Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has released the Anonymized Threat Response Guidance: A Toolkit for K-12 Schools, a new resource to help K-12 schools and their law enforcement and community partners create tailored approaches to addressing anonymous threats of violence, including those received on social media. The toolkit outlines steps school leaders can take to […]
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) awarded 35 grants, totaling $18 million, under the Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention (TVTP) Grant Program for fiscal year 2024 (FY24). Awardees include public health organizations, colleges and universities, and groups working with underserved communities. The program is administered by the DHS Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3) and […]
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 senseless killing of two students and two teachers at Apalachee High School in rural Georgia on Sept. 4 once again begs the question, “How do we stop these school shootings?” It seems we […]
Convenience store chain Circle K faces a $16,131 Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fine after a store cashier in Orlando, Florida, suffered a serious gunshot injury, the agency announced August 14. OSHA inspectors learned that two unidentified men entered the Circle K location on Silver Star Road shortly after 1 a.m. on January 19, 2024; pointed firearms; […]
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the inaugural members of the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse External Advisory Board, a group of school safety experts and education leaders that will provide advice and recommendations on practical ways to enhance K-12 school safety and security. The board will advise the DHS secretary through the Cybersecurity […]
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), in partnership with the Fauquier County Sheriff’s Office, the Fauquier County Fire Rescue System, and Fauquier County Public Schools in Virginia, successfully conducted a full-scale active shooter/reunification exercise aimed at bolstering the safety and security of K-12 schools on June 27. The exercise was held at Kettle Run […]
The National Education Association (NEA), in partnership with the Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, has released the “NEA School Gun Violence Prevention and Response Guide.” This comprehensive guide provides resources, tools, and practical recommendations to equip educators and others in the school community to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from gun violence in Pre-K–12 schools and institutions […]
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. “Duty of care” refers to the moral and legal obligations of employers to keep their employees, staff, contractors, vendors, and volunteers safe and secure when in the workplace, and when traveling on company business. According […]
No matter the workplace, facilities managers should consider working with management to have employees wear panic buttons, which can enhance the facility’s emergency management plans with the button’s associated digital indoor mapping applications. Stacy Meyer, Vice President of Marketing at CENTEGIX, gave a presentation called “Could Panic Buttons Save Lives? Many Organizations Think So” as […]
A new law recently enacted in California requires employers to implement a workplace violence prevention plan and could prove influential if other states follow suit. On Sept. 30, Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 553 into law, requiring nearly all businesses to have their plans in place by July 1, 2024. Exempted from the law are […]