The hospital features a range of specialties — from robotic surgery and neonatal services to oncology and cardiology care. In partnership with Axis Communications, an industry leader in video surveillance and network devices, and Village Security, a full-service security firm, the state-of-the-art medical facility has integrated innovative technology that monitors every part of the hospital’s nearly 300-bed facility.

The resulting solution provides real-time information that improves emergency response times and helps to save more lives. Laura’s Law was enacted by the State of Massachusetts in 2021 to ensure hospitals make it easier for people to find help in an emergency.

Darrell Boling, market director of facilities and support services at Saint Vincent Hospital, stated:

Saint Vincent Hospital is one of the first hospitals in Massachusetts to fully comply with Laura’s Law, and our partnership with Axis and Village Security enables us to meet the highest standards of safety. Laura’s Law regulates standards for lighting and signage at emergency department access points. It requires 24-hour surveillance with instant playback capabilities including two-way audio-video intercoms connected to a live operator. With better cameras, enhanced signage, and video intercoms, we’re able to react faster to patient and staff emergencies, and in doing so, we save more lives.

To comply with Laura’s Law, Saint Vincent Hospital deployed emergency call boxes embedded with 2N IP Verso security intercoms at all public entrances along with improved lighting and enhanced signage. The law also mandates duress alarms at the main entrances, so the call boxes were integrated with assistive listening technology to improve accessibility for the hearing impaired.

Matt Kjin, segment development manager, Axis Communications, explains:

In addition to employing a new video intercom system, the implementation of Laura’s Law provided Saint Vincent with an opportunity to modernize its security infrastructure by replacing its outdated analog cameras with high-resolution Axis IP cameras. Village Security installed over one hundred Axis dome, panoramic, and multi-directional cameras throughout the premises, all seamlessly integrated and monitored through AXIS Camera Station video management software. Village worked with the local Axis regional sales manager to design the project using AXIS Site Designer, a tool that helps optimize camera placement and factor storage and bandwidth usage.

The new system amplifies safety measures, which is especially important during the holiday season — a time when increased hospital and emergency visits are inevitable. Looking beyond the holiday period, Saint Vincent Hospital will benefit from access of a cutting-edge, scalable system allowing for the easy integration of new solutions to ensure they continue to offer the highest level of standards and compliance for patient, visitor and staff safety.

The new system includes:

• Over 100 Axis dome, panoramic, and multi-directional cameras: These cameras replaced an outdated analog network and provide extensive coverage of the hospital grounds.
• The AXIS License Plate Verifier: Monitors vehicles entering the hospital’s premises. This tool played a key role in solving a recent case where a shooting victim was dropped off at the hospital. By capturing the vehicle’s license plate, security was able to provide critical information to the Worcester Police Department, aiding their investigation.
• AXIS Camera Station (ACS) video management software: Security staff can quickly respond to alerts, view live video footage, and trigger alarm systems, such as the AXIS horn speaker and strobe siren, to draw attention to critical incidents. These tools also assist with non-emergency tasks, such as monitoring psychiatric patients, further improving operational efficiency.
• 2N IP Verso security intercoms and the 2N IP Force video intercoms: These are placed in critical areas such as the employee garage, loading dock, emergency department, and ambulance bay. The intercoms allow immediate communication with hospital security, and the system is designed for full accessibility, including an induction loop system for individuals with hearing impairments.

For more information on Saint Vincent Hospital and its commitment to patient and staff safety, visit the hospital site.

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The new guidelines emphasize the importance of creating a multidisciplinary Threat Assessment and Management (TAM) Team within healthcare facilities. This team, comprising experts from various departments including human resources, legal, security, clinical services, mental health, and law enforcement, will be responsible for receiving, investigating, and managing threats in a systematic and evidence-based manner.

