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How to Prepare a Condo Emergency Preparedness Checklist

As a property manager, ensuring the safety and preparedness of your condominium community is paramount. An effective emergency preparedness checklist is a crucial tool in safeguarding residents, visitors, and property during unforeseen events. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you develop a robust emergency preparedness checklist tailored for your condo.

Understanding the Importance


An emergency preparedness checklist serves as a blueprint for action in the face of various emergencies, including fires, natural disasters, medical crises, and security threats. By having a detailed plan, you can mitigate risks, coordinate responses, and ensure that everyone in your condominium community knows their role and responsibilities during an emergency.

Key Components of the Checklist

Risk Assessment and Planning

  • Identify Potential Hazards: Assess the building and surrounding areas to identify potential risks such as fires, floods, earthquakes, power outages, and security threats.
  • Develop Emergency Scenarios: Create scenarios for each identified hazard, outlining specific actions to be taken for evacuation, shelter-in-place, or other responses.
  • Establish a Command Structure: Define clear roles and responsibilities for property management staff, security personnel, and emergency response teams.


Communication Plan

  • Emergency Contact List: Maintain an updated list of emergency contacts, including local fire departments, police, hospitals, and utility companies.
  • Notification Systems: Implement multiple communication channels such as PA systems, emails, text alerts, and social media to inform residents quickly.
  • Resident Information: Ensure that resident contact information is up to date and that they are aware of communication protocols during emergencies.


Evacuation Procedures

  • Evacuation Routes: Clearly mark and regularly update evacuation routes, ensuring they are accessible and free of obstructions.
  • Assembly Points: Designate safe assembly points outside the building and ensure residents know their locations.
  • Special Assistance: Plan for residents with disabilities or special needs, ensuring they have the necessary assistance during an evacuation.

Safety Equipment and Supplies

  • Fire Safety: Install and maintain smoke detectors, fire alarms, sprinkler systems, and fire extinguishers. Conduct regular fire drills.
  • First Aid Kits: Ensure that well-stocked first aid kits are readily available on every floor.
  • Emergency Supplies: Store essential emergency supplies such as flashlights, batteries, blankets, non-perishable food, and water.

Training and Drills

  • Regular Training: Conduct regular training sessions for staff and residents on emergency procedures, including fire drills, first aid, and evacuation protocols.
  • Mock Drills: Organize periodic mock drills to test the effectiveness of the emergency plan and identify areas for improvement.
  • Feedback Mechanism: Establish a system for collecting feedback after drills and real emergencies to refine and update the emergency plan.

Documentation and Accessibility

  • Emergency Plan Documentation: Keep a detailed and updated copy of the emergency plan accessible to all residents, preferably in common areas and online.
  • Signage: Install clear and visible signage throughout the building indicating emergency exits, evacuation routes, and safety equipment locations.
  • Accessibility: Ensure that all emergency plans and communications are accessible to residents with disabilities.

Collaboration and Community Engagement

Building a resilient community involves collaboration between property management, residents, and local authorities. Engage residents in the planning process through meetings and surveys to understand their concerns and suggestions. Work closely with local emergency services to align your plans with their protocols and resources.

Continuous Improvement

Emergency preparedness is an ongoing process. Regularly review and update the checklist to address new threats, changes in building infrastructure, and feedback from drills and real incidents. Staying proactive and adaptable ensures that your condo community remains prepared for any emergency.

By following these guidelines and creating a comprehensive emergency preparedness checklist, you can enhance the safety and well-being of your condominium community. Preparedness not only protects lives and property but also fosters a sense of security and trust among residents, making your condo a safer and more resilient place to live.

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Security During the 2024 Solar Eclipse: A Guide for Canadian Businesses

As the 2024 solar eclipse approaches, Canadian businesses and commercial properties must prepare themselves from a security standpoint to ensure the safety of their premises, employees, and customers. While eclipses are awe-inspiring natural phenomena, they also bring about unique challenges that necessitate proactive measures. In this guide, we’ll delve into key considerations and precautions for businesses before and during the solar eclipse on April 8.

Controlling lighting systems

One crucial aspect for businesses to address is the management of lighting systems during the eclipse. As the sun’s light diminishes, it’s essential to have adequate lighting in place to maintain visibility and security on the premises. Businesses should consider adjusting existing lighting systems to ensure optimal illumination throughout the event. This can help prevent accidents, deter potential intruders, and maintain normal operations seamlessly.

