Explain the roles and responsibilities of the following CERT Members for PSC: DIPLOMA IN SECURITY MANAGEMENT Assignment

Incident Response (Manage Security Emergencies)

Project Scenario (Paradise)

You are the Head of Security Department (Security Manager) of Paradise Shopping Complex (“PSC”) with a team of in-house security personnel under your charge. Your main role is to oversee the security functions of the premises. PSC has a Company Emergency Response Team (CERT) and an Emergency Response plan (ERP) in place to deal with emergencies at PSC. You and your deputy (Senior Security Supervisor) are members of the CERT in PSC.

Part 1 (PA 1)

The Emergency Response Plan (ERP) will encompass key components on dealing with emergencies and it is important that personnel involved in handling the emergencies at the site are conversant with their roles and responsibilities to ensure effective execution of the ERP. With your understanding of the ERP and CERT structure, illustrate your understanding for Question 1 to 6:

Question 1

Explain the roles and responsibilities of the following CERT Members for PSC::

SMC
SIC
Response Team (RT)
Members for various departments –
Security
Fire and safety
Human resources
Public relations
Environment
Operations
Legal
Finance
IT

Question 2

Explain the a) Purpose of the PSC’s ERP and b) Importance of ERP to PSC

2a Purpose of the PSC’s ERP

To ensure the safety of human lives in the shopping complex in the event of fire.
To establish a systematic and orderly evacuation plan for the shopping complex.
To ensure security of mall /premises during an emergency
To ensure prompt raising of the fire alarm in the shopping complex and marshalling of first aiders as well as fire- fighting efforts. 

2b Importance of the ERP to PSC:

To avoid panic of tenants and shoppers
To evacuate in a safe and orderly manner
To tackle initial fires with appropriate fire-fighting equipment
To provide vital information and assistance to

Question 3

Explain the procedures that the PSC’s ERP will address when a fire is sighted at PSC, which should clearly include, but not limited to all aspects of ERP and the relevant safety procedures involved, as well as coordination, communication among different stakeholders.:

Actions to be taken when fire is sighted at shopping complex
Emergency personnel contact list of key personnel
Activation of Company Emergency Response Team
Coordination with relevant authorities
Prevent of fire from escalation to major emergency
Evacuation routes and designate assembly area
Silent hours drills and response team

Question 4

Explain the key areas / elements that PSC’s ERP will address during a fire emergency which should clearly include, but not limited to areas of coordination and communication, all relevant procedures in emergency, reporting procedures as well as security preparedness.:

Protecting life and safety of employees, shoppers and visitors
Protecting vital assets
Ensuring security of premises including access control of security zones, cordoning off affected areas and prevent looting during evacuation
Communicating and coordinating channels with fire wardens and crowd controllers
Reporting procedures to authorities
In-depth analysis on the areas of coverage and focus during the security audit throughout the condo
Identifying possible risks and threats
Establishing appropriate response team actions
Establishing procedures for response executing evacuation

 Question 5

Explain the different types of training that all the CERT members of PSC will undergo to enable them to carry out all their roles effectively during an emergency.:

Practicing fire emergency drills for tenants and shoppers in the shopping complex
Fire safety talks by fire safety department to improve awareness among tenants and staff of PROJECT NAME
Facilitating tabletop exercises for CERT members, key personnel and tenants representatives
Basic first aid training
Selected employees, including from security department for fire- fighting training
Practicing coordination with authorities (SCDF and SPF) through various communication channels
Practicing evacuation procedures and location of assembly area
Identifying location of vital fire- fighting equipment and fire alarm systems e.g. call points in shopping complex

 Question 6

Analyse areas in ERP for familiarisation:

Different levels of response to emergencies which include the steps to deal with minor and major emergency.
Contact information and list of all CERT members
Contact information of authorities and external contacts
Communication mode and strategy during an emergency, such as use of PA system, phone, SMS, loud hailer, internet
Designated Operations Centre in the shopping mall such as FCC as main and management office as backup serving as a nerve point for command / control, gathering of personnel
and alternate meeting point for contingency during fire emergency.

For Q7 and Q8

As the security manager and member of CERT, it is essential that you are familiar with the ERP and be able to determine the different types of emergency in PSC that may warrant the involvement of authorities. You are also required to act within your boundaries, authorities and constraints when handling an emergency.

 Question 7

Explain to the Management of PSC, the fundamental differences of a major and minor in the context of PSC. You are also required to provide examples of major and minor emergencies that may occur in PSC.

Characteristics of Minor Emergencies

No business losses to shopping complex
Minimal or no impact on employees, revenue, customer or customer services, situation within control
No fatalities or severe injuries
Business operations of shopping complex as usual
No evacuation required
Authorities not involved, can be resolved internally
Single location within the shopping complex
Public not alerted

Minor Emergency may include:

Faulty light bulb, sprinkler leak, escalator faulty, alarm faulty, minor flash flood, minor power failure, small fire that can be killed with an extinguisher, minor traffic accident

Characteristics of Major Emergency:

Business losses to shopping complex
Major impact on employees, revenue, customer or customer services, situation not within control
Fatalities and severe injuries
Business disruptions to shopping complex
Evacuation required
Authorities involved, cannot be resolved internally
Multiple locations within the shopping complex affected
Public must be alerted

Major emergencies may include:

Major fire, gas leakage, HAZMAT spills, tremors, Terrorist – IED / Anthrax

Question 8

Explain to the Management of PSC, the 1) legal boundaries, 2) constraints and 3) authorities of the security manager when managing the emergency at PSC. You should use examples, where applicable.