Key components of the Threat Management Guidelines include:

• Threat assessment: A fact-based method for assessing potential risks, focusing on a person’s behavior patterns to determine whether they pose a credible threat
• Team structure: The establishment of a multidisciplinary TAM Team, with a clear charter outlining roles, responsibilities, and reporting procedures
• Threat awareness training: Comprehensive training for all employees, including early identification of behaviors of concern, reporting protocols, and emergency response activation
• Policy development: Guidance for healthcare facilities to establish a written policy and workflow for managing threats, including documentation and record-keeping processes
• Victim advocacy: Provision of support and counseling for victims and those affected by potential threats

Mark Reed, Council on Guidelines member, stated:

IAHSS is committed to ensuring that healthcare facilities are equipped with the knowledge and resources needed to protect their employees, patients, and visitors from potential threats. Our new guidelines are based on the latest research and best practices in threat management and are designed to foster a safer and more secure healthcare environment.

The updated Threat Management Guidelines [PDF file] encourage healthcare facilities to take a proactive approach to threat mitigation. This includes ongoing training, reviewing threat management trends, and conducting after-action debriefings to continually improve processes.

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Camera sharing is a new technology that gives Emergency Communication Center telecommunicators (911 professionals) instant access to security cameras during an emergency, empowering them to deliver critical incident information to first responders.

As the election draws near, both Democrats (93%) and Republicans (91%) agree tax dollars should be allocated to fund activation of camera sharing technology in K-12 schools.

Key findings include:

• 96% of parents support a mandate requiring K-12 schools to share security camera feeds with Emergency Communications Centers during active shooter scenarios or similar emergencies.
• Of the 96% of parents who favor a camera sharing mandate in schools, 56% prefer a federal mandate, 29% want a community-level requirement, and 11% favor a school district mandate.
• 90% of those surveyed support allocating existing tax dollars to enable public K-12 schools to activate technology for 911 telecommunicators to access real-time security camera feeds in emergencies.
• Allocating tax dollars to support a camera sharing mandate is supported by 91% of Republicans surveyed and 93% of Democrats surveyed.
• 86% of parents feel safer with a security system enabled for live video communication with a 911 telecommunicator.
• Almost 80% of respondents feel live-feed visibility into schools via security cameras will save lives during active shooter events.

School leaders and public safety officials say camera sharing can help quickly deliver critical information when time is of the essence.

Damon Grant, co-principal of Oakland Unity Middle School, Oakland, CA, stated:

The Eagle Eye Networks 911 Camera Sharing solution we’ve implemented gives first responders critical information in real time to guide their response to an emergency in our school. The presence of this technology serves as a silent guardian, ready to act if needed, but a resource we hope we will never need.

Bill Maverick, a security consultant and retired NY State Police Special Operations Supervisor with expertise in active shooter response training, pointed out:

First responders often approach the scene of an emergency with very little information about the whereabouts of suspects, innocent bystanders, and the physical layout of the scene. In addition, emergency situations are not static, they’re dynamic, changing from minute to minute. Having telecommunicators feed ongoing real-time information to first responders during an active shooter incident is a game changer, with the potential to dramatically improve outcomes and save lives.

Eagle Eye Networks CEO Dean Drako remarked:

The public safety experts, school officials, and parents have spoken: There’s resounding support for getting schools across the country to utilize camera sharing technology that will speed up emergency response and increase safety for children, educators, and first responders.

Commissioned by Eagle Eye Networks, the camera sharing survey (PDF) was conducted by Propeller Insights, a Los Angeles-based market research firm. A total of 1,034 parents of K-12 students in the U.S. were surveyed between May 26 and June 5, 2024.  

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Included among the investments is funding for facilities-related areas such as enhancing physical infrastructure, campus capacity, digital equipment and operations, and ensuring safe learning environments in the light of recent bomb threats.

The total of more than $16 billion includes over $11.4 billion between FY 2021 and FY 2023 through Federal grants, contracting awards, and debt relief for HBCUs; over $4 billion between FY 2021 and FY 2023 for HBCU-enrolled students through federal financial aid and educational benefits for veterans; and, so far in FY 2024, over $900 million has been secured for Department of Education programs strengthening HBCUs as institutions. President Biden and Vice President Harris are committed to ensuring whole-of-government investment efforts in HBCUs continue at full momentum through the rest of FY 2024.

