Written By: Brad Campbell | July 11, 2024
When you’re looking to increase the physical security of any type of commercial facility or building, the best way to start is by conducting a professional threat assessment, also known as a security needs assessment.
At Riot Glass, we use security needs assessments to ensure we provide each and every client with fully tailored, cost-effective security glazing solutions that will protect their people and property against all perceived threats.
A security needs assessment, formally known as a threat assessment, is an evaluation carried out by a security expert to determine how certain security measures, such as Riot Glass retrofit security glazing systems, may be utilized to enhance a commercial building’s security.
In this type of evaluation, the security expert conducts a full inspection of your property to identify weaknesses and vulnerabilities in its physical security, particularly when it comes to its existing glazing conditions.
This includes looking at all existing security measures as well as all other physical aspects of the building’s security, taking into account things like emergency egress systems.
Threat assessments also involve discussing perceived threats to you and your property to determine what exactly you need and want to protect against.
In addition to determining what physical security risks your property faces, a threat assessment also takes inventory of what exactly needs to be protected from these specific threats.
This may include people, merchandise, equipment, documents and anything else inside your building that could be put at risk by security threats.
In other words, anything or anyone that could be damaged, stolen, or physically harmed is something that needs to be protected when inside your facility.
The first step of a Riot Glass security needs assessment is to identify the top perceived threat(s) to your facility’s security.
For example, are you primarily worried about vandalism, forced entry, burglary, active threats, or a combination of these threats? Have you had any security incidents recently that you would like to address and mitigate?
These are all important considerations that we take into account when conducting a threat assessment to determine the right Riot Glass security glazing solution for your commercial property.
After gaining an understanding of the facility’s perceived threats, we will thoroughly familiarize ourselves with the building’s glazing layout and existing security measures to identify any vulnerabilities that can be addressed with Riot Glass.
We will also inspect existing door and window framing systems in order to determine the perfect Riot Glass retrofit solution for hardening your building’s security.
Of course, budget is another important factor we take into account, and we always aim to find the most cost-effective solution for you.
We always strive to provide the highest levels of commercial building security while meeting all of your performance and design criteria. We also take other factors, such as potential for wear and tear and complexity of installation, into account to provide the ideal solutions.
Most Riot Glass threat assessments result in recommendations that involve a combination of specialized Riot Glass or ArmorPlast retrofittable security framing and glazing infills.
For example, if you want to achieve a virtually unbreakable entryway door to protect against forced entry, burglary, rioting and looting, and active threats, we might recommend an unbreakable door conversion kit, consisting of forced entry-resistant ArmorPlast AP 2 door conversion framing and bullet-resistant AP75 glazing infills.
Or, if you want to secure a large glass storefront against smash-and-grab theft, we might recommend overglazing the windows with forced entry-resistant AP25 glazing shields.
These are just a couple of specific examples — every Riot Glass threat assessment results in a 100% unique, customized proposal for upgrading your building’s physical security to protect against all perceived threats, while maintaining the appearance and functionality of its windows and doors.
You may think you have a comprehensive commercial security system in place that includes access control, video surveillance, and alarm systems, but a trained professional will point out all sorts of vulnerabilities you may not have even thought of.
For instance, an access-controlled entryway does nothing to keep out would-be intruders if there are unsecured ground floor windows nearby that they can simply smash and climb in through.
That’s why we use threat assessments in the fenestration security industry so much — they help us identify vulnerable potential entry points where burglars or active threats can bypass existing security measures to gain entry to your facility.
The reality is that almost any type of commercial building is at risk of various types of threats, and a security needs assessment will help you evaluate the different potential threats and implement effective physical security measures to mitigate them.
Unfortunately, one of the biggest threats schools and their occupants face in modern-day America is active threats.
Cameras, alarms, and access-controlled entrances are all great deterrents, but there’s one thing they don’t do: physically prevent an active threat from gaining unauthorized entry via a glass door or window.
In order to reduce the risk of physical harm to staff and students inside a school, it’s of the utmost importance to have the right physical barriers to forced entry in place — in the right places.
A threat assessment helps school administrators and other stakeholders identify areas where physical security can be improved, specifically to minimize the impacts of an active threat scenario by implementing access denial barriers.
For example, many modern classrooms are full of large glass windows, which serve important purposes but do nothing to protect people inside or prevent forced entry during an active threat incident.
A security expert who conducts a physical risk evaluation will be able to offer recommendations on how to reinforce these vulnerable glass surfaces with containment-grade (non-ballistic) or ballistic-grade (bullet-resistant) glazing to keep bad guys out and safeguard lives, while maintaining the natural light and visibility that classroom windows provide.
The biggest risks that high-end retailers face tend to be different forms of theft, including burglary, smash-and-grab theft, and riot-induced looting.
Some retailers may be able to mitigate these risks by installing bars and grates to provide additional security against forced entry, but some retailers, especially high-end luxury retailers, don’t want such solutions visible in their storefronts.
So, what are your options when you want to be able to maintain visibility, allow window shopping, and let natural light in, but protect merchandise from theft?
A retail threat assessment will examine your storefront windows and doors, as well as any display cases, in order to provide recommendations on how to protect valuable merchandise against forced entry, burglary, smash-and-grab theft, and rioting and looting.
Security needs assessments help you identify the biggest threats to your people and property and spot gaps in your security that need to be filled immediately.
Threat assessments also help you prioritize physical security upgrades, particularly when it comes to door and window glazing, so you can implement the most cost-effective security upgrades right away to efficiently mitigate perceived threats.
When you follow the recommendations of a security expert to boost your building’s physical security, you can rest easy at night knowing that your people and property are protected 24/7 from potential threats.
Contact us today to discuss your security concerns and get underway with a security needs assessment from Riot Glass.
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