours of August 10, 2020.

If your business or property was affected by the criminal actions and damage that occurred in the downtown area or if you have video footage or other useful information to share, below are the steps you can take to help aid the CPD’s investigations.

Steps to Submit Information:

As always, if you “See Something, Say Something.” For life-threatening emergencies, call 911. To report suspicious activity, call 855-RPRT-2-S4 (855-777-8274).

Titan is taking the following steps to support our clients and staff members in the wake of the overnight looting that took place overnight into the morning of Monday, August 10:

In addition, Titan’s Managers including Senior Leadership team members are active and visiting sites to support staff and clients and our Titan Electronics Service Technicians are active and available to service any electronic security equipment that may have been impacted by recent activity.

The City of Chicago has announced temporary restrictions on access to the Central Business District between 8:00 pm – 6:00 am nightly until further notice including the following:

CTA

Rail Service will be impacted at the following locations:

CDOT Bridges

All Bridges will be up with the except for the following:

Access Points for Essential Workers:

Expressway Closures:

Lake Shore Drive will be closed between:

Retail Protection:

As of 11:00 am, Streets and Sanitation, the Department of Transportation, and the Department of Water Management will have resources deployed for retail protection to 63 locations Citywide.

 Precautions to Take:

The Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC) reminds private sector firms to ensure their street-facing cameras are in good working order and recording is enabled.

The OEMC Operation Center will be monitoring accordingly. However, because situations develop and change rapidly, additional attention to monitoring news media and other sources for rapidly developing events would be prudent.

Sign Up for Emergency Alert Program for Business

The City of Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) and Office of Emergency Management and Communication (OEMC) has created an emergency alert program specifically for Chicago’s businesses. Local business owners and managers should text “CHIBIZ” to 67283 or visit www.chicago.gov/chibizalerts to opt-in to receive targeted emergency alerts for the business community via CHIBIZ Emergency Alerts. Businesses that opt-in will also be directed to submit a few business-specific details so that BACP and OEMC can send targeted alerts to specific areas of the city as needed.

Questions?

If you have any questions or concerns regarding security coverage or Titan’s Civil Disturbance Support, please contact your Titan representative or the Titan office at (312) 902-3400.  We will continue to communicate with you via email and at http://securechicago.com/posts/.

As always, if you “See Something, Say Something.” For life-threatening emergencies, call 911. To report suspicious activity, call 855-RPRT-2-S4 (855-777-8274).

Titan Security Group would like to wish you a happy Independence Day for the 4th of July. Below are safety tips to help you prepare and enjoy the holiday with your friends and family this weekend.

Fireworks Safety Tips

Grilling Safety Tips

Water Safety Tips

Heat-related Safety Tips

As always, if you “See Something, Say Something”. For life-threatening emergencies, call 911. To report suspicious activity, call 855-RPRT-2-S4 (855-777-8274).

Titan consistently maintains communication with our public sector partners to review active threats and resources.  The Chicago Police Department, Crime Prevention & Information Center (CPIC) issued the following in the latest Private Sector Situational Awareness Bulletin.

Situational Awareness and Security Preparedness

As the City of Chicago begins to enter framework for reopening, we are asking our Public/Private sector partners and faith-based community members to remain vigilant and aware of their surroundings and report any criminal or suspicious activity immediately to your local law enforcement agency.

Given the nature of mass gatherings, predicting who will attend and what their motivations will be is difficult and unreliable. It is possible that individuals unassociated with the group will imbed themselves to exploit the group’s emotions and/or incite acts of violence.

The following options for considerations are listed to assist the City of Chicago’s private sector in creating a safe and secure environment.

Options for Consideration

As always, if you “See Something, Say Something”. For life-threatening emergencies, call 911. To report suspicious activity, call 855-RPRT-2-S4 (855-777-8274).