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    Worldwide Security Trends

    Jan. 7, 2004
    ASIS International (ASIS), based in Alexandria, VA, and the ASIS Foundation have given Eastern Kentucky University’s (EKU) Justice & Safety Center a $150,000 grant to research worldwide trends in private security in an effort to eliminate a dearth of statistical information about the size and scope of the security industry. The grant will be matched with another $150,000 from EKU’s College of Justice & Safety. The project will be completed by September 2004.Since the events of Sept. 11, 2001, the security industry has been under more scrutiny than ever before. However, information about the size, scope, and breadth of the industry has been spotty at best, with the last major study undertaken more than 10 years ago. “We want to determine where the security industry is today; how the events of 9/11 changed the security industry; and identify some emerging trends,” explains Dr. Pam Collins, director, Justice & Safety Center, Eastern Kentucky University. “This is internationally significant because we will be producing the only document of its kind that provides a snapshot of the industry.” Faculty colleagues Dr. Kay Scarborough and Dr. Gary Cordner will assist Collins in the research. Highlights of the report will include revenues and expenditures of the entire industry, plus those of eight different subsets of the industry – alarm companies, contract guards, private investigators, consultants/security engineers, locksmiths, manufacturers, high-tech security, and contract vs. proprietary security. Employment, security management, investigations, legal aspects (U.S., Canada, and U.K.), the protection of intellectual property, and the impact of security on other industries will also be examined.“It was clear that we needed up-to-date information regarding the size and scope of the security industry, partially because of the large number of media inquiries we receive, as well as the increasing number of security management courses being offered in colleges throughout the U.S.,” notes Daniel H. Kropp, CPP, outgoing president, ASIS, Alexandria, VA. “I feel strongly that ASIS should be a repository of such research, so I am pleased that this endeavor was launched while I was president.” Best in Show: USGBC Honors Green Building LeadersThe U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) recognized outstanding leaders in green building with Leadership Awards at a gala awards ceremony held in November during the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, Pittsburgh. “The market transformation to green design and construction is due in large part to the contributions of the organizations and individuals we are honoring here today,” said Christine Ervin, president and chief executive officer, USGBC, Washington, D.C. “As we travel forward, our continued evolution will be inspired and directed by their accomplishments.”The awards were given to those companies and individuals who signify the vision, leadership, and commitment to the evolution of green building design and construction. Each year, awards are given in five categories: Green Building Business, Local/Regional Leadership, Green Public Service-Government and Non-Government, and USGBC Leadership.Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc. received the Green Building Business Award for its commitment to a Global Earth Charter, which mandates a reduction of the company’s environmental impact in not only the automobiles it produces, but in every aspect of its business. Through Toyota’s Real Estate and Facilities Department (RE&F), the Process Green initiative was born. Process Green established the outline for identifying eco-friendly objectives and provides a guide for the RE&F’s environmental policy.The resulting development of the South Campus facility in Torrance, CA, became one of the largest USGBC Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED™) Gold projects certified in the United States. This 630,000-square-foot facility serves as the new home for the company’s Customer Service and Financial Service Centers. The project boasts an energy savings of 58 percent over California Title 24 2001 requirements, including a 536 kW photovoltaic array on the roofs that produces 27 percent of the total regulated energy load. Toyota’s promotion of sustainability education is further promoted through building signage, tours, and public presentations. Toyota has become an example to other firms who seek to understand and implement sustainable business practices into their operations.The Green Public Service Award given to a government agency was awarded to Austin Energy for its pioneering Green Building Program. A community resource that promotes sustainable building through consumer marketing and education, and technical training of building professionals, the program has a goal to reduce peak kilowatt hours of energy generation demand and has served as a model for similar programs developed nationwide. Austin Energy, a municipally-owned public utility in Austin, TX, also pioneered the adoption of green building standards for public facilities and was one of the first public agencies to sponsor a major green building conference.The Local/Regional Leadership Award was presented to Vivian Loftness for her work as professor and head of School of Architecture at Carnegie Mellon University. Professor Loftness is associated with leading the development of the BIDS™ Life-Cycle Building Decision Support Tool, which is currently used by the federal government to quantify the financial, human, organization, societal, and environmental benefits of green design. Penny Bonda, FASID, L.C. Clark Publishing Co., received the distinguished USGBC Leadership Award because of her dedication to her career in green design and development. Raymond Cole, professor, School of Architecture, Environmental Research Group (ERG) of the University of British Columbia, was awarded the Green Public Service Award for a non-government organization (NGO). Dr. Cole was selected as