 Suggested Answers or any other valid answers:

Legal boundaries, constraints and authorities may include:

Ascertain if there are any safety or security breaches within the shopping complex (e.g.intrusion leading to outbreak of fire)
Ascertain compliance of regulatory guidelines for the shopping complex (e.g. WSHA)
The investigative powers to carry out investigations and preserve scene of emergency within the shopping complex area (e.g. cease business operations)
Legal rights to evict public from the shopping complex (e.g. shoppers, visitors)
Legal rights to prevent unauthorised entry to restricted areas of the shopping complex (e.g. reporters)
Authorisation to inform the authorities (e.g. SPF, SCDF)
Authorisation to carry out search and warrant arrest within the shopping complex (e.g. Arsonist)
Authorisation to carry out evacuation from the shopping complex to the assembly area and cordon off affected area
Utilisation of resources within the shopping complex granted to security personnel (e.g. extinguisher, hose reel, PPE and first aid kits)
Constraints in lack of management support (e.g. from the shopping complex management)

Part 2 (PA 2)

Minor emergency can sometimes happen on-site and as the security manager, you will be required to manage the emergency and to assess if the incident can be contained to prevent it from escalating to a major emergency. Use the following scenario of a small fire, demonstrate your competency of managing a minor emergency.

Scenario: On a Saturday morning, 10am and the mall had just opened for business. There were few shoppers inside the mall. You were on tour of duty with one of your security personnel at Level 1 (inside the mall). You saw smoke coming out from the shop unit – #01-04 (which is in the midst of undergoing renovation) and when you arrived at the shop, you saw newspapers and two small carton boxes on fire. There were two renovation workers inside the shop and they were frantically trying to put out the fire to prevent it from spreading. You noticed there were paint and thinner lying on the floor and near the fire. The nearest fire extinguisher is a few metres away. Two CCTV cameras were installed inside the shop a week ago.

Question 1

Using the scenario above, examine at least seven relevant factors to determine the severity of this emergency and whether it will escalate into a major emergency. (Candidate can state his / her assumptions on the scenario to address the question.):

Determine the magnitude of the fire
Determine if the emergency is classified as minor or major
Determine the possibility of putting out the fire and the ability of existing personnel to put out fire
Determine if there are casualties to rescue
Determine speed of fire spreading
Determine wind direction and possible escape routes
Determine if surrounding hazards and burning materials can be removed or fire can be isolated
Determine if situation is under control and no chaotic consequences
Assess the possibility of the fire reigniting
Assess the injury of victim(s) if any

Question 2

Detail the steps to manage the minor emergency incident which may include:

Direct the security personnel to:

Alert people in the vicinity of the shopping complex for assistance.
Attempt to extinguish any incipient fire with the available fire- fighting equipment (Extinguishers and Hose Reel) located within the shopping complex without taking personal risk.
If the fire could not be put off, raise the alarm by activating the nearest fire alarm “breakglass” call point within the shopping complex.

Question 3

Explain the steps that you will take in managing / handling this minor emergency:

Cordoning off area to prevent bystanders to stray into danger area
Conducting crowd control to maintain order and prevent overcrowding and hindrance of core activities
Alerting colleagues and seeking assistance to contain the situation
Deploying manpower to the scene to prevent criminal activities during the chaos
Employing more equipment to scene of emergency as backup and support existing team members
Cordoning off area to preserve evidence at scene after emergency

Question 4

Prepare a post Incident Report to Management to support their investigation process:

Preliminary findings from the information gathered from your team (using various sources) indicated that the small fire broke out due to overheating caused by overloaded electrical power outlets in the unit. No injuries were reported but one of the renovation workers was in shock after the incident.

After the incident is over, prepare a post-incident Report to Management based on above information gathered to support their investigation process. The report should include details of the following:

Nature and classification of the emergency
Sources of information of incident:

Taking references from security supervisor’s incident report
Interview witnesses or potential witnesses
Review CCTV footages of the incident

When did the fire started?
Where was the location of the fire?
Who were involved in the emergency?
Why did the fire started?
How did the fire started?
Are there any victims / casualties from the incident?
How was the incident handled?

(Note: Candidate may state assumptions where required to complete the Incident Report).

Question 5

Findings:  PSC Management concluded the investigations of the incident and categorise the cause of the minor fire incident as ‘accidental’ and had taken the necessary follow-up actions with the tenant. While this incident could be contained, the Management had expressed concerns that the complex may also be vulnerable to damage caused ‘deliberate’ act (such as arson).

Thus, the Management has requested the security department to propose enhanced

preventive security measures to look into these potential threats (accidental and deliberate).

 Propose a comprehensive set of enhanced preventive security measures that PSC can adopt within the mall’s premises. Your proposal should include details on how the preventive measures would be implemented (for example, what are the key areas in the mall to secure, how the enforcement activities by the security team would be carried out, locations where additional surveillance equipment will be installed etc.) Note: Candidate may use the following table to present their answers.

Preventive measures for Deliberate threats (e.g. Arsonist)

Tighten access control to secluded areas or danger zones
Deploy more manpower to enhance presence of security
Increase coverage of CCTV on critical areas
Introduce clocking points and increase patrolling at key areas

Preventive measures for Accidental (e.g. smokers)

Increase signages for compliance
Increase patrol of enforcement officers for compliance
Introduce proper and designated areas for smoking
Officers instructed to remove fire hazards near smoking areas during routine patrol
CCTV can be installed at certain areas for hot spot areas

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