ASIS to give back to host communities with Security Week

ORLANDO, Fla.—ASIS is adding to this year's show its inaugural Security Week, a series of seminars held during the show for local business and organizations to better prepare for current physical security threats.

The ASIS International 62^nd Annual Seminar and Exhibits will take place here in Orlando Sept. 12-15.

“We wanted to give something back,” Michael Gips, chief global knowledge and learning officer for ASIS International, told Security Systems News. “We have some of the greatest security minds in the world, some of the greatest security technologies and policies and procedures, and we thought: It's a shame that we can't spread this to the communities where we are holding our show.”

Security Week starts with a program on Sunday, Sept. 11, where attendees from the community can pick up free passes to daily Security Week seminars.

Speakers on Sunday include Kevin Doss, CEO of Level 4 Security—a security training and consulting firm, Morgan Smith, protective security advisor for central-eastern Florida with the DHS, Jennifer Hesterman, a retired Air Force colonel, and Paul Timm, president of security consulting company RETA Security.

“[Paul Timm] has written a book on how to implement school safety, and a lot of his tips involve not breaking the bank. You don't have to set up a fortress, you don't have to put in a million cameras, there are polices, procedures—simple things you can do on a school's budget,” Gips said.

“The existing educational focus, for us, really is educating and training and developing our actual practitioners,” Peter O'Neil, CEO of ASIS International told SSN. “But these practitioners are willing to sort of change their message a bit to be more focused on … the non-practitioner, to give them practical tips in ... what they might do relative to an active shooter-type [emergency].”

Attendees at Security Week from the public may include building facilities managers, school administrators, or church security personnel.

Security Week has been supported by the Department of Homeland Security Office of Infrastructure Protection, which has been “a key partner in this effort,” according to Gips.

On Sept. 14, attendance to the exhibits, Security Week seminars, and the rest of ASIS' education will be free to local first responders, law enforcement, and military.

On Sept. 15, as part of Security Week, ASIS will recognize the winner of its annual ASIS Foundation School Security Funding Competition. This year's winner, Lake Brantley High School, will receive a $20,000 donation to upgrade its security.

ASIS will be announcing more about the events of Security Week leading up to the show.