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NEWSWIRE
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BSC collaborates with industry to build security |
By Rhianna Daniels - 05.06.2008
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WASHINGTON--The Building Security Council is ramping up for the release of its rating system in June that experts hope will coordinate efforts to improve the security of state, municipal and privately owned buildings.
The rating process, which is backed by the Department of Homeland Security as a Qualified Anti-Terrorism Technology under the Safety Act, attempts to build a cohesive process for building security, which in the past has been uncoordinated, ineffective, or nonexistent, said Britt Wood, the newly appointed executive vice president of the council.
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"This is very unique and it is the first of its kind," Wood said. "If owners apply for the rating they are helping their companies mitigate potential liability. We also think this helps the industry regulate itself without having to have the government step in."
Building owners will have to apply for the rating and will submit detailed information about the design and operation of their buildings. A set of reviewers will then evaluate the application against BSC criteria.
The council, which was developed by the American Society of Professional Engineers in 2005, developed the idea for the system but the program has been "in limbo", Wood said as acquiring the Safety Act designation took upwards to 12 months. Passed in 2002, the Safety Act provides legal liability protections for providers of qualified anti-terrorism technologies to encourage the development of anti-terrorism solutions.
Not only does the rating system help owners secure their buildings, but in the process it also strengthens structures to withstand terror attacks, physical or chemical.
The program also develops a benchmarking system of sorts in the area of building development. When building owners and their security teams evaluate the rating checklist, "it gives you a sense of where you are compared to your peers and you can then make decisions that will help bring you up to industry standards," Wood said.
How else do building owners and their security staffs benefit from this program? Wood said the council will work with the industry to cut down on the insurance rates for rated buildings, whether they are in a high-risk area such as Washington or New York, or if they house a high-risk tenant -- a senator or a lobbyist, for example.
But the program is not limited to corporate office buildings. Wood said this is also applicable for light industrial sites, shopping centers and schools.
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