These historic funding levels demonstrate the Administration’s ongoing commitment to HBCUs, which serve as an engine for upward economic mobility in our country. The Administration is also focused on work to ensure HBCUs have the resources to provide a high-quality postsecondary education.

For more than 180 years, HBCUs have been advancing intergenerational economic mobility for Black families and communities, developing vital academic research, and making the nation more prosperous and equitable. Despite representing only 3% of colleges and universities, HBCUs play an outsized role to support the economic mobility of African Americans, producing 40% of all Black engineers, 50% of all Black teachers, 70% of all Black doctors and dentists, 80% of all Black judges, and the first woman and Black Vice President of the United States.

Overall, HBCUs greatly contribute to the economic success of America, providing college access to twice as many Pell Grant-eligible (low-income) students as non-HBCU institutions. Additionally, social mobility research by the United Negro College Fund finds that HBCUs support nearly five times more students than Ivy League and other top-ranked institutions in facilitating movement from the bottom 40% in U.S. household income to the top 60%.

A recent CEA report further underscores that HBCUs are engines for upward mobility and additionally discusses new research showing that HBCU enrollment has considerable positive effects on bachelor’s degree completion and household income later in life. The report details how these successes have occurred in the context of historic underfunding of HBCUs. It also discusses a recent resurgence in applications to, and enrollment in, HBCUs which highlight the high value that students have placed on these institutions in recent years.

Since Day One, the Biden-Harris Administration has said it is committed to advancing racial equity, economic opportunity, and educational excellence, including by reestablishing the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity through Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Read the DofED announcement to see the list of historic actions the Biden-Harris Administration has taken to support HBCUs between FY 2021 and into FY 2024.

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The report shares collective insights from end-users, technology partners, and the company’s own security experts in order to help clients navigate an increasingly dynamic and complex business environment with ever-evolving technology. It offers insights on emerging technologies; artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics; cybersecurity and data privacy; and cloud migration.

The survey lists these four trends shaping the security industry in 2024:

1. Data-backed insights for cross-organizational growth
2. Rise of cloud migration and hardware-free architecture
3. Smarter, faster and more comprehensive security technology
4. The era of verification

Highlights of the survey include:

• 41% of organizations leverage their electronic security systems to drive operational efficiencies and increase cost savings.
• 85% use security technology for predicting and preventing threats.
• 86% use subscription-based electronic security services (e.g. service plans, monitoring and maintenance).

The survey indicates a keen interest in emerging security technologies, with 86% of organizations “very” or “extremely” interested in investing in them. Respondents said they were currently leveraging (or interested in investing in) the following:

• Cloud computing: 67% (18%)
• Adaptive technology: 48% (22%)
• Artificial intelligence (AI): 46% (21%)
• Predictive analytics: 40% (26%)

To view the complete 2024 Global Technology Outlook Report, visit Securitas Technology. Securitas Technology, part of Securitas, is a global provider of integrated end-to-end electronic security systems that protect, connect, and optimize businesses of all types and sizes, delivered by more than 13,000 colleagues in 40 countries.

The post Four trends shaping the security industry in 2024, from Securitas Technology appeared first on FMLink.

The report shares collective insights from end-users, technology partners, and the company’s own security experts in order to help clients navigate an increasingly dynamic and complex business environment with ever-evolving technology. It offers insights on emerging technologies; artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics; cybersecurity and data privacy; and cloud migration.

The survey lists these four trends shaping the security industry in 2024:

1. Data-backed insights for cross-organizational growth
2. Rise of cloud migration and hardware-free architecture
3. Smarter, faster and more comprehensive security technology
4. The era of verification

Highlights of the survey include:

• 41% of organizations leverage their electronic security systems to drive operational efficiencies and increase cost savings.
• 85% use security technology for predicting and preventing threats.
• 86% use subscription-based electronic security services (e.g. service plans, monitoring and maintenance).

