Ben Scaglione

In addition to providing the Northeast’s largest security trade show, ISC East will include free conference sessions and keynote speeches right on the show floor and several paid workshops. The Nov. 20-21 event at New York’s Javits Center will also include vendor solution sessions from Axis Communications, Hikvision and NAPCO. Wide variety of paid workshops An advantage of the International Security Conference & Exposition in New York is that much of the programming is complimentary to registered attendees, and location of the sessions on the show floor means attendees don’t have to leave the exhibition to take in a session. The paid workshops include technology sessions about cyber terminology for physical security integratorsThe paid workshops include an Active Shooter Workshop and technology sessions about cyber terminology for physical security integrators; and basic installation and configuration of video surveillance solutions. An OSDP (Open Supervised Device Protocol) Boot Camp Short Course will also be offered. As a smaller show, the topics of ISC East conference sessions are broader and of more general interest, rather than organized into focused “tracks” as at ISC West. Attendance at sessions can provide continuing education (CE) credits with organizations that partner with ISC East – one credit for each hour-long session. Attendees can use their Certificate of Attendance from any session to self-report their education hours to relevant industry bodies: ALOA (AEU education credits), ASIS (CPE continuing professional education credits) and NICET (CPD Continuing Professional Development points). An advantage of the International Security Conference & Exposition in New York is that much of the programming is complimentary to registered attendees Keynote sessions at the Main Stage The Main Stage will be the venue for keynote sessions delivered by Deanne Criswell, Commissioner, New York City Emergency Management (on Day 1 – Nov. 20); and Angela Stubblefield, Chief of Staff at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) (on Day 2 – Nov. 21). The two SIA Education@ISC East educational theaters on the show floor will be booked up both days with a variety of interesting topics. A new session covers penetration testing for physical security, presented by Michael Glasser of Glasser Security Group. A session on LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensors will be presented by Frank Bertini, UAV and Robotics Business Manager, Velodyne LiDAR. Another popular topic is Safe Cities, and FLIR will present a session on moving from secured to smart cities with intelligent, connected systems. New addition is Active Shooter Workshop  The Active Shooter Workshop is a new addition to the ISC East program. It has been a popular session at ISC West for three years now. At ISC East, presenters of the workshop will be David LaRose, System Director Public Health, Lee Health; and Ben Scaglione, Director of Healthcare and Security Programming, Lowers and Associates. At the end of the workshop, an additional hour of programming will be the “Stop the Bleed/Save a Life” session presented by Jerry Wilkins, Co-Owner of Active Risk Survival. The Main Stage will be the venue for keynote sessions delivered by Deanne Criswell, Commissioner, New York City Emergency Management, and Angela Stubblefield, Chief of Staff at the Federal Aviation Administration Woman in Security event A Women in Security Forum breakfast event will be held on Nov. 21 (Thursday). It’s the second annual event and this year will focus on diversity and inclusiveness in the workplace of the future. Valerie Anderson, President of Boon Edam, will lead a discussion on “Diversity 2.0: Next Steps for Creating an Empowered Workforce”Moderator Valerie Anderson, President of Boon Edam, will lead a discussion on “Diversity 2.0: Next Steps for Creating an Empowered Workforce.” Panelists are Lisa Terry of Allied Universal, Andrew Lanning of Integrated Security Technologies, Elaine Palome of Axis Communications and Dawne Hanks of Milestone. The Women in Security event is likely to attract up to 100 attendees. SIA’s Women in Security is an active organization, with monthly meetings and a newsletter that recognizes prominent women in the security industry. “It’s really a group for both men and women,” says Mary Beth Shaughnessy, Event Director, ISC Events at Reed Exhibitions. “There are many programmes, recruiting efforts, and professional and networking opportunities. They are a robust group of people who are active in making a difference. It’s important to support women in the security industry, which is 95% male, and to develop a new generation of women to be a part of the industry’s future.” The keynote addresses at ISC East will also highlight two high-profile women.