Anticipating gatherings

With the spectacle of a solar eclipse drawing people outdoors to witness the event, businesses need to be prepared for potential gatherings around their properties. This is particularly important for establishments located in areas experiencing totality, such as Niagara Falls, Kingston, Montreal, Fredericton, and Gander. Businesses should communicate with local authorities, monitor crowd activity, and implement crowd management strategies to maintain order and security. Additionally, if businesses have outdoor areas accessible to the public, they should consider securing those spaces or providing guidance to ensure the safety of eclipse viewers.

Managing traffic impact

The influx of spectators travelling to prime viewing locations can lead to increased traffic congestion, impacting businesses’ operations. It’s advisable for businesses to plan ahead and consider potential disruptions caused by traffic congestion. This may involve adjusting staffing schedules, coordinating deliveries, or implementing alternative transportation arrangements for employees. By anticipating and mitigating the impact of traffic, businesses can minimize disruptions and maintain productivity during the eclipse.

General safety tips

In addition to specific security considerations, businesses should also prioritize general safety measures to protect their premises and personnel during the solar eclipse:

  • Secure valuables: Safeguard valuable assets and sensitive equipment by locking them away or implementing additional security measures.
  • Emergency preparedness: Review and update emergency protocols, including evacuation procedures and communication plans, to ensure readiness in the event of unforeseen incidents.
  • Employee awareness: Educate employees about the solar eclipse, its potential effects, and safety precautions to follow both inside and outside the workplace.
  • External lighting: Ensure that exterior lighting fixtures, such as parking lot lights, are operational and adequately illuminate surrounding areas to enhance visibility and deter unauthorized activity.
  • Surveillance systems: Test and verify the functionality of surveillance cameras and alarm systems to monitor activity and detect any security breaches promptly.

By proactively addressing these security considerations and adhering to safety guidelines, Canadian businesses and commercial properties can effectively prepare themselves for the 2024 solar eclipse. Prioritizing security and safety measures can ensure a smooth and secure experience for employees, customers, and visitors during this celestial event.

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The Role of Security Companies in Ensuring Safety in Colleges and Universities

Security is paramount in maintaining a safe and conducive environment for learning within colleges and universities across Canada. With the evolving landscape of threats and challenges, security companies play a pivotal role in safeguarding campuses against various risks. 

Ensuring Safety Across Campus

Security companies address a wide range of security challenges prevalent on college and university campuses in Canada. 

This includes:

  • Open structure buildings patrol to deter unauthorized access and ensure the safety of occupants.
  • Parking services to manage traffic flow, prevent vehicle-related incidents, and address parking violations.
  • Addressing vehicle threats by implementing security measures such as vehicle checkpoints, parking lot patrols, and vehicle tracking systems.
  • Conducting patrols of food and drink establishments to maintain order, enforce policies, and prevent incidents of violence or misconduct.
  • Combating property theft through surveillance, access control, and awareness campaigns aimed at promoting responsible behaviour.
  • Addressing student misconduct through enforcement of campus policies, conflict resolution, and counselling services.
  • Securing campus property and addressing trespasser threats through perimeter fencing, access control measures, and collaboration with law enforcement agencies.

Security Integration

Security integration involves the seamless coordination of various security systems and technologies to enhance overall campus safety. By integrating surveillance cameras, access control systems, and alarm systems, security companies can provide comprehensive coverage and quick response to potential threats. This integrated approach allows for real-time monitoring and proactive measures to mitigate risks effectively.

Security Guards

Security guards serve as the frontline defense against unauthorized access, theft, and other security breaches on campus. Trained professionals equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge can deter criminal activities, enforce campus policies, and provide assistance during emergencies. Whether stationed at entry points, conducting patrols, or monitoring surveillance feeds, security guards play a crucial role in maintaining a visible presence and promoting a sense of security among students, faculty, and staff.

Virtual Monitoring

Virtual monitoring leverages technology to remotely monitor campus premises and detect suspicious activities. Through strategically placed cameras and sensors, security companies can continuously monitor critical areas, such as parking lots, food establishments, and common areas. Advanced analytics and algorithms enable automated alerts for unusual behaviour or security breaches, allowing for swift intervention by security personnel.

