Category: Access Control

The Shifting State of Retail Safety and Security

Retail store theft levels are stabilizing, but external theft and fraud overall continue to rise, according to a new study released by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and the Loss Prevention Research Council. In addition, workplace violence remains a major concern for retailers. The Impact of Theft & Violence 2026 report found that retailers experienced a […]

Your Front Door Is a Performance System: Managing High-Traffic Entrances for Reliability and Efficiency

Every day, thousands of people pass through building entrances without a second thought, until something goes wrong. A malfunctioning door during peak hours isn’t just an inconvenience; it disrupts operations, creates safety risks, and slows critical building flow. For facilities managers overseeing high-traffic environments, such as hospitals, retail centers, corporate campuses, transit hubs, and more, […]

AI’s Expanding Role in Creating Safer Healthcare Facilities

Healthcare facilities are designed to heal people. Yet for many healthcare workers, safety has become an increasingly urgent concern. Hospitals and healthcare campuses today face a complicated environment. Teams are managing higher patient volumes, workforce shortages, increased visitor traffic, and growing concerns around workplace violence. Security leaders are being asked to do more than respond […]

Expert Q&A: Cooper Briscoe of Brivo on AI-Powered Video Intelligence

Editor’s note: In this interview with FMA sister publication EHSLeaders, Cooper Briscoe, VP of marketing at Brivo, discusses how AI-powered video intelligence helps organizations get increased value out of existing camera systems. (Edited for clarity) Q: Why hasn’t the prevalence of cameras resulted in improved safety? Briscoe: I think you have to look back at what cameras […]

Why Facilities Managers Are Replacing Paper Visitor Logs with Smart Systems

A facilities manager’s day is full of urgent tasks. Managing the visitor log rarely feels urgent. But paper sign-in sheets create small costs that add up over time. First, lost records. Paper gets thrown away, coffee-stained, or torn. If an insurance adjuster asks for a thirty-day visitor history after an incident, a missing page becomes […]

Facilities Projects Your College Should Tackle Over Summer Break

Once students leave campus, the window opens for projects that are impossible to complete safely or efficiently during the academic year. Empty halls and classrooms create the perfect environment for overhauls and cosmetic updates. The big challenge here is often identifying which projects to prioritize. While every campus has unique needs, facilities managers should aim […]

Fire Door Inspections Are Rising—But Most Buildings Aren’t Ready

As we recently closed out Building Safety Month in May, it served as a great reminder for facilities managers to evaluate their passive fire protection systems. While active systems like sprinklers and alarms often get the spotlight, passive defenses—specifically fire door assemblies—are equally important for compartmentalizing smoke and flames to save lives. Over the past […]

Closing the Gap Between Intent and Reality in K‑12 School Security

Walk into almost any K‑12 school in America, and you’ll see evidence of intent: secured or restricted vestibules, posted check-in procedures, and safety guidelines on the wall. But walk in during the middle of a busy afternoon, and you’ll probably see something different: a door that’s been propped open, a visitor wandering past an unattended […]

Managing Gun Violence Risk in Shared Facility Spaces

Editor’s note: FM Perspectives are industry op-eds. The views expressed are the authors’ and do not necessarily reflect those of Facilities Management Advisor. The morning looks like any other: elevators moving, tenants badging in, the lobby filling with familiar faces. Then—gunfire erupts in the lobby. Security scrambles for their radio. By the time 911 confirms, chaos has […]