In today’s America, it is no longer uncommon to wake up to news of an aggravated attack, shooting, or terrorist event. Both Lafayette, LA and Nashville, TN have been recent hosts to theater shootings. On top of that, who can forget the horrific shooting within the historic church in South Carolina? Regardless of the motive, all of these crimes have one thing in common – tragedy.

In the wake of these events, more questions circulate the media inquiring what can be done as a means of prevention. Perhaps better technology could help with the installation of metal detectors, video surveillance or even panic alarms. While these would undoubtedly help the case for safer public grounds, they are by no means foolproof, nor are they necessarily the best option available.

The best option is simple – there is no substitute for the human element in identifying a potential attacker. Trained professionals are able to spot the tell-tale signs of an aggressor, and in many cases are well qualified to take the appropriate action that can stop an event. The challenge here is funding, resources and availability of persons who can not only perform the security functions, but who can even train others to do so. While these challenges exist, identifying the types of aggressors and how they behave is information that should be readily available for anyone from a movie ticket-taker to a school principal to a church pastor.

As such, John Byrnes is the founder and CEO of the Center for Aggression Management and works to provide organizations with the knowledge and skills to identify potentially violent behavior by understanding aggressive tendencies. According to Byrnes, there are two aggression categories of people who commit violent acts – primal aggression and cognitive aggression. Primal aggression is aligned with reactive or sudden behavior, wherein the perpetrator is quick to anger in the moment, responding to the onset of adrenaline in a flight or flight manner. Conversely, cognitive aggressors plan their attacks ahead of time, premeditating their violence having identified their targets, and formed a plan by which they will execute.

In considering both primal and cognitive attackers, there are nine stages of increasingly violent intentions and behaviors. Seventh stage cognitive aggressors are those who want certain people to die, but don’t want to be involved in the tangible causing of their deaths. Examples of whom include Charles Manson or Osama Bin Laden, who influenced others to perform murderous acts rather than performing them themselves. From there, an eighth stage cognitive aggressor is someone who is aware of the possibility of their own death, but intend to survive. Finally, ninth stage aggressors understand and accept that they will die following their attacks, either by suicide or by being killed by law enforcement.

“Each stage,” according to Byrnes, “is a precursor to the next. Each gives you the ability to get out in front and prevent the next and that’s particularly important because we know from current research that from the moment of commitment when a person pulls a weapon and starts shooting to the moment of completion when the last round is discharged is as little as five seconds. If you’re going to react to this you’re more than likely going to step over those people slain during those first five horrific seconds.”

Although this is grim knowledge, there is hope. Byrnes goes on to explain, “The FBI says that the only way to prevent a shooter is to identify someone who is on the path to violence. We call the path to violence emerging aggression because a path to violence means you have to foresee the violence in order to evoke a response.”

A problem in identifying cognitive aggressors is people tend to look for the signs of a traditionally angry person – red-faced, loud, causing a scene or speaking in an aggressive way. Alternatively, a cognitive aggressor is someone who knows that something big is going to happen, that people are going to die. In order for a person to kill another, unless they are sociopaths or psychopaths, all people must dehumanize their victim in order to carry out the act. They have to come to terms that their target is simply an object, making them an object that can be killed.

Once this state has been reached, a calm washes over the person, especially a ninth stage cognitive aggressor who has come to accept his or her imminent death. They embody a look that is all encompassing, where their entire body language loses animation and doesn’t change even as they proceed with the attack. “They come to the scene with that look.” says Byrnes of this eerie calm. “They drive into your parking deck or parking garage with that look. They enter into your premises with that look. They walk through your doors, whether it is theater doors, workplace doors or school doors, past a receptionist  possible or someone taking tickets in the matter or a theater, etc.”

In a critical piece of advice, Byrnes says, “If people are trained as what we call aggression first observers, they will be able to identify this person. There is no way to avert this. It is a reflection of the body to this level of intention.”

Source: El Dorado Insurance Agency, Inc.

The smart home isn’t a new concept, nor is it a passing trend. In fact, the homes of the future are here to stay, helping to protect your investments, reduce the amount of harm on the environment, and make living just a little bit easier with the click of a button.

It seems as though every alarm company is getting in on the smart home revolution, and it’s to the benefit of homeowners across the country. As such, we’d like to point out some of the players in the game and share some of the innovations they have created or are coming up with next.