Emergency Preparedness

Effective emergency preparedness is essential for mitigating the impact of unforeseen incidents, such as natural disasters, medical emergencies, or security threats. Security companies collaborate with academic institutions to develop comprehensive emergency response plans tailored to specific campus needs. This includes conducting risk assessments, implementing communication protocols, and organizing drills to ensure a coordinated and timely response during emergencies.

Mobile Patrol

Mobile patrol services offer flexibility and agility in addressing security concerns across campus grounds. Security personnel equipped with vehicles or bicycles conduct regular patrols to monitor various areas and respond quickly to incidents or alarms. Mobile patrols are particularly effective in covering large campuses or remote locations, providing an additional layer of security and deterrence against potential threats.

Security companies play a crucial role in ensuring safety and security within colleges and universities across Canada. By addressing specific challenges and collaborating closely with academic institutions, security companies contribute to fostering a safe and secure campus community for students, faculty, staff, and visitors alike.

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Creating a Comprehensive Emergency Preparedness Plan for Your Commercial Property

In today’s fast-paced world, the responsibilities that come with managing a commercial property are substantial. One of the most critical challenges that property managers face is being fully prepared for on-site emergencies. At Wincon Security, we understand the importance of having a well-structured emergency preparedness plan in place to ensure the safety of occupants and the preservation of the property. Drawing from our extensive experience with property managers and security services, we have developed a comprehensive guide outlining the key steps to create an effective emergency preparedness plan for your commercial property.

Step 1: Be Prepared to Respond Swiftly

When an emergency strikes, time is of the essence. At Wincon Security, we emphasize the significance of proactive preparation. Implement communication technology that instantly alerts you, first responders, and tenants when an emergency occurs. Keep an updated list of emergency contacts, ensuring quick access to critical services. Your maintenance team should be well-versed in shutting off water, gas, and electricity to prevent further damage. Designate on-site employees to assist tenants with special needs during evacuations. Regularly conduct emergency response drills to ensure your team’s readiness and keep them informed about any procedural changes.

Step 2: Map Out Evacuation Routes Clearly

During emergencies, having clearly marked evacuation routes can make a life-saving difference. Our experts at Wincon Security recommend prominently displaying evacuation maps on each floor, near exits, stairwells, and elevators. These maps should include safety information on avoiding elevators during fires and properly closing doors. Detailed directional information should be placed in hallways to guide occupants effectively. By providing easily accessible information, you can contribute significantly to a successful evacuation.

Step 3: Maintain Crucial Safety Systems

Property managers bear the responsibility of maintaining all building safety systems to ensure they remain in optimal condition and compliant with codes. At Wincon Security, we advocate for routine checks and adjustments by your maintenance teams, supplemented by professional input when necessary. Regularly inspect fire extinguishers, fire sprinklers, emergency lighting, and smoke alarms to guarantee functionality. Perform annual inspections by industry-certified technicians to uphold safety standards. Keep emergency exits unobstructed and update evacuation maps promptly to reflect any layout changes.

Step 4: Keep Tenants Informed and Engaged

While safeguarding the property is essential, prioritizing tenant safety is paramount. At Wincon Security, we recommend fostering open communication with tenants to ensure their well-being. Supply tenants with a comprehensive list of emergency numbers, including your contact details. Include an emergency preparedness packet in tenant move-in materials and update it annually. For multifamily buildings allowing pets, consider distributing Ontario SPCA emergency preparedness decals for windows and doors. In the event of property alterations or changes in emergency procedures, promptly inform tenants to enable effective evacuation.

Step 5: Establish a Reliable Recovery Partnership

Effective emergency planning extends beyond the immediate crisis to post-damage recovery. If you aren’t already collaborating with a disaster restoration company, now is the time to do so. Wincon Security advises partnering with a reputable contractor with 24/7 availability and positive online reviews. Leverage recommendations from other property managers and your insurance carrier to select a full-service, IICRC-certified restoration contractor. Following a personal interview with potential candidates, add the chosen contractor’s contact information to your emergency list.

Trust in Our Expertise

Here at Wincon Security, we recognize the gravity of emergency preparedness for commercial properties. Our commitment to excellence in property management and security services drives us to share our insights for developing robust emergency plans. Drawing from our extensive experience, we encourage property managers to forge strong relationships with emergency responders and seek expert guidance when crafting or enhancing emergency plans. We aim to empower property managers in their pursuit of creating safer and more secure environments for all occupants.