Our most popular articles in 2017 reflected changing trends in the U.S. security market, from deep learning to protection of mobile workers, from building automation to robotics. Again in 2017, the most read articles tended to be those that addressed timely and important issues in the security marketplace. In the world of digital publishing, it’s easy to know what content resonates with the market: Our readers tell us with their actions; i.e., where they click.   Let’s look back at the Top 10 most-clicked articles we posted in 2017. They are listed in order here with the author’s name and a brief excerpt.  1. Las Vegas Massacre Demands Reevaluation of Hospitality Sector Security The Oct. 1, 2017, sniper attack from a 32nd-floor room at Mandalay Bay, overlooking 22,000 people attending a country music festival, has been compared to “shooting fish in a barrel.” When the bullets rained down, there was nowhere to hide. The attack came from outside the “perimeter” of the event, so any additional screening of attendees would not have prevented it. There are also implications of the Las Vegas massacre for the hospitality industry. Hotels and resorts such as Mandalay Bay have not generally embraced technologies like the explosives scanners or X-ray machines used at airport terminals, at least not in the United States. 2. Deep Learning Algorithms Broaden the Scope of Video Analytics [Zvika Ashani] Until recently there have been minimal applications of Machine Learning used in video analytics products, largely due to high complexity and high resource usage, which made such products too costly for mainstream deployment. However, the last couple of years have seen a tremendous surge in research and advances surrounding a branch of Machine Learning called Deep Learning. The recent increased interest in Deep Learning is largely due to the availability of graphical processing units (GPUs). GPUs can efficiently train and run Deep Learning algorithms The last couple of years have seen a tremendous surge in research and advances surrounding a branch of Machine Learning called Deep Learning 3. Home Security Systems: Why You Need to Upgrade From 3G to 4G Technology [Missy Dalby] The current communication method for most home security systems is via CDMA and 3G (GSM) technologies. With the emergence of faster, better, and stronger 4G LTE technology, carriers are migrating away from old technology standards and methods towards new, more efficient ones. As such, the older technology is going dark, and soon. Manufacturers of cellular modules have stopped making them. At the end of 2018 they will stop letting customers add systems utilizing 3G radios to their channels. 4. Diving into AI and Deep Learning at NVIDIA’s San Jose Conference [Larry Anderson] Video analytics applications fall under NVIDIA's “AI City” initiative, which they describe as a combination of "safe cities" (video surveillance, law enforcement, forensics) and "smart cities" (traffic management, retail analytics, resource optimization). Depending on the application, AI City technology must function in the cloud, on premises and/or at the edge. NVIDIA’s new Metropolis initiative offers AI at every system level, from the Jetson TX2 "embedded supercomputer" available at the edge, to on-premises servers (using NVIDIA’s Tesla and Quadro) to cloud systems (using NVIDIA’s DGX). 5. Physical Security Evolves to Protect Mobile Workers [Annie Asrari] With an increasing number of employees traveling and working remotely, the days of a dedicated worker who commutes to and from a single location every day of the week are just about over. Security professionals must take a second look at their policies and procedures for employee safety. To protect employees in this new mobile world, where people, assets and brand reputation threats may face higher than normal levels of safety and security risks, businesses must focus less on securing physical, four-wall perimeters and instead take a global approach to security that focuses on protecting traveling, remote and lone workers. Businesses must take a global approach to security that focuses on protecting traveling, remote and lone workers 6. New Security Technologies Driving Excitement on Busy ISC West Day One [Larry Anderson] ISC West in Las Vegas kicked off April 5 with an expanding focus on new technologies and new applications, including some that go beyond any narrow definition of security. “Technology is disrupting the market and executives are taking our solutions beyond security,” says Moti Shabtai, CEO and President of Qognify. “They are starting with security and quickly moving to other risk and business continuity issues in the organizations. They want a clear return on investment (ROI), which we can deliver if we move from covering a limited island of ‘security’ issues and give them the value of also managing risk, safety, and operations.” 