Our nation’s security depends on the safety and security of facilities that manufacture, store, or utilize hazardous materials. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Infrastructure Protection (IP) leads and coordinates programs and policies on a national scope that impact local security implementation. The mission is to uncover vulnerabilities and develop programs to address the risks. Presidential Policy Directive 21 (PPD-21) advances a national policy and outlines 16 critical infrastructure sectors.
When addressing Chemical Sector considerations, it’s important to consider how your organization stores and secures chemicals. Manufacturing plants and other industrial facilities may fall under this category. Your workers may not consider your facility to be a target for international or domestic terrorism, but as a leader, you think on a broad scale, and may decide that your facility is due for a security risk and vulnerability assessment.
The chemical sector is comprised of hundreds of thousands of chemical facilities across the United States which manufacture, store, or utilize chemicals to produce products that are critical for modern life. These chemicals range from basic household supplies to agricultural chemicals to pharmaceuticals.
It’s critical to develop working relationships with local law enforcement agencies, and local businesses, and other organizations. Engage an industry-leading security solutions provider who brings experience from similar facilities like yours. Their knowledge of best practices will speed up the planning process and ensure a solid security foundation is established.
Planning for the prevention of and reaction to an attack is critical. A solid security plan starts with your professional relationships. Your security vendor will look at your project from a multi-dimensional perspective. When it comes to security, everything from perimeter protection to recording video cameras needs to be considered:
- Video surveillance
- Access control
- Intrusion detection
- Perimeter fence detection
- Gates, bollards, and turnstiles
- Voice communication
- Policies and procedures
Employees need to be trained to react appropriately in the event of a security breach or attack. Training starts with procedural awareness and develops into the knowledge of minute security system details.
Reporting: “If you see something, say something,” has become the common mantra of homeland security. It may rarely cross an employee’s mind to report suspicious activity, but if your facility could be a target, they need to keep their eyes open for anything out of the ordinary.
DHS has developed resources to get you started:
- Chemical Sector Fact Sheet
- DHS Hometown Security Initiative
- Tools and Resources to Help Businesses Plan, Prepare, and Protect from an Attack
- Critical Infrastructure Cyber Community Voluntary Program
- If you see something, say something Campaign
Take the initiative today to contact a Solutionist at Securitronics to assess and develop your approach to security at your facility.
A complimentary site visit gets you started on the path to a safer, more secure facility.