the North American Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture Distinguished Professor for sustained commitment to building environmental research and teaching in 2001, and in 2003 he received the Architectural Institute of British Columbia Dalrymple Memorial Award for Community Service.The U.S. Green Building Council is one of the nation’s leading coalitions of corporations, builders, universities, federal and local agencies, and non-profit organizations working together to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable, and healthy places to live and work. Greenbuild, as well as the LEED™ (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System, are programs of the USGBC. For more information on the USGBC, visit (www.usgbc.org). Green Means GreenThe most comprehensive study ever done on the cost and financial benefits of green buildings demonstrates that the financial benefits exceed the cost by a factor of 10 to one.Investments in green buildings pay for themselves 10 times over, according to a new study of 40 California agencies. The study – by the Capital E group based in Washington, D.C.; Lawrence Berkley Laboratory; and participating California state agencies – is the most definitive cost-benefit analysis of green buildings ever conducted. With this study, the California Department of Finance, for the first time, has signed off on the existence of financial benefits associated with improved health productivity and lowered operations and maintenance costs in green buildings. The California Board of Regents also drew on the early findings of this study and is moving forward in pushing for all state higher education new construction to be “green.” This study, drawing on national data for 100 green buildings and an in-depth review of several hundred existing studies, found that sustainable buildings are a very cost-effective investment.“The study’s conclusive findings demonstrate that green building is cost-effective and makes good business sense,” says Christine Ervin, president and chief executive officer, U.S. Green Building Council, Washington, D.C. Greg Kats, principal, Capital E, and the lead author of the report, states, “The report should permanently lay to rest the myth that green buildings are not cost effective and not ready for prime time.”The report concludes that financial benefits of green design are between $50 and $70 per square foot in a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design building (LEED™) – more than 10 times the additional cost associated with building green. The financial benefits were found to be in lower energy, waste, and water costs; lower environmental and emissions costs; lower operational and maintenance costs; and increased productivity and health.For a copy of the report, go to: (www.usgbc.org/Docs/News/News477.pdf). School Aims for Recycling High in New Construction ProjectSt. Paul’s School has contracted with the Institution Recycling Network (IRN), both based in Concord, NH, to recycle wastes from the construction of a new athletic center. St. Paul’s expects to achieve a recycling rate of at least 75 percent of all materials generated as waste from the project.Construction waste recycling is a cornerstone of St. Paul’s efforts to reduce the environmental impacts of construction and renovation projects. According to Paul Lachance, project manager, St. Paul’s athletic center, demolition, construction, and renovation projects produce huge volumes of wastes. “Construction of the athletic center will produce more waste than all of the paper and cardboard and bottles and cans we throw away on campus in a whole year. If we’re committed to recycling, this is a place we have to start.”St. Paul’s selected the Institution Recycling Network as its recycler because  of the organization’s thorough experience as a recycler of construction wastes in the Northeast. “There’s hardly a single waste material on this site that we won’t be recycling,” says John Gundling, head, Construction Waste Management, IRN. “Our list of items to be recycled runs from the wood forms for the concrete foundation to copper trim from the roof, and almost literally everything in between.One of St. Paul’s criteria for construction waste recycling is that it should not add time or cost to the overall project budget. The IRN addresses this common concern by providing training to workers on the site, clearly labeling waste and recycling containers, and matching the containers on-site to the specific tasks that are under way. “We ask employees to work a little bit smarter, not longer or harder,” says Gundling. “And we’re typically able to demonstrate that recycling can save 20, 30, or 40 percent of the cost of simply throwing materials away. Those are the kinds of numbers that inspire great cooperation from everyone on the site.”St. Paul’s athletic center is one of the first projects in New Hampshire that is seeking recognition under the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED™) program, a certification program that recognizes efforts to reduce the environmental impacts of new and renovated buildings. Construction waste recycling is one of the centerpieces of LEED certification, and St. Paul’s commitment to a 75-percent recycling rate ranks the school high in the LEED effort.“We initially thought that recycling in this range was beyond our capabilities,” says Kathy Miskoe, project manager, Gilbane Building Co., Concord, NH. “But the IRN demonstrated that we can not only achieve this rate and achieve LEED points for our client, but reduce waste costs as well. It’s clearly a winning situation for all parties involved.” Mark Your CalendarsJoin your colleagues in sunny San Diego, February 18-19, 2004 for Benchmark Inc.’s Roof Management Seminar. The seminar offers a variety of practical suggestions that can be implemented into your roofing program and provides you with the tools to implement an effective roof maintenance strategy. To register, contact Kim Hixson at (319) 393-9100 or visit (www.benchmark-inc.com).

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