The survey indicates a keen interest in emerging security technologies, with 86% of organizations “very” or “extremely” interested in investing in them. Respondents said they were currently leveraging (or interested in investing in) the following:

• Cloud computing: 67% (18%)
• Adaptive technology: 48% (22%)
• Artificial intelligence (AI): 46% (21%)
• Predictive analytics: 40% (26%)

To view the complete 2024 Global Technology Outlook Report, visit Securitas Technology. Securitas Technology, part of Securitas, is a global provider of integrated end-to-end electronic security systems that protect, connect, and optimize businesses of all types and sizes, delivered by more than 13,000 colleagues in 40 countries.

The post Four trends shaping the security industry in 2024, from Securitas Technology appeared first on FMLink.

Property owners and facility managers must be aware that all smart buildings are innately vulnerable to cyberattacks. While informational technology and telecom are well developed within the cybersecurity realm, the same cannot be said for much of the operating technology found in smart buildings.

Within a typical office building, there could be 20 independent networks vulnerable to hacking. On average, only five or six are highly secured.

Once a system is hacked, cybercriminals could manipulate heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems; infiltrate sprinkler systems; and exploit smart access technology, such as intelligent credentials and contactless building access. Data hacking is another area of concern. Passwords and personal information can become compromised, leading to identity or intellectual theft. There is also the real possibility of a cyberthief holding the systems or data hostage until a ransom is paid.

The repercussions can last for years.

Key steps building owners and managers can take to bolster an asset’s cybersecurity profile include:

• Building infrastructure such as internal routers, hardwired cables and closed-circuit lot devices to secure the building automation systems,
• Segregating BAS and subsystems on different systems to reduce vulnerabilities,
• Consulting with a cybersecurity company specializing in installing systems that make cyberattacks more challenging,
• Investing in advanced identification and access management systems to flag vulnerabilities,
• Securing the access chain by requiring anyone with access to the BAS systems – third-party vendors, remote security monitors or life safety systems technicians – to follow the asset’s internal cybersecurity measures,
• Educating building tenants and property managers on what they can do to prevent cyberattacks, and
• Understanding and monitoring any changes to the asset’s cybercrime insurance coverage.

Many building owners may be surprised to learn they are not sufficiently covered by insurance if a cyberattack were to occur. In addition, owners and FMs might have a limited understanding about the risk of information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) threats, insurance coverage, and what accountability they bear if a cyber incident were to occur.

The unfortunate truth, however, is that blanket property insurance policies likely do not provide the necessary scale of coverage. As insurers have limited visibility into a building’s IT/OT infrastructure, they more often prefer to rely upon the expertise within their cyber underwriting teams to assess risks and provide coverage based on those findings. This has resulted in traditional property and casualty insurers removing cyber inclusion from their product lines.

These exclusions may not be widely known or understood until it is too late.

By removing cybersecurity coverage from the blanket property insurance policies, FMs must explore cyber-specific coverage, a stand-alone marketplace that is rapidly growing and can be difficult to navigate.

As part of vetting what level of protection a property or campus holds, building owners should begin by asking basic policy questions, including:

• What cyber coverage is currently included or excluded?
• What is the appropriate level of coverage for each property in a portfolio?
• Does the current policy provide coverage for in-building OT, as well as IT assets?
• What is the expected down time impacting both the physical asset’s damage from a cyber event, as well as business interruption exposure/loss of rents and extra expenses?

However, simply identifying coverage gaps and seeking to fill them is sometimes easier
said than done.

The main challenge for securing standalone cyber insurance is that this type of policy is coming out of a hard market cycle — one marked by a rise in cyber claims that continues to develop in terms of frequency and severity. In this environment, insurers are forced to reevaluate their underwriting results and are keenly focused on identifying and evaluating the adequacy of individual cybersecurity profiles. This investigation work can result in insufficient coverage capacity for a buyer if sufficient cybersecurity protocols are not in place as well as rising premiums.

The good news is that insurance brokers with financial risk specialists have resources to better adapt to new threats and gauge the risk of exposure in advance of a market submission. To  accomplish this, however, a careful evaluation of a property’s existing security posture must be analyzed to see if it qualifies for more comprehensive cyber insurance.

Underwriters will evaluate several key security controls before being able to offer cybersecurity insurance policies that match appropriate levels of risk between the insurer and property owner. All systems must be vetted to ensure the property is appropriately secured to avoid painful issues down the road.