Vivint – originally APX Alarm – is a security company founded in 1999, and launched the successfully comprehensive Vivint Sky Smart Home cloud system. This system paired with its proprietary Smart Home panel pushed its customer adoption rate to nearly 70 percent. This provided a platform for growth, and supports the mission the company adopts. Jeff Lyman, chief marketing officer, says of the company, “We believe in a comprehensive system. Access control and video are part of a larger package we provide for our customers who want a total experience in home automation and security.”

In moving forward on their strategy, a product set to hit the market next spring includes the Vivint Doorbell Camera. The camera syncs with the rest of the system while adding one of the newer products in security industry. “What people expect from residential security goes way beyond what it was even five years ago. People expect comprehensive services all in one,” says Lyman.

Another example of a company progressing with the trend of smart home security is A-COM Protection Services Inc. in Columbus, GA. As one of today’s largest family-owned companies in security, home and business automation companies in the state, they reached such status because they listened to their customers demand for burglar alarms, and the business took off from there. CEO Wayne Beck explains today’s current goals for the company, and the future of the industry is around home automation.

“Right now, we do install DMP panels for some clients when people want it for a specific area of their house, a jewelry closet or gun closet. [But] I think the advent of home automation is on us. People want to control their homes from anywhere — work, vacation spots, or even control the doors or their security systems from their phones.” An example of which, he pointed out, is that his clients are asking for “24/7 live-video monitoring.”

Other companies have jumped on a similar approach, such as Guardian Systems. General Manager for the company Dan Jarnagin says, “The idea of a ‘connected home’ that can be managed remotely via smartphone or website is still a fairly new concept for people in our area, but over the past few years it has really taken off.”

Source: El Dorado Insurance Agency, Inc.

What to consider when preparing your family a disaster or other emergency

The workplace can consist of natural dangers due to the tasks required to perform work duties. Police officers, firefighters, construction workers and so forth understand that with the professions they chose, there will certainly be dangers that face those who choose these professions.

However another danger that faces the labor force is workplace violence. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that workplace violence accounts for second most frequent cause of death in American offices. For women especially, in-office violence is the number one cause of death in the workplace.

To reduce the prevalence of workplace violence, understanding the warning signs, types of violence and employee assistance programs available can equip the labor force with beneficial tools and knowledge.

Types of Workplace Violence

Typically, workplace violence can divided into 4 different categories. However there are 2 primary types of violence:

1. Physical violence – physical violence is actual harm done by contact to the body. This can include punching, kicking, hitting, biting, spitting, scratching and so forth.
2. Verbal violence – verbal violence is additionally painful and arguably more prevalent. Verbal violence can include threats, intimidation, emotional aggression or emotional abuse.

From there, the two types of workplace violence can be divided as follows:

1. Worker on worker violence – this includes employees participating in either physical or verbal violence against one another.
2. Client on worker violence – one of the most common forms of this type of workplace violence is a robbery situation.
3. Member of public on worker violence – similar to client on worker violence where the perpetrator is not an active or past client of the business.
4. Intimate partner violence – may be co-workers but not necessarily.

Warning Signs

Workplace violence isn’t entirely preventable but knowing the warning signs can prevent some of it. First of all, understand that there usually are warning signs and that employees seldom suddenly turn violent without precursory behavior. Therefore look for these signs:

• Angry behavior and anger eruptions
• History of violent behavior
• Substance abuse
• Fascination with weapons such as guns, knives and sharp objects
• Excessive interest in violence

Additionally, a significant change in behavior can be indicative of potential abuse. Someone who typically possesses a positive or calm demeanor who suddenly begins expressing themselves differently could be experiencing issues personally that could result in harmful behavior at the workplace.

What to Do and Employee Assistance

First of all, reading literature regarding workplace violence is an important first step in prevention. Resources are often available in HR and social service departments in workplace offices.

When encountering a co-worker or employee who exhibits any warning signs, evaluate the severity of the situation before getting involved. However for some milder cases simply talking to the individual can be enough to turn things around, as the display of empathy can diffuse hostility or loneliness.

The best way to prevent workplace violence is by spreading awareness. By understanding the realities and prevalence of workplace violence, it is easier to see the warning signs and take care to do something about it. One of the biggest risk factors for violence in the workplace is denial that workplace violence could possibly occur. Understanding the warning signs and spreading awareness can result in diffusing a hostile situation before it ever occurs.

Source: SERVICE LLOYDS NEWSLETTER

Many times when a serious or fatal accident occurs, the tragedy is amplified by the fact that it could have easily been prevented. This is true of a recent incident that turned the holidays into a tragic time for the families of three Dallas workers who lost their lives.

