Page 92 - Security Today, October 2018

GUARDED ENTRY
THEY ARE ONLY HUMAN
Overcoming the inherent weakness of supervision at entrances By Tracie Thomas
For reasons both good and bad, we are living with a height- ened security awareness that has changed how educational organizations equip and operate their campuses. Secured entrances are now the norm at most campus facilities, from dormitories and libraries to academic buildings and sports venues.
Many campuses employ students to serve as supervisors and recep- tion staff at primary entrances, while actual campus security staff or police rove the campus, a phone call and a few minutes away. These students may be stationed around-the-clock, and in other locations, they may be used only during peak expected traffic hours. Frequently, student staff are given additional responsibilities—not only are they expected to check credentials and monitor people entering and exiting, but also keep watch on nearby activities in their area, register visitors, maintain logbooks, and sometimes perform other tasks.
The upside of student supervision is unmistakable—for example, they deter and deal with casual intrusion attempts, can answer a wide range of questions, provide knowledgeable direction and make visitors feel welcome. They should also be trained on how to respond sensi- tively to unauthorized entry attempts. However, even with training, all staff sitting behind the desk at entrances have one critical vulnerabili- ty—they are human.
THE CHALLENGES OF SUPERVISORY STAFF AT THE ENTRY
Employees stationed at the entry can leave their facility open to both unknown risks and inability to manage those risks. Here are some of the challenges they present and then later we’ll talk about strategies for overcoming these challenges.
Attendance. To have any effect at all, the first thing the staff must do is arrive on post. People are sometimes late for work, either by their own actions or because of transit disruptions. Sometimes they get sick, or want to take time off and have someone else cover for them. Manag- ers must find ways to accommodate for such situations, and make adjustments as they always have.
Attention. People can be very focused, and pay close attention at times when they need to. However, when it comes to maintaining alert- ness or attention for extended periods, most people cannot manage this level of focus at an ideal 100 percent of the time. Perhaps the most dif- ficult situations are the long “dead” times. In order to stay awake, stu- dent staff will often attempt to entertain themselves with phone calls, texting, homework, reading, or other activities that can distract them from their monitoring tasks. In the worst cases, even these fail and they can fall asleep, rendering them completely ineffective.
Moreover, even when students working as entry guards are very alert and focused, they can still be overwhelmed during busy traffic periods
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