Category: Emergency Preparedness

What Is Aridification, and How Can Facility Managers Help Address the Issue?

An elderly but long-time Californian remembers 1976 as a fun year. The economy was finally pulling out of a recession that started in 1973. The Watergate “nightmare,” as then-President Ford called it, was behind us. And Californians were having a lot of fun with—of all things—a drought that year. They made up comical jingles to […]

Back to Basics: 10 Ways to Prepare Your Facilities for Wildfires

Back to Basics is an article series that highlights important, but possibly overlooked, information facilities management professionals should know. With summer in full swing, along with rising temperatures and increased dry vegetation, facilities management professionals should be reminded that this year’s wildfire season has already begun—and it’s becoming a larger problem than in the past. […]

Congressional Action on School Security in Bipartisan Measure

Update: As expected, Congress passed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, and President Joe Biden signed it into law on Saturday, June 25. Congress is poised, as of this writing, to pass the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), the gun and school safety measure carefully negotiated over the last few weeks in response to the mass murders at […]

Preventing Workplace Violence Through Situational Awareness

“What can we do?” This is among the most common questions I get after a major incident of violence. It’s not uncommon for there to be a heightened interest for a while, then things go back to “normal.” However, things feel different this time. As I’m writing this article, the news playing in the background […]

Back to Basics: Preparing Your Facility for Hurricanes

Back to Basics is an article series that highlights important, but possibly overlooked, information facilities management professionals should know. This year’s hurricane season began on June 1, so it’s time for facilities management professionals to prepare. This is important because above-average Atlantic hurricane activity is predicted for 2022 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration […]

NSC Kicks Off National Safety Month to Protect Workers

Since 1996, National Safety Month has been observed and promoted each June by the National Safety Council (NSC) to raise awareness of the importance of keeping each other safe, from the workplace to anyplace. There are increased unintentional injuries and fatalities during the summer months, and according to the most recent data available, more than 4,100 […]

For Business Resiliency, Detect Threats in Real Time

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues and various stages of reopenings occur, the threat landscape is dramatically expanding, which is compounded by global geopolitical issues such as the war between Russia and Ukraine. This perpetual state of volatility impacts the ways businesses operate and their ability to plan ahead to mitigate risks. According to Ontic’s 2022 […]

olar Panel Array, Parking Lot

Planning for No Power: Experts Provide a Look at Microgrid Solutions

What would you do if the power went out for 2 hours, 2 days, or even 2 weeks? This question was posed during a recent Facilities Management Now webinar, featuring Norman Campbell, Federal Team Manager of Go Electric, and Tony Mayfield, Senior Consultant and Managing Partner at On-Target Innovations. In the virtual forum session, titled […]

First Aid Kits: Update Yours to Meet New Industry Standard

A first aid kit can be easy to ignore. It’s quiet, unobtrusive, and often hiding in plain sight. But it’s more likely to be used than you might think. There were 2.7 million workplace nonfatal injuries and illnesses reported by private industry employers in the U.S. in 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor […]

Why Healthcare Facilities Need More Public View Monitors

Public view monitors (PVMs) have an integrated camera and display the captured images of visitors. PVMs are typically hung from the ceiling or mounted on the walls at customer entrances and lobby areas. They have been used for years in the retail sector and proven to deter criminal activity. PVMs can help to set the […]