The three men were subcontractors hired to clean a 30-foot-deep storage tank in Dallas’ Thanksgiving Tower. The man with the most experience (two years on the job) was using a torch to cut away rusted components from the tank when a spark suddenly ignited a flash fire, which triggered an explosion. The building’s power went out, likely due to the explosion, causing their co-workers to be unable to use the mechanical lift to pull the men from the tank.

There are many proactive measures that could have been taken to prevent this accident, from training employees to feel empowered to make critical decisions to ensuring that work environments are safe. This accident is representative of how a typical work day can turn tragic if safety preparation isn’t made ahead of time.

General safety tips

Every employer, regardless of injury, can learn valuable lessons from this tragedy:

– Train new employees on safety procedures before you let them start working.

– Hold subcontractors and temporary employees to the same safety standards as permanent employees.

– Provide regularly scheduled refresher training to long-time employees.

– Empower your employees to stop any operation they feel is unsafe.

– Do not send employees to clients’ job sites if you feel their safety is at risk.

Incident-specific safety tips:

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is investigating the Thanksgiving Tower accident, so we do not know all of the details. But here are some general safety tips that apply to hot work, confined spaces and flash fires:

– Remember that some city fire codes require employers to get special permits to perform hot work. Even if yours does not, OSHA
encourages every employer to develop its own hot work permit system. Click here for a sample hot work permit.

– Train employees to work in confined spaces. Training should include evacuation procedures in the event of an emergency.

– Test for flammable gases and other chemicals in the atmosphere before starting hot work.

– Separate hot work from flammable material. If that is not possible, use guards to confine the heat, sparks and slag, and to protect the immovable fire hazards.

– Make fire-extinguishing equipment, such as pails of water, buckets of sand, hoses and portable extinguishers immediately available and ready to use.

– Appoint a “fire watch” who is armed with fire-extinguishing equipment and is trained to use it. The fire watch should continue observing the work site for at least 30 minutes after completion of welding or cutting operations to detect and extinguish smoldering fires.

– Enforce the use of personal protective equipment, which could include fire-retardant clothing, flash suit hoods, insulating gloves, and eye, face and respiratory protection.

Resources

OSHA’s Welding, Cutting and Brazing Web page

OSHA’s Welding, Cutting and Brazing Standard

National Fire Protection Association Hot Work Voluntary Standard

Confined Spaces Quick Card

Source: Texas Mutual Workers’ Compensation Insurance

The security industry is commonly regarded as a field dominated by men, often equipped with military or law enforcement experience. However an increasing number of women are gaining interest in the field given the robust opportunity available.

One of the most attractive features of the security industry is the inherent duty of helping keep people safe. Upon her first few years at American Alarm, Maria Moretti explains what captivated her about her role in security. “There was great satisfaction in everything that I did because I was helping people all day long,” she said. “I just got drawn into that daily act of helping people, whether it was answering panic signals during a robbery at a bank, or if there was a smoke carbon monoxide alarm, and we needed to keep people safe.”

Both men and women alike can find great satisfaction in knowing that their role in society is to help others and to keep people safe. As more women are finding this opportunity, students or persons looking for a career change can learn from those who have made it. In learning from the successful in the industry, here are some pieces of advice they offer:

Get Educated

Take advantage of the training programs your company offers. “Basically, learn all you can about the industry regarding the product, codes and protocol regulations for alarm response,” says Maria Moretti, now command center manager at American Alarm. Whether it’s taking a community college course, an online course, or simply reading and absorbing as much information as possible on the internet, the first step to getting into the industry is to come armed with knowledge.

Sharpen Communication Skills

Given the sensitive nature of many tasks within the security sector, excellence in written and verbal communication can translate into leadership opportunities. An example of whom is Eleonora Tumbiolo, a security industry veteran for over 15 years and the District Manager for AlliedBarton Security Services. “Brush up on your communication skills,” advises Tumbiolo. “While women tend to be good communicators, it helps to become comfortable in public speaking which enhances your communication skills with employees, clients and upper management.” In fact to hone in on her own skills, Tumbiolo set out to overcome her fear of public speaking and joined a local chapter of Toastmasters.

Get Involved, Network

Just like any other professional division in the world, networking is a helpful strategy in climbing the ranks of the security industry. Start by asking around at a local college campus or check out local groups who meet regarding the industry. Yet the biggest move is to join your local ASIS (American Society for Industrial Security) International chapter. By participating in an association specifically dedicated to increasing the productivity of security professionals worldwide, you’ll be surrounded by security leaders who can help you learn some of the success strategies they’ve found over the years.