These controls include:

• Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
• Endpoint detection and response (EDR)
• Patch management
• Secure remote access
• Incident response plans
• Disaster recovery plans
• Backups and email filtering
• Properly architected user management and service accounts
• Phishing and cyber awareness training for all employees

Properly securing a building begins with the right network platform to serve a secure foundation. Taking a security-first approach to an in-building network helps cover all cybersecurity requirements, not just some of them. A modern approach to this problem is to adopt zero trust network access (ZTNA) models and solutions that not only help secure operations for IT/OT functions but also collect management and reporting information needed to make sound security decisions. This solution must be adaptive and provide proactive security that meets the challenges of an ever-changing threat landscape.

It is also critically important to select an intelligent building management platform offering a single screen view to gain important visibility into all security systems, networks and endpoints. This ensures that the entire infrastructure is monitored from end to end, and the architecture provides the necessary intelligence to easily manage and ensure compliance according to government regulations for cyber insurance qualification purposes. Finally, understand that cybersecurity measures should be deployed and managed to not impact the usability or manageability of IT/OT systems. The goal should be to integrate security tools and processes that are completely transparent from an end-user perspective to ensure users and devices efficiently function on the network.

Smart building solutions for both IT and OT use cases help produce impactful economic and intrinsic value when cybersecurity is placed at the forefront. Not only does this line of thinking help prevent cyberattacks, but it also offers a better path toward rapid recovery.

According to a recent report from Cybersecurity Ventures, cybercrime is expected to account for a loss of US$10.5 trillion globally by 2025 — a staggering number. Having a cyber insurance policy in place will help lessen the impact that an attack/breach may have on the digital operations of building owners and operators. To achieve this goal, it is important to consult with an expert that understands the unique needs of commercial real estate and how to most effectively mitigate risks that exist within building and campus digital infrastructures.

The post FM’s modern risk: Cybersecurity in the era of the smart building appeared first on FMLink.

All videos qualify for one hour of continuing education credits. (Please note that 0.1 IACET credit equates to one hour of continuing education).

Facilities 2023: Burning Questions, Stone-Cold Solutions

Watch this session from the NFMT conference that took place in March 2023 in Baltimore

Security and Safety Challenges in Today’s Facilities

Watch this session from the NFMT conference that took place in March 2023 in Baltimore

Planning for Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure for Fleets and Communities

Watch this session from the NFMT conference that took place in March 2023 in Baltimore

6 Steps to Cyber Securing Building Control Systems

Watch this session from the NFMT conference that took place in March 2023 in Baltimore

Preventative vs. Deferred Maintenance

Watch this session from the NFMT conference that took place in March 2023 in Baltimore

Improving Safety and Security in Schools

Watch this session from the NFMT conference that took place in March 2023 in Baltimore

MEP and Facilities in the Decarbonization Age

Watch this session from the NFMT conference that took place in March 2023 in Baltimore

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Security expert Abloy UK supplied NHS Raigmore Hospital, Inverness, with the eCLIQ electromechanical solution for their on-site facilities management and security.

NHS Raigmore provides an extensive range of healthcare services — surgical, medical, clinical support — and with eight floors, over 2,800 staff and over 450 beds, the hospital is very busy every day. It is the only District General Hospital in the NHS Highland Partnership, which owns over 200 sites throughout their Health Board area.

The sheer size of the hospital estate requires a large facilities management team to oversee building maintenance and environmental services. Plant rooms, high and low voltage rooms and roof hatches are accessed daily to maintain the building — along with a helipad that needs securing and opening when air ambulances need to land.

NHS Raigmore approached Abloy UK to discuss a key management solution that would meet the latest regulations, has the capability to monitor the use of keys and can easily revoke access from lost or stolen keys. 

Abloy UK recommended eCLIQ, a web-based locking and key management solution. The system was installed throughout the estate, with 82 locks fitted by Raigmore’s facilities management team and 42 keys issued to staff and contractors. Installation was easy as the cylinders do not require a power output.

eCLIQ uses web management software providing valuable insights into when, where and by whom the keys are used. Facilities management have a detailed overview and control of access across the hospital as the system logs the time and user of the key every time it’s used. If problems occur, it is easy to determine who last entered the room to find out more information in a substantially reduced time.

