Real Estate Industry Continues Homeland Security Awareness Campaign
In conjunction with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's effort to promote business readiness, the real estate industry continues its awareness campaign to encourage building owners and managers to address homeland security issues such as emergency preparedness and response planning.
Many real estate owners and operators are leading the way in this area already... advancing building and facility security plans and thinking carefully about property operations to protect people and assets.
Now, the challenge is to reach the next level... at a time when federal officials say the threat environment for attacks against the U.S. remains dangerous.
Homeland security isn't just the government's responsibility; it takes a joint effort across the public and private sectors to ensure our safety and protection.
The real estate industry's awareness campaign is led by the Real Estate Information Sharing and Analysis Center. Now in its 14th year, the Real Estate ISAC is a conduit for information sharing between the public and private sectors.
The Real Estate ISAC urges building owners and operators to:
- Recognize their responsibility to address terrorism-security issues, including emergency preparedness and response.
- Build relationships with law enforcement officials at all levels.
- Report suspicious incidents or activity to local law enforcement and the federal government. (What to report? See "Report Incidents" on this website to learn more.)
- Undertake reasonable risk assessments of buildings and portfolios.
- Develop emergency preparedness and recovery plans for businesses and buildings.
- Participate in emergency-response exercises as requested by the Red Cross and government officials.
Are You Ready?
"Are You Ready?" ads from the Real Estate ISAC have appeared in ISAC member-organization and other publications. The ads encourage every real estate business and every building to have an emergency preparedness and recovery plan, test it and maintain it.
Among the steps you can take:
- Establish an emergency planning committee
- Develop an incident and emergency management plan
- Communicate the plan to key stakeholders, including staff, tenants and third-party service providers
- Inform external stakeholders, including local police and fire officials, about the plan
- Identify the resources needed and train staff to implement the plan
- Test the plan through practice exercises and drills, including with local law enforcement
- Refine the plan to accommodate lessons learned
- Regularly review the plan; update it as needed
Emergency preparedness and response planning is everyone's responsibility. Make it yours.