Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
These points must be assessed, and local law enforcement must be con-
tacted immediately and asked to respond. Once the local authorities
arrive, they will take charge of the situation. Until then the security staff
has the responsibility of protecting the employees present on premises.
Consideration also must be given to what measures are to be taken if
an armed individual has either taken hostages or is randomly shooting
company employees. Plans for hostage rescue situations must be made.
Before we discuss such plans, it must be understood that the level of pro-
fessionalism, training, and ability in any hostage rescue team must be
quite high if you expect the team to be able to conduct such an operation.
To our way of thinking, every company with the wherewithal to fund a
highly proficient force should do so. This matter is even more critical in
countries where the local police are not well trained or well equipped. The
internal security force will be the only option available if a critical situa-
tion occurs in a country low on law enforcement assets. This is not so for-
midable a task as you may think. If the caliber of the security employees
is high and if they have been given the appropriate training (reinforced
by regular practice and drill), then such a force is not difficult to main-
tain on the premises. Your company will need to decide whether the safety
of its employees is worth the expense of such a security staff.
SUPPORTING LOCAL AUTHORITIES
What is the function of the security staff in the event that local police are
responding to an armed attack or hostage situation? Quite simply, it is to
provide as much support and intelligence to the police as they can. To
facilitate that role, it is recommended that every Emergency Response
Plan include information that a police tactical unit would need if it had
to respond to an emergency in your facility. The information should
include diagrams of the facility and surrounding areas. This will allow a
tactical team leader to evaluate the location before initiating any opera-
tion. The location of all windows, access points, and vents and crawl space
areas must be included. If there are active security systems that can be
used to monitor the subject, someone from security will need to be with
the police and be responsible for providing whatever technical assistance
required. Several very capable firms can prepare a complete emergency
package of this nature. One Israeli firm, Tandu, specializes in preparing
emergency crisis guides for schools. The company provides details of the
