Tips For Risk Managers On Terrorism

NU Online News Service, May 22, 11:10 a.m.EST?Risk managers concerned about a threat from suicidebombers should have a program that focuses on detection,deterrence, and attention to the unusual, according to a securityexpert.

Ross D. Bulla, president of the security consulting firm,Treadstone Group, Inc. in Denver, N.C., gave that advice in issuinga series of tips yesterday on how to lessen terrorism risks. Henoted that risk managers, the public, and building owners aresearching for answers on how best to protect themselves.

His 10 strategies, he said, should help to safeguard against andmitigate suicide attacks by walk-in bombers or car bombs, and canbe applied to any facility, from offices and high-rises, torestaurants, stadiums, and nightclubs.

The 10 strategies are as follows:

? Mr. Bulla recommended ensuring standoff distances of at least100 feet between vehicles and facilities. Three hundred feet ormore, he said, is ideal and traffic should be controlled by usingmetal posts or reinforced planters.

? All deliveries should be scheduled in advance and trucksinspected prior to entering a secured area. If possible, deliveriesshould be scheduled during non-business hours when the facility orestablishment is not heavily occupied, Mr. Bulla counseled.

? He advised having a high-visibility security presence withuniformed officers patrolling all perimeters and parking areas,varying their routes and frequency.

? Mr. Bulla said that allowable hand-carried bags and packagesshould be inspected, and it should be required that overcoats andjackets be opened or removed when entering a facility orestablishment.

? Private and semi-private facilities, he said, should issueemployee/tenant I.D. badges, and require visitors to sign in andout. Also, temporary "visitor" I.D. badges should be worn, andhosts should escort visitors at all times.

? Adequate security lighting should be installed, he said, andlandscaping maintained in a manner that will provide unobstructedlines of sight.

? Outside trash receptacles in close proximity of facilitiesshould be removed, Mr. Bulla advised.

? Building operators, he said, should be observant for potentialsurveillance by an outsider of their facility. Most attacks arepre-planned, he explained.

? Unattended packages, bags, and briefcases should bereported.

? Above all, Mr. Bulla counseled, "use common sense and trustyour instincts. This is your greatest defense against the mostdifficult type of attacks to prevent."

These steps, he said, might not prevent a suicide bombing, butthey might reduce the extent of injuries and damage by stopping thebomber as far from the infrastructure and occupants aspossible.

All facilities, regardless of size, he said, should undertake anobjective review of their security posture. Security experts canassess vulnerabilities and recommend best practices and acceptedstandards to safeguard people, property, and information.

Mr. Bulla admitted that "dishearteningly, suicide bombings arenearly impossible to detect or prevent. Even if, by chance, anattack were recognized, it would be practically impossible tothwart."

Suicide bombers' explosives are often concealed in hand-tailoredvests, prostheses, or carried in handbags or backpacks, he said.Mr. Bulla noted that bombers span all demographics, so an accurateprofile is hopeless. Therefore, the focus must be on detecting ordeterring the surreptitious entry of an explosive device.

"It is impossible, perhaps even injurious, to try and predictspecific U.S. targets in the absence of real and credible threatinformation," he said. "The best defense is vigilance andheightened awareness, regardless of the location."

While there are no universal guidelines or predictors that willprevent an attack, Mr. Bulla said, eyewitnesses and survivorsroutinely comment that the attacker appeared "suspicious."

"Trust your instincts. Look for the out-of-the-ordinary," hesaid, citing "the young, pregnant women who lacks a ?glow' ofpregnancy, carries no purse, enters, and walks directly to thecenter of a crowded restaurant. The lone male who fails to mimicthe emotions shared by those around him, or otherwise react'normally' for the situation, be it a celebration, solemngathering, or other event. Or the man or woman that is overlydressed for the situation or weather conditions. "

According to Mr. Bulla suicide bombers operating within U.S.borders are less likely to be Palestinian militants. He said theyare more likely to be domestic terrorists or al Qaedaoperatives.

Treadstone said it has done a variety of protection work forlarge corporations and implemented and managed the securitymeasures for entertainment and sporting venues, special events, andthe Olympic Games.