Technology and collaboration are key for keeping federal buildings safe and secure

As threats to government officials and federal buildings persist, technology has become a critical tool for emergency mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery efforts. Considering the security breaches that have happened in recent years, federal agencies, in collaboration with state and local partners, are re-evaluating their current technologies and processes, and devising new strategies to ensure that federal properties and their occupants are safe and secure. This same level of scrutiny and strategy should also be applied to organization-centric continuity plans and tailored to the core operations that each agency must continue to execute no matter the form of disaster or disruption. As government leaders look to improve building and life safety, it is critical that they collaborate with solution providers that have been through the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) process.

Technology can make a difference
An effective emergency notification system (ENS) is a vital tool for emergency preparedness and is a great starting point for those charged with spearheading the safety of federal buildings. An ENS should be able to automatically manage user data, send out two-way messages and poll recipients for their status and location. This dynamic information flow allows incident management teams to gain a better understanding of what is happening on the ground and make informed decisions about response and communication updates.

Tactical incident management solutions, or digital task lists, can also be used to easily share key data, ensure protocols are followed and manage evolving tactical situations across any organization or location. This level of collaboration is important for a successful emergency response, and thus the reason why a digital task list is the most effective way to create customized incident workflows, assign responsibilities, track progress, share multimedia files and chat with team members in real-time. Additionally, a task list can integrate with existing systems such as 911, CAD, mass notification, video security and more so that all authorized parties have a unified view of critical information.

In terms of 911 capabilities, new Smart Proximity Alerting technology is now being used to automatically notify local security and communications teams when there are critical incidents in or around their facilities—adverse events that teams may not normally have known about until much later in the emergency timeline. For example, a Smart Proximity Alert could notify federal safety and communications teams when there is a search for an armed suspect within a certain distance of a federal facility. This technology acts as a hyper-local threat intelligence solution that eliminates the need for time-consuming and error-prone human intervention. With Smart Proximity Alerting, local safety and communications teams can be quickly informed about potential threats so that they can respond effectively. At the state level, officials are starting to leverage this early warning technology to address concerns about soft targets and to foster engagement among public safety stakeholders.

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