The most successful teams are a blend of the best men and women, allowing industries to utilize the greatest talent and resources available in the business world. As we collectively provide opportunities for those willing to put in the effort to succeed, we will continue to see more women as leaders and managers in both the security and any other job field. Yet the security sector offers unparalleled opportunity and should gain more visibility for young students and those interested in a challenging and rewarding career. A supporter of this idea is Maureen S. Rush, M.S., CPP, Vice President for Public Safety at the University of Pennsylvania who directs the tactical and strategic direction of the Division of Public Safety and over 175 staff members. Rush confirms, “Women should not be caught in the old mythology about what she can or cannot do. Women should know that there is nothing they cannot do if they set their mind to it.”

Source: El Dorado Insurance Agency, Inc.

A simple list of things people can do to stay safe at work

Stay informed on how technology affects crime trends, and keep yourself safe from high-tech crimes.

Halloween may be a fun holiday for kids, but for parents, trick-or-treat time can be a little scary. Concerns about children’s safety—whether they are out in the neighborhood or back at home with bountiful bags of goodies—can cast a spell on the evening’s festivities.
But not to worry! Following a few safety tips will ensure that  Halloween will be a “howling” good time for all.

Preparing Ghosts and Goblins for Their Tricks and Treats

• Make sure older kids go out with friends. Younger children should be accompanied by an adult. If you live in a rural area, offer all kids a ride in the car.
• Set a time limit for children to trick-or-treat. Together, map out a safe route so you know where they’ll be. Remind them not to take shortcuts through backyards, alleys, or playing fields.
• Remind kids not to enter a strange house or car.
• Try to get kids to trick-or-treat while it is still light out. If it is dark, make sure the children are carrying flashlights that work.

Pranks That Can Be a Little Tricky

Halloween is notoriously a night of pranks—toilet papering a house or filling mailboxes with shaving cream are not unusual. Try to get a
handle on your children’s plans before they go out. Explain to them that while you want them to have a good time, some tricks could hurt other people or vandalize property. Emphasize that you disapprove of vandalism.

Eating the Treats

• Kids need to know not to eat their treats until they get home. One way to keep trick-or-treaters from digging in while they’re still out is to feed them a meal or substantial snack beforehand.
• Check out all treats at home in a well lighted place.
• What to eat? Only unopened candies and other treats that are in original wrappers. Don’t forget to inspect fruit and homemade goodies for anything suspicious. By all means, remind kids not to eat everything at once or they’ll be feeling pretty ghoulish for a while.

“Unhaunting” Your House and Neighborhood

• Welcome trick-or-treaters at home by turning on your exterior lights.
• Remove objects from your yard that might present a hazard to visitors.
• Ask your Neighborhood Watch or citizens’ group to patrol the community.
• Involve students from a local college or university to be “witch’s helpers.” These students help trick-or-treaters cross busy streets and watch out for ghoulish behavior.
• Drive slowly all evening—you never know what creature may suddenly cross your path.
• Report any suspicious or criminal activity to your local police or sheriff ’s department.

Consider This

Parents and kids can avoid trick-or-treating troubles entirely by organizing a Halloween costume party with treats, games, contests,
music, scary stories, and much more. Make your Halloween party the place to be! Schools, fire stations, libraries, even malls in many communities organize “haunted houses” and other festivities for families.

Making Safe Costumes

• Check that costumes are flame-retardant so the little ones aren’t in danger near candlelit jack-o-lanterns and other fire hazards.
• Keep costumes short to prevent trips, falls, and other bumps in the night.
• Encourage kids to wear comfortable shoes.
• Try makeup instead of a mask. Masks can be hot and uncomfortable and, more importantly, they can obstruct a child’s vision—a dangerous thing when kids are crossing streets and going up and down steps.
• Make sure kids wear light colors or put reflective tape on their costumes.

Dressed Up and Dangerous?

Halloween blood and gore are harmless stuff for the most part. But sometimes dressing up as a superhero, a scary monster, or a slimy alien from outer space—coupled with the excitement of Halloween—brings out aggressive behavior. Even fake knives, swords, and guns can accidentally hurt people. If these objects are part of a child’s costume, make sure they are made from cardboard or other flexible materials. Better yet, challenge kids to create costumes that don’t need “weapons” to be scary and fun.

Source: National Crime Prevention Council