In conclusion, the responsibility of property managers extends far beyond routine tasks. It encompasses the safety and well-being of all occupants, making a well-crafted emergency preparedness plan an absolute necessity. By following our comprehensive guide, property managers can proactively respond to emergencies, safeguard occupants, and minimize property damage. At Wincon Security, we are dedicated to assisting property managers in their journey towards creating secure and resilient commercial properties.

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Risk mitigation in condo security: Pre-emptive vs. reactive concierge guarding

It’s often assumed that the role of a condo concierge security team is to not only provide an outstanding resident experience but to react when an incident occurs. That’s only partly true. When done right, a security provider should be training its guards in pre-emptive strategies to foresee and prevent problems before they can occur. That’s the critical missing link that not only helps ensure risk mitigation and minimizes legal liability across a condominium community, but also alleviates budgetary pressures and enhances a condominium property manager’s overall value proposition.

The pre-emptive and reactive approaches should be carefully balanced. The former with customized strategies designed to service the on-site needs of a specific property, and the latter to launch an effective response when the unavoidable occurs. But how?

The response must be prompt, robust, and thorough. Failing to take action exposes a condo to legal liabilities and puts residents at risk.

The pre-emptive approach to risk mitigation

Pre-emptive risk mitigation is about taking the time to identify and eliminate potential safety hazards or security vulnerabilities across a community. This could involve everything from tightening a property’s cybersecurity defenses to actively seeking out slip and fall or other potential injury-causing issues. Reputable security firms build risk mitigation into their service offering. Their guards are required to help address danger points, say, by removing on-site safety hazards, or deploying warning signs in situations where a threat can’t be removed.

Of course, one of the most important factors in pre-empting risk is active observation. Condominium security concierge teams that take an active approach to property monitoring, documentation, resident interaction, and prediction—essentially thinking a step ahead, making their presence felt and discreetly poking into corners even when they don’t have to—are the ones that catch issues before they can become a problem for property managers, condo boards and residents.

Unfortunately, many security providers are satisfied having their personnel sit at a lobby desk through shifts, falling asleep on the job or being generally disengaged in their duties or from the people they’ve been hired to protect. That’s simply not how you proactively guard a property.

One of the most effective ways to build and maintain that pre-emptive approach to guarding is through accountability.  A security firm’s managers should constantly visit sites, stage impromptu spot-checks, liaise with condo boards and property managers, and gain an understanding of the characteristics of the site, its resident community, and their specific needs.

Reacting when needed

Unforeseen circumstances require an immediate and appropriate response. That could involve a range of potential events—some merely inconvenient, others more acute and threatening. An on-site accident, for example, would fall into the latter category. A slip and fall victim could require immediate first aid and may need an ambulance. A condo concierge security team will often be the first responder and will need to make that call while documenting the situation to ensure that—should litigation occur—the facts surrounding the entire event are carefully and accurately documented.

This also helps to mitigate risk associated with malicious, frivolous litigation when no real injury has occurred, or to clarify the record when incorrect information is put forward. Importantly, a security provider’s supervisors should be on-call and available at all times to respond and provide assistance when an incident response team needs additional guidance. Supervisors must also be available to attend on-site to offer operational support, especially when the situation requires escalation.

A rapid response is a solution to address unforeseeable challenges as they arise.

Needless to say, that response must be prompt, robust, and thorough. Failing to take action as needed exposes a condominium community to additional legal liability and puts residents’ safety and security at risk. Delivering that level of service is also relatively straightforward—if guards are prepared.

The importance of pre-deployment training

The only truly effective condo concierge security teams are the ones that are properly trained—in Ontario, for example, that means completing the government-mandated 40-hour guard certification program—prior to their on-site deployment. That training needs to include both practical and theoretical elements but should be sustained. Simply providing guards with a one-time briefing on a condo property isn’t enough to ensure they can do their job effectively for months or years, which is the duration of many security engagements.

A failure to conduct pre-deployment training creates major vulnerabilities in the event of an on-site emergency. If guards are unfamiliar with the property, emergency muster points, how to use the fire alarm panel, or what circumstances should trigger a call to police, fire department, or paramedics, successful outcomes can be easily compromised.

Wincon security guard receiving award amongst staff
Awarding our best condo concierge security guards in Toronto.

