From “YouTube Shooting Puts a Focus on Workplace Security”
New York Times (04/06/18) Hsu, Tiffany; Nicas, Jack. Posted by ASIS.
Silicon Valley firms are known for corporate headquarters that resemble universities, where employees mingle with tourists, executives stroll between meetings without an obvious security detail, and collaborations take shape out on the quad. However, such places are difficult to secure. The shooting this week at the headquarters of YouTube, a Google-owned company in San Bruno, Calif., has highlighted the security risks of Silicon Valley’s relatively open corporate campuses — particularly as tech companies’ expanding influence angers more people online. The risk is not confined to the tech sector. Many companies across the country are similarly exposed, reflecting an open-door policy that for generations has pervaded corporate America, where safety training has long focused on fire drills, earthquake-sheltering procedures, and accident cleanup. Many companies now send their security personnel to gun ranges to test active-shooter threats in virtual reality. Insurance providers are offering lower premiums for corporate clients with stronger security. “If you can’t protect the work force, you’re putting your entire operation at risk,” says Arnette Heintze, a former Secret Service agent who runs a security consulting firm. Companies of all kinds have stepped up security. General Mills has made physical changes to its building in Minneapolis to better prepare for an active shooter situation. Wendy’s has installed upgraded security cameras throughout its headquarters in Dublin, Ohio; set up advanced access control systems that can lock down different parts of the facility; and upgraded its phone systems with emergency messaging capabilities.
Gregory M. Schmidt, CPP, PSP, CHPA 