The risk of unauthorized access is reduced with web management software controlling the validation and revoking of keys. Likewise, former employees who do not return their key will no longer have access because their key can simply be removed from the system.

eCLIQ provides life-saving operational benefits during air emergencies, as staff no longer need to locate the helipad key to access the pad. All authorized personnel can use their specific key to unlock the pad, which can prove vital when time is a factor in giving a patient life-saving care.

Colin McEwen, design lead — Estate Management, NHS Raigmore, remarked:

New legislation required connectivity of assets. Rory at Abloy suggested eCLIQ as a solution, and the mechanical locks combined with the benefits that connectivity offers have proved a great asset to the hospital.

Previously, when a key gets lost, the only way to ensure security was maintained was to change our cylinders. eCLIQ has negated this, saving us money and time. We have set access to coincide with staff shift-patterns and any attempted access out of these times is revoked. The system has also made it easier to see who is accessing rooms.

 We found the cylinders easy to install, and the support provided by Abloy has helped us transition smoothly to this electromechanical system.

Rory Grant, regional specification manager at Abloy UK, added:

eCLIQ offers Raigmore Hospital a high level of security and is ideal for areas such as plant rooms and roof hatches. The system has performed very well since installation, and we are optimistic about extending the system throughout the NHS Highland.

For further information about eCLIQ and the full range of Abloy solutions available, visit the company’s website.

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A tweet of a woman explaining why she chooses to take elevators over stairs due to the lack of cameras in stairwells to her male co-worker recently went viral, prompting the discussion on safety within the workplace. This conversation is especially important for industries that are traditionally dominated by men like facilities management.

It is important that women feel safe within their workplace. According to the report The Facts Behind the #metoo Movement, 38 percent of women said that they had been sexually harassed at work, with 13 percent of respondents saying that it was the place they were harassed the most. For many women employees, feeling safe — in both a physical and psychological stance — is a major concern. Injury Facts reports that in 2020, a woman was the target in 73.3 percent of all assaults reported on the job.

“Personal safety as a woman is ever present; I’m always evaluating a situation,” says Christine A. Burkett, senior regional facilities manager, South Central and Mississippi Valley, Sam’s Club. “For women in the trades, I feel there is a need to raise the expectation of safety and security with both the employers and the customer. In facilities maintenance, a women will structure the entire day around personal safety, whereas our male counterparts just show up.”

Personal safety should be at the forefront of every business. The smallest details can make a difference to someone. It is essential that managers make safety and security an open discussion so that each employee can have input on what is needed within their operations, whether it be security cameras, additional training or more equipment. The workplace shouldn’t be a place where women feel vulnerable just because there is a lack of resources.

“Additional cameras in stairwells and parking garages, additional lighting to prevent dark or blind spots,” says Burkett. “Nonslip treads on stairs to make women less vulnerable in heels or shoes, versus sneakers or shoes with traction. If women are working late, in the office, ensure they are secure, that the lights have not automatically shut off for the night, have an evening security sweep, have security walk her out to her vehicle. Emergency response, additional security personnel, are things we could do. Bringing up the conversation among women and our peers to prioritize personal safety, bring it to the forefront, make it a priority not an afterthought.”

It is required by law that employers provide workers with working conditions that are free of known dangers. Information, training and assistance to workers and employers are necessary in ensuring the safety of everyone on the job. Not only does this include having employees wear the correct personal protective equipment, but it also relates to sensitivity training so that everyone feels welcome.

“There is an opportunity here to develop partnerships and adopt a forward-thinking mindset that focuses on the value each person brings, without belittling anyone for their differences,” says Jessica Bickel, facilities coordinator, Reece Group USA. “Honestly, active listening skills would go a long, long way to help. Being willing to listen to the concerns and complaints, be willing to admit they are valid and be willing to be part of the solution. One saying I drop often is ‘Find answers, not excuses,’ and in order to find answers you have to be willing to first ask the questions and then to listen to the responses.”

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