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© All rights reserved Juan Kirsten 2020 for HIM [ Human Investigation Management]
Presented HIM | Human Investigation Management endorsed by ISIO | International Security Industry Organization and IFPO | International Foundation for Protection Officers
The security industry can be the foundation to disable COVID-19
The building blocks for success must begin by obtaining information from ground level. In many countries there are more private security officers than the police forces. It begins with the security practitioners that likely have had training in situational awareness. Within an hour or two, they must be re-trained quickly to identify a person of concern, approach them and conduct short critical situational interviews. Then, they must report their report the findings on an easy to use reporting system.
There is a saying in Africa that, ‘’one could eat an elephant when one eats a small bite at a time’’. Eventually the entire elephant will be eaten. The practitioners on the ground must build their own secure structure by having the four (4) legs firmly in place on the ground and gets working with the protocols that are based on the same principle but designed to suit them best. Then, the elephant will initially use the trunk to let others know what and where there is a danger, until the day will come when all trunks will trumpet victory together.
This is for the practitioner (elephant) on the ground:
• Weaponize the team with knowledge to identify and report the threat
• Collect the reporting and get an understanding of one’s own big picture using a visual incident management system be it on a black/white board or using software
• Plug the holes
• Begin again with more relevant knowledge from own experiences as each location or field of interest may have unique issues. Then lift that trunk and let others know what was uncovered and what did work!
Some may have read this before but, indulge yourself as it will take a different direction. In order for societies to survive this pandemic, all must realize the simple formula that security success to limit the collateral damage will depend on the level of situational awareness of the people on the ground (all are decision-makers) and their reaction speed.
The key to such is specific knowledge, situational awareness and reaction speed! In-turn, society as a whole must obtain substantial and reliable data from the people on the ground to prioritize the necessary actions that must be taken.
Lack of information and unreliable delivery of relevant information from the people on the ground will cripple strategy, and waste precious time. Every second that ticks over another life could be taken.
FIRST LEG (WHO AND WHAT TO EDUCATE)
It begins with the security practitioners that likely have had training in situational awareness and they must just be up-skilled quickly to bank on their previous training by adding some knowledge which will take an hour or so to undergo overview training. Thereafter, they will train themselves on the job. This dictates that skills must be relevant to the threat in theater. The good thing is that many have the educational foundation of situational awareness and can easily build upon such. One must adapt to the new moment in time where, even if people believe that they are sufficiently skilled then their ego could inhibit their performance. The ‘all-knowing person’, realizes that the knowledge from the past may be insufficient and not be relevant for this type of pandemic. Gathering information from more than one source could strengthen the foundation.
Let us take this further, where people that have information could be the heads of departments or the HR that obtains information from people that may report in sick. All this data must be gathered quickly by all, namely the practitioner and HR by using a simple method of reporting onto a common-base.
Character of the person
This pandemic could drive people to react and do desperate things that may be out of their norm. The practitioner on the ground must be a people person that is balanced with empathy and ego drive. It will not help matters if the practitioner is just driven and focused on using physical force because it will cause more chaos. Furthermore, they cannot be bias in any sense of the word, because their thoughts will be displayed in their verbal and body language which will cause the other to instinctively react with mistrust and disrespect.
The practitioner must calm people down and bring them to their senses to encourage cooperation. One cannot afford to confront aggressive behavior and must manage such accordingly. This could easily be trained in a 1-hour virtual recordable meeting because each scenario could demand specific highlighted points.
LEG 2 [WHAT TO LOOK FOR]
Initially, by using temperature detection technology and the situationally aware people on the ground people of concern could be identified quickly. If the person of concern refuses to voluntarily take themselves out of the equation to self-quarantine and resists then the security officers must contain, detain and summon authorities immediately. (This must be done by properly trained personnel that are clad in protection gear)
X-Factors in the situation: Thoughts motivate people
Keeping in mind that there are already people that are unknowingly infected. The focus in this case is working with something that is known which is the knowing person that should be in self-quarantine. There must so many reasons why people would break quarantine curfew, namely:
A) The infected person may need desperately something for themselves or their family and break curfew. A simple solution could solve this problem.
B) There are infected people that may have cabin-fever and just needs to get out because they feel claustrophobic. Perhaps some have their personal desires overcome their caring for themselves or others and they need to indulge their pleasures. Yes, there are people that are unable to control their desires besides the ones with compulsive obsessive behavior disorder or, even simply motivated by jealously for that matter could cause someone to break quarantine.
C) There also could be infected people that are mentally unwell or emotionally in turmoil. Some may even believe that they are going to die and need to settle issues with others.
To ensure people that are in quarantine and must stay in quarantine for good reason, the authorities may lay down a law that people would be arrested and charged for attempted murder. That threat is going to add fuel to the fire because they would need single cells to hold masses of people.
LEG 3 [WHAT TO DO WITH THE INFORMATION RETRIEVED]
This data collated could then be access by the practitioner on the ground so that they are able to address and manage the access to their region of responsibility. Furthermore, they are also providing information when they identify a person of concern that may be refused entry or when the person is re-routed to another entrance, for example, at a hospital where there could be dedicated and distinct entry points.
The pharmacist in a mall would attract perhaps compromised people. These people could have already tested positive or/and in a state high temperature where hopefully they have already been flagged and dealt with accordingly at the entrance to the mall. Keeping in mind, one must accept the fact that desperate people will do desperate things and may use the backdoor to get into the mall. This calls for the pharmacist to have security practitioners at their own entrances. This is an example of layered security that may be required for other businesses on the ground.
Once a person of concern is identified because of technology or a critical situational interviewing because per person was lying or hiding information besides refusing to cooperate, then that person must be contained and detained until the authorities take over. This method must be used in concert with the authorities because people that are weaponized could infect others with this very infectious virus.
Implications
The soon hopefully to-be situation - Shortly, going to the mall, catching a bus, train, ship or even a taxi shortly will involve some form of equipment or technology for human health assessment. At all access control points there will be some form of temperature detection, be it, by hand swiping over a temperature reader panel, perhaps included will be CCTV temp detection besides the handheld device. These could be linked to mass data incident management system.
LEG 4 [REPEATING THE CYCLE WITH MORE NEW KNOWLEDGE]
Actions
Using the repetition of certain words and concepts because the previously stated could turn direction into another scenario where the original language applies. Highlighting the weaponized human threat. ‘We must keep in mind the above scenario that people may not comply because they just simply cannot control because their desires’’ Recognition and Habitation of the habitual contaminator
Technology
1. As stated earlier, a temperature detection connected to some form of access control or incident management system.
2. Cell site tracking. One the person of concern is registered then their mobile phone can be monitored. If curfew is broken, then the authorities clad in protection gear can either escort the person back to their location or sent to a more security center to ensure that they are contained. Or on-site reporting when a person of concern is identified when they have broken curfew using technology such as temperature detection, access control tech or CCTV cameras.
3. At a center of quarantine containment, the person of concern could have a location monitoring device bracelet strapped to their leg. If they do not have legs, then suppose their arms would do. Furthermore, the technology of surveillance, access of perimeter security is functional that are interconnected with an alert system, then, reaction speed being key, will support a better result.
Lift and Sound the Trumpet
Reaction Speed
A) The nature of the beast - This is a pandemic that knows no bounds and does not make decisions, nor does it discriminate.
B) There is no room for procrastination – this demands immediate action!
Conclusion
To comprehend what type of situational awareness, equipment to use, quick training of specific skills that are now relevant, getting the most out of incident management software, view ISIO guidance articles or HIM e-Connect (Can be found through ISIO AND IFPO) for such.
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