7. Optimizing Building Automation for Good Return on Investment [Minu Youngkin] Smart buildings are on the rise around the world, not only because a growing number of companies are considering their environmental impact, but also because of the dramatic cost savings that can be realized through integration. In every building that has an integrated security and access control system, an opportunity awaits to also integrate the building’s energy use, water use, ventilation and more. The key is to effectively convey the tremendous potential of this new technology to the end user. 8. ISC West 2017: How Will IT and Consumer Electronics Influence the Secuirty Industry? [Fredrik Nilsson] A good way to predict trends [at the upcoming ISC West show] is to look at what’s happening in some larger, adjacent technology industries, such as IT and consumer electronics. Major trends on these fronts are the most likely to influence what new products will be launched in the electronic security industry. Proof in point is H.264, an advanced compression technology ratified in 2003 and adopted as the new standard by the consumer industry a few years later. By 2009, it became the new compression standard for the video surveillance industry as well. Violence will continue to challenge the healthcare sector in the future 9. The Future of Healthcare Security: Violence Response and Emergency Preparedness [Ben Scaglione and David LaRose] Violence will continue to challenge the healthcare sector in the future. Domestic violence, child abuse, behavioral health, drug and alcohol abuse will all continue to challenge hospital staff in the Emergency Department, Women’s Health, and behavioral health areas. The Hazard Vulnerability Assessments (HVA) along with facility wide risk assessments helps in defining risk severity and identifying historical patterns of violence. 10. Robot Revolution: Uncovering the Real Value of Security Robots [Steve Reinharz] The security coverage that a robot offers in the case of a shopping mall can be easily overshadowed by the fact that the machines seem to serve to entertain the population. Instead, security robots can best be utilized for more high-level roles, such as in critical infrastructure sites, corporate campuses and educational facilities, where wide, expansive spaces require continuous protection. In these locales, security can be difficult to achieve, as cost, location and lack of resources make the logistics of deployment difficult.

There have been many changes in the healthcare environment over the past decade. The Affordable Care Act has been established, severe weather events are on the rise, violence along with active shootings continue to increase, behavioral health patients present treatment challenges and hospitals continue to consolidate to increase purchasing and service capabilities. Over the next decade, healthcare will continue to transform. Emphasis will be on financial reform, violence response, emergency preparedness, the proper care and handling of behavioral health patients and service efficiencies. Current Issues Affecting Healthcare Security Violence in healthcare continues to pose the greatest risk to hospital staff. Several key healthcare organizations have published information to assist security directors in the reduction of violent incidents. The International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety (IAHSS) publishes security and design guidelines specific for healthcare facilities. These resources provide valuable and internationally recognized practices and standards for addressing healthcare violence. The IAHSS Foundation (IAHSSF) publishes an annual crime and incident survey analyzing violence in healthcare. The American Hospital Association (AHA) recently published a webpage specifically to assist in the mitigation of violence. ASIS International has published several whitepapers addressing healthcare security; specifically violence related to behavioral health patients and disruptive and violent behaviors in healthcare. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) website offers numerous tools and resources pertaining to workplace violence and safety with a section devoted specifically to the healthcare industry. Possibility Of Healthcare Workplace Violence Prevention At the time of writing, the Republican Party had not figured out how to change the Affordable Care Act (ACA) while still making healthcare more affordable. Most likely changes in health care will occur within the expanded purchasing options, Health Savings Accounts (HAS’s), Medicare reimbursement and the use of government exchanges. The indoctrination of the ACA included increased investigation to Medicare fraud and audits to hospitals for billing errors. In 2016, the Federal government collected over three billion dollars in fraud and reconciled billings to Medicare. Domestic violence, child abuse, behavioral health, drug and alcohol abuse will all continue to challenge hospital staff The Joint Commission issued Sentinel Alert 57. This alert focuses on the role of leadership in developing a safe culture. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OHSA) contemplated issuing a healthcare workplace violence prevention standard. This standard required healthcare institutions to have a clearly defined prevention program in place. This year, a total of 25 states have legalised marijuana. This legislation will dramatically change how we care for patients and deal with patients, employees and visitors who are using the substance and may be impaired at work and within the hospital, and who may request continued use while being an in-patient within a facility that is smoke free. The Future For Healthcare Security In the future, healthcare security professionals will have to deal with a variety of events from severe weather, violent and active shooter incidents, terrorist attacks, and continued changes to healthcare reimbursement. Severe weather has the potential to impact all healthcare systems across the globe. Specific attention must be directed at knowing the weather threats common to specific geographical locations. A Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP) must be current and thorough for disaster response. Performing exercises is a valuable tool in staff education and opportunity to reinforced skills for those assigned to incident command positions. The Hazard