Pre-deployment training should provide the full suite of tools that guards need to address daily challenges. That includes instruction on a fully operational fire panel, fire response procedures, risk mitigation, documentation, and service level expectations—not only how guards will interact with property managers and residents, but how they can help enhance those stakeholders’ professional or residential experience in every way. The security provider should be aiming to build a long-term relationship with their clients by understanding their unique requirements and tailoring their training to address each one in a deliberate manner. That also reduces the amount of time-consuming, on-site training that’s required to get guards up to speed.

Lastly, recertification programs in areas such as first aid/CPR/AED, along with use-of-force and non-violent crisis intervention training, can help both in emergency response and de-escalation—the latter providing a security deterrence presence and offering guards the tools they need to enforce the Trespass to Property Act.

It’s impossible for any security firm to be completely proactive in its approach to risk mitigation. At times, a rapid response is a solution to address unforeseeable challenges as they arise. But the most reliable providers are those that balance their approach, doing whatever it takes to prevent issues before they occur, then reacting quickly to ensure they don’t grow into even greater challenges.

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN SECURITY FOR YOUR SITE?

FILL OUT OUR QUOTE FORM AND ENJOY A CONSULTATION WITH US.

Learn More by Requesting a Custom Quote

Winston Stewart, President and CEO

Wincon Security

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Security lessons from a first-hand view of the Raptors victory parade

When you haven’t thrown a civic party quite as huge as the NBA Championship parade that crowded downtown Toronto on Monday, you can be forgiven for overlooking a few details. If the Raptors players arrived on stage a few minutes late, for example, it would be excusable. If local streets were a little over-clogged, it wouldn’t be such a big deal.

But maintaining public safety and security is one area where we simply can’t drop the ball. At times on Monday, the city missed worse than Shaq at the free-throw line.

The good news overall is that despite a shooting that sent four people to the hospital, a minor stabbing incident and a few scuffles, the day to celebrate our basketball champions went relatively smoothly. There were no deaths, no rioting and no reported looting—a low bar for a public gathering to be sure, but one that’s unfortunately come to set the mark for the success of any successful North American sports rally.

For someone who was in the heart of the action and had a bird’s eye view as it all played out— stage left at Nathan Phillips Square to be exact—there were still many security lessons to take away from these historic festivities. The unfortunate reality is that the city fell asleep at the wheel when it came to making proactive preparations for our new favourite sports team’s proudest moment.

So, without casting blame, let’s simply make sure to do better next time. Here’s how:

Event planning is key

What became obvious as I stood in the jam-packed square awaiting the team’s arrival was how the city could have benefited from maintaining a standing special events strategy to manage such an occasion. Perhaps it’s because we haven’t had to plan a parade since the Blue Jays won back-to-back World Series in 1992 and 1993, and not since 1967 for the Maple Leafs, but it’s clear that Toronto lacks a contingency plan for mass celebrations that need to be planned on the fly.

Think of it like having an Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response Plan, but with a celebratory spin. The strategy should take into account not only crowd control considerations from parade route planning to time but also the potential for a seismic crush of people as spectator numbers inevitably exceed expectations. With more than one million Greater Toronto Area residents estimated to have poured into downtown on Monday, it’s extremely difficult to account for every potential security and crowd-management scenario with only a few days to prepare. A standing plan would help alleviate that stress and risk.

Praise the police—now add even more of them, including security personnel

So packed was Nathan Phillips Square that when shots rang out during the player and dignitary speeches, I wasn’t able to see a portion of the crowd fleeing in fear. There were simply too many people and it was impossible to see more than just a dozen metres away, let alone across the sprawling, modernist piazza.

The police did an extraordinary job responding, apprehending the alleged assailants and keeping the crowd calm and under control. In fact, their presence was felt on the surrounding streets and, for the most part, they used common sense in letting fans party, intervening in the festivities only when necessary. But there could have been even more officers in the square, along with hired security guards, to help keep the crowds from pushing and shoving. I arrived in the space at 9 am and it was already jammed to capacity. People were still pushing their way in six hours later as the speeches began, creating a dangerous situation with the crowd literally swaying in unison as they tried to preserve their collective footing. Having officers stationed in greater numbers in the middle of the crowd might have helped mitigate the risk of a potential crowd control catastrophe.

