Due to the potential for politically motivated violence on or after Election Day 2020, being November 3rd, 2020, we are supplying a number of best practices for facility security personnel.
Security managers and site supervisors:
- Monitor the situation within their municipality in order to identify potential unrest within the city. Make contact with local police and fusion centers if necessary. Monitor local TV news, social media pages, radio, and scan local emergency response service channels for information that would indicate unrest. One source to find if an event is planned near you is https://www.protecttheresults.com. You can search for planned events by zip code.
- Review emergency response plans to determine if plans are still actionable and feasible. Enact immediate temporary changes if needed and ensure all security personnel and employees to which plans are applicable to receive the news. Being that this is election day this is not the time to conduct a thorough re-write. Simply change what must absolutely be changed and input the correct information.
- Conduct a review of emergency supplies such as medical and fire equipment.
- Test physical security systems such as pop-up barriers if applicable to ensure they work.
- Have an immediate contact method for all employees within their section at once. The need to relay information may be of such speed that jamming in each employee’s phone number one at a time is too late. Have a group text or company-method to relay such information.
- Keep close tabs on your site’s leadership today. Know where they are in the event you need to get ahold of them immediately to relay risk information.
- Speak with your employees and ensure that general employees know what actions to take in an emergency. Speak with your guards to ensure they know what actions to take.
- Explain to your security force that due to unrest that prompt emergency response may not be possible and that they may have to care for injured persons or otherwise handle incident command longer than normal.
- Consider ordering all guard personnel to change into normal clothing before leaving the facility and coming to work in normal clothes and changing into their uniform there. Security personnel may be mistaken for law enforcement officers. Additionally, security guards have also been targeted by rioters.
- Monitor Google Maps and Waze app for notifications of blockages along roads in the vicinity of the facility.
- Advise building operations personnel about issues which may arise such as risk to employee and company vehicles in unprotected parking lots. Consider an alternative parking plan if needed such as in enclosed areas if available.
- Be prepared to call in additional off-duty security personnel if needed.
- If travel is dangerous be prepared to enact a rest-work schedule and establish sleeping-resting areas within the facility for persons that must remain onsite.
- Consider temporary exceptions to policies for policies such as prohibition against guard personnel wearing their own body armor.
- Have security team vehicles that will be needed for travel in the coming days fueled now so as not to expose workers at gas stations
Security Guards
- Monitor social media and news for indication of incidents that may impact your travel to and from work.
- Wear regular clothing to and from work. Change into your uniform once you arrive.
- If you run into roadblocks or any other type of trouble inform your supervisors that you will be late due to the trouble.
- Conduct functions tests of your gear. Ensure that tools such as OC spray are pressurized, batons will expand, and that electronic conductive devices are charged. In accordance with company policies on firearms if allowable safely unload and check the function of your firearms. Take an extra flashlight or batteries. If your company allows body armor and you do not usually wear it take it with you. You can decide to put it on if unrest begins.
- Take snacks, drinks, hygiene supplies like deodorant and wet wipes, and pack a pillow and blanket in the car. Pack extra uniforms, socks, and undergarments. You may need to stay at work for an extended duration if it is unsafe to leave.
- Fuel up your vehicles early today and go to the store early. You may need to limit your exposure in public for the next several days due to unrest.
- If you have any security guard bumper stickers or anything of that nature consider razoring them off your vehicle. Do not draw unnecessary attention.
Ladies and gentlemen, we hope that all the risk assessments over-estimated the risk and that these precautions are all unnecessary. However, we recommend you take as many as you feel applicable to you and your facilities. Lastly, we’ll ask that you pray for everyone’s safety and for our country. God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.