Vulnerability Assessments helps in defining risk severity and identifying historicalpatterns of violence Violence will continue to challenge the healthcare sector in the future. Domestic violence, child abuse, behavioral health, drug and alcohol abuse will all continue to challenge hospital staff in the Emergency Department, Women’s Health, and behavioral health areas. The Hazard Vulnerability Assessments (HVA) along with facility wide risk assessments helps in defining risk severity and identifying historical patterns of violence. Active Shooting Incidents According to the FBI, an analysis of 2014 and 2015 active shooter incidents identified 20 incidents in each of these years. This annual tally is an increase from 17 in the year 2013. In a John Hopkins study entitled, “Hospital-based Shootings in the United States: 2000 to 2011,” Hopkins identified 154 hospital related shooting events (26.6 events per 1,000 hospitals) in 148 hospitals, affecting 235 victims (0.79 per 1,000,000 population). The risk of experiencing an active shooter incident is increasing. Hospitals must be prepared to not only deal with their own active shooter incident, but any that could occur in their service community. Changes in terrorist tactics now present a new challenge for the healthcare security. According to Homeland Security, hospitals play a major role in the response for terrorist-related incidents and terrorist activities within the United States. Today, incidents are comprised of local combatants whose goal is to kill civilians in crowded areas like restaurants, concerts, and other mass gatherings. Attacks in the past have focused on first responders and their ability to treat victims. Healthcare institutions need to be ready to again accept victims of terrorist events and prepare for the potential for becoming victims of an event as well. Trump Care At the writing of this article, “Trump Care” is still being debated. However, certain things seem clear. In the future, Medicare reimbursement will probably be reduced leaving hospitals with less money within their payor mix. Trump Care may also see increased State control over the reimbursement process, allowing each State to decide its own fate when it comes to Medicare and Medicaid payment rates. This could provide hospitals with less revenue, leaving hospital security departments with budgets struggles for both staffing and technology. Today, incidents are comprised of local combatants whose goal is to kill civilians in crowded areas like restaurants, concerts, and other mass gatherings Staff recruitment will remain amongst the most challenging endeavor. The need for qualified and skilled security staff will challenge the best of talent recruiters. Competitive wages and benefits will require continual focus for attracting skilled labor. Recruiting practices and personal skill screening tools will be of benefit. Some systems find outsourcing their security department the best option. Hybrid models are options as well as contracting with local law enforcement for additional presence. Training For Healthcare Security Staff A key factor of success for security in healthcare is training. Providing staff with the necessary tools and skills will afford significant return on investment with quality and satisfaction outcomes. Healthcare security staff should receive training focusing on patient safety, patient experience, customer experience and quality of service. Awareness and understanding of behavioral health, aggression management and de-escalation talents, crime prevention and customer service abilities and aptitudes are a must. The International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety (IAHSS) offers several educational certification levels designed specifically for healthcare security officers.  Importance Of Robust Security Department Utilising concepts and dynamics of lean tools, technology options, clinical throughput, and Standard Work all influence security services. The concept of Standard Work is popular in the business world. Utilising this concept is beneficial to security. Standard Work can identify staffing needs, work flow process, consistency in service levels, and maximum utilization of technology resources and equipment. Striving for the right person doing the right work with the right skill set is the desired outcome. Often the same concept will hold true for identifying the right department providing the right service for the right reason. Data will be of extreme importance in the distribution of those resources. Security departments need to collect relevant data on all aspects of security services from reported crime data, security calls for service, annual risk assessments and benchmarking data. Hospital security departments must create a data-driven environment that can help to demonstrate service needs and improve processes over time. The real success of using data is the analysis of data to determine patterns and trends that can demonstrate the need for and successes in security services. Methods for managing healthcare security are driving factors. A robust security department will implement and utilize security technology to support and influence safety, security and quality outcome measures. Return on investment (ROI) and the ability to show quality metrics and positive influence in life-safety, security and patient satisfaction scores will be core in driving positive capital decisions. Challenges of healthcare security in the future will require continued education and knowledge of current trends, guidelines, and standards within the healthcare security industry. By Ben Scaglione and David LaRose