In one instance, for example, I watched paramedics struggle to make space to remove an individual who took ill in the middle of that swaying pack, eventually hopping a fence in the VIP area to gain access to the person. Emergency access was almost non-existent, creating a dangerous situation.

Improve access control 

Next time around I would love to see access control for Nathan Phillips Square similar to the system used in Jurassic Park, where party-goers have their bags checked and numbers are limited. There is ample food, water and washrooms to accommodate the throngs of people that pack that space, helping to alleviate the crowd rage that can emerge on a hot, sunny day when people are exhausted, thirsty and hungry.

Doing so would also help avoid people entering Nathan Phillips Square with liquor and drugs—there were ample amounts of both on display—which takes away from the family-friendly atmosphere and sets the stage for trouble. At one point I saw parents with two young girls struggling to get one of their children, who was in tears, out of the crowd. She was trapped and the tired crowd was beginning to become more aggressive as it waited for the Raptors’ arrival. The good news: they eventually managed to pull her out. At that point I thought about a potential escape route myself, should the crowd become even more unruly.

What we are reminded is that you can’t allow hundreds of thousands of people to flood into a relatively confined space with no access control and have more people entering than exiting right up until the very end of the celebration.

Speed it up

By all accounts, much of the parade route lacked any kind of roadside barriers to hold back crowds. This meant that excited onlookers could slow the buses and floats—especially the ones carrying team members—to a slow crawl. Players who were supposed to arrive in Nathan Phillips Square at noon didn’t make it there until 3 o’clock. By that point the crowd was in no mood for further delays.

The takeaway here is that parade planning and security needs to be a city-wide initiative. If managing logistics along a lengthy route is too difficult, it may be best to shorten the length of the parade to avoid potential issues. Nearby access roads were so clogged that emergency services vehicles and buses couldn’t move. The TTC suspended service to several subway stations around the square in an attempt to avoid further overcrowding.

I sincerely hope that we can apply these lessons and better manage crowds at future parades, even if the Raptors’ ongoing success may be largely up to Kawhi Leonard to decide. If he signs for another five years, the party could keep going. His contract status notwithstanding, we should be proud of the team’s accomplishments and hold our heads high.

For the most part, Toronto showed its team spirit with dignity, discipline and still managed to throw an unforgettable party. Now, let’s work to do an even better job after our next championship!

Learn More by Requesting a Custom Quote

Winston Stewart, President and CEO

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Emergency preparedness event offers important tips to GTA residents

No one ever expects emergencies to happen, but when they do, it’s crucial to have a plan in place and be prepared. From tragic incidents such as the vehicular rampage through a north Toronto neighbourhood in April that killed 10 and injured 16, to weather-related incidents that can disable a commercial property, building owners, managers and their security personnel need to be strategic in finding ways to prepare for worst-case scenarios before they occur.

Hopefully these plans never require implementation, of course. But being prepared is important, if only to provide peace of mind. Part of that planning means also taking the time to train staff on the key points of your organization’s emergency preparedness and disaster response plan, or EPDRP (read our Emergency Security Preparedness page for an overview of how to develop your own comprehensive, customized plan) and then deploying effective emergency preparedness drills to be ready if, or when, disaster strikes.

Wincon Security is deeply committed to educating our clients as to how critical these plans are, so much so that we build EPDRP development into our client onboarding process.

As part of that commitment, we participated in Emergency Preparedness (EP) Week event in May coordinated and facilitated by York Region Corporate Business Continuity Program Specialist Sophia Craig-Massey and Markham Fire public educator Alex Freeman. The Remington Group hosted the event.

Various speakers underscored the importance of having an EPDRP, particularly for condominium and apartment complexes. They cited the fact that on May 4th, thousands of Toronto residents were without power when a rain and wind storm disrupted electrical service across the Greater Toronto Area. Not surprisingly, EP Week attendees were eager to engage and learn about the importance of having 72-hour kits in their residences—a handy item to include in the tool boxes of any commercial properties, as well. The kits typically feature items such as flash lights, blankets, non-perishable food and other essentials that might be important to have when power is non-existent and accessing additional supplies is all but impossible in an emergency situation.

