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."