An Emergency Preparedness Guide was also provided by York Region. Appropriately titled ‘Is your family ready?’ (hint: most are not), the guide contains information on what to do before, during and after an emergency, a rundown of the types of emergencies most likely to occur in York Region, and emergency preparedness tips for people with disabilities and/or special needs. The guide also provides handy tips on preparing a home kit, car kit (another essential consideration), as well as a guide to preparing emergency food and water supplies and how to shelter your animals and prepare a pet emergency kit to be fully prepared in case you’re stuck without pet supplies for a period of time.

While the topic may have been serious, the format was fun and engaging for everyone from kids to seniors. Children and adults had the chance to spin the big wheel and answer questions pertaining to the emergency preparedness skills they’d learned at the event. Those who correctly answered questions around key concerns such as the items you should have on hand at home in case of a power outage, won prizes to add to their own emergency kits.

In addition, the dedicated first responders at Markham Fire handed out fire hats to all those in attendance, and educated their audience on important topics such as fire safety in the home, how to develop a home evacuation plan and ways to check and update smoke detectors.

It was an evening of fun and learning all rolled into one.

From our perspective as a security provider, we need more events such as this one—and not just for home owners and occupants. Even though we educate our commercial property clients on the benefits of having an EPDRP, those who don’t already work with Wincon may not have a plan in place. From our experience, the majority of commercial property owners fall into that latter category, while those that do have a plan might find that it’s outdated or inadequate.

It’s crucial to remember that commercial properties are just as susceptible to disaster-related issues as residences—sometimes more so. And as any business owner or manager will attest, most organizations simply can’t sustain the cost and disruptions associated with unforeseen product or service downtime. In the case of small and medium-sized businesses, especially, even a short disruption in service can potentially cripple their operations and result in devastating bottom-line consequences.

All in all, this was a great event and we’d like to see more like it. Next time, let’s encourage more commercial property owners to attend, and continue educating them to ways to develop effective EPDRP strategies to help protect and secure their business assets.

Learn More by Requesting a Custom Quote

Winston Stewart, President and CEO

Wincon Security

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Security lessons from Toronto’s van attack, Part 2

One of the most enduring memories from the vicious van attack near the busy Yonge-Finch intersection that shook Toronto residents last month—not to mention Canadians from across the country—was the scene of bodies strewn across the sidewalk, desperately awaiting medical help.

First responders acted so quickly and with such incredible professionalism that it was clear their work helped limit the carnage to 10 dead and 16 wounded. Without their swift action, who knows how high the death toll could have climbed?

Another image was just as powerful. That was the alleged driver of the van, Alek Minassian, being arrested by an officer who used both discretion and restraint to take the man down without firing a single shot. But watch the footage of the arrest closely and you’ll notice something going on in the background that was as interesting as it was disturbing—a handful of individuals emerged from an office building and stood for a second, stunned, watching the bizarre incident playing out before them.

Now, it would be easy to chastise the individuals for not immediately realizing what was happening—in particular, noticing a police officer who at that point was brandishing his gun—and quickly taking cover. But why would they? Toronto is a remarkably safe city. Situations like these are unprecedented and would leave anyone reasonably grasping for a real-time plan to maintain their own safety. The video shows the bystanders slowly coming to the realization that standing by and watching the events unfold wasn’t the wisest course of action. They soon disappear offscreen.

In my last blog, I underscored the importance of designing a comprehensive emergency preparedness and disaster response plan for your organization or commercial property, and being ready and able at all times to activate it. I want to highlight another important lesson from this incident: that effective security strategies don’t necessarily end at your building’s front door.

In an emergency situation, your security team (which could be composed of in-house staff or personnel from an outsourced firm such as Wincon Security) must spring into action to secure the premises and ensure the safety of everyone inside. That’s a given. But the property’s EPDRP should include a contingency for extending those protocols to the outside of the building, as well. Why? As we saw in the video footage from the van attack, it’s reasonable to assume that a building’s occupants could—unwittingly or not—wander outside your front door and find themselves in the middle of a dangerous situation.

Ideally, after identifying the risks associated with the situation and making a real-time assessment to determine how best to manage it, your security team will alert a building’s occupants of the need to remain calm, follow instructions and seek safety. Let’s assume your building has a PA system—and if not, that’s another major problem that needs to be addressed. If the threat or emergency is occurring off of the premises, it’s then up to security to make an announcement requesting that occupants remain inside until given further notice. If not, then an evacuation might be in order.

Either way, security teams need to be given the mandate to monitor activities across a property, including in the surrounding grounds or neighbourhood, while always staying on top of breaking news and developments to keep a step ahead of the situation. Our team members are trained to do exactly that, with their duty being to secure a complete perimeter, not only the core area that is the focus of their daily patrol duties. Unfortunately, not every security firm takes the same comprehensive approach.

We can be thankful that none of the individuals in that second video (of the alleged attacker’s takedown) were injured in any way, although I’m sure they were at least slightly shaken when they realized the magnitude of the scene playing out in front of them. But with the right planning, training and a proactive, strategic approach to security, their incursion into a live, potential shooting incident, could have been stopped. Let’s hope commercial property owners, managers and security teams take this lesson to heart when the time comes to revise their security plans—then take the time to extend those plans past the threshold of their buildings.

Learn More by Requesting a Custom Quote

Winston Stewart, founder

Wincon Security

Photo courtesy of CBC News

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Security lessons from Toronto’s van attack

The calm of employees darting to and from work and innocent passersby enjoying a sunny Monday stroll in north Toronto was shattered on April 23rd, when an individual hopped a curb near the intersection of Yonge and Finch and engaged in a murderous rampage, running down and killing 10 people, while injuring 16. A terrified city immediately fell into a state of shock and fear, then mourning as the names of the deceased and injured were eventually released.

The alleged driver of the vehicle, Alek Minassian, was quickly apprehended by police, ending the rampage and restoring new normalcy to the city. While Toronto is one of the safest cities on the planet, we were all reminded of the need to be vigilant and prepared for emergency situations, however unlikely they may be. That last part is important. Only a tiny fraction of one-per cent of us will ever be involved in such a gut-wrenching tragedy.

For that, we can all be thankful.

The challenge is that when disaster strikes or an individual or a group of people become intent on causing harm to others, we must be prepared to react with comprehensive emergency preparedness and disaster response plan (EPDRP). I outlined the importance of having just such a strategy in place on our Emergency Security Page, focusing on the nuts and bolts of designing a customized plan that makes sense for your organization.

But the Toronto van attack targeted pedestrians on a public street. How would an EPDRP help in such a situation? The answer, in this case, is that it wouldn’t. But a variation of that tragedy plays out in workplaces with alarming frequency across North America—particularly in jurisdictions where gun ownership is more widely accepted. Increasingly, vehicles are becoming the weapon of choice for that intent on causing harm thanks to their availability and ease of access. All it takes is for someone to drive a van through a storefront or to run down employees in a busy parking lot—see the murder of a Canadian forces member by way of a car attack in Quebec in 2014—and the ease at which these crimes can be committed becomes apparent.

For commercial property owners and managers, not to mention employers intent on protecting their staff, the EPDRP is a tool to help ensure readiness and to take action when worst-case scenarios play out.  The one point I want to re-emphasize from that previous blog in the wake of the Toronto van attack is the need to communicate the plan to employees, and to conduct regular drills to make its deployment simple and reflexive. It’s crucial to work with your security firm or in-house security personnel to develop a plan that addresses potential vulnerabilities across your workplace. The plan should also nod to operational realities such as shift changes or periods of increased vulnerability, as well as logistical concerns relating to the layout of your property or building.

Most importantly, we remind our clients that an effective EPDRP is about people more than anything else, and most notably how they react in a challenging situation. The key is to remind employees, residents (in the case of a condominium property), customers or other stakeholders of the importance of remaining calm in a troubling situation. Then it’s about ushering them to safety and away from danger as soon as possible. At times that could involve a lockdown scenario if an assailant is threatening your property. In the event of an attack similar to the van incident, it could mean remaining inside a building until receiving the all-clear from authorities.

Deploying a plan and keeping stakeholders calm and safe will be the responsibility of your security team. Are they sufficiently trained in these protocols? Are there enough security personnel on duty at any given time to ensure that if an emergency situation occurs, your organization will have the staffing needed to keep the building and everyone inside it safe and secure? Again, these may only be once-in-a-lifetime incidents, but when they happen, you need to be ready.

Almost nothing could have prevented the tragic van attack that shattered so many lives, but if there is any positive lesson we can glean from the incident, it’s that it’s never too late to be prepared for emergency situations—even the most unlikely.

In part two of this blog, I’ll explore another important takeaway from this tragic event.

Winston Stewart, founder

Wincon Security

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