In the present climate, building resilience is a top priority to combat the threat of natural or manmade disaster. Previously, a building’s Critical Event Management (CEM) was focused on common external and asset risks, such as natural disasters and critical asset failures. In recent years, CEM has evolved to include broader risks, such as pandemics, shooter detection, system failures, and data breaches.

It is necessary for organizations to effectively manage and plan critical events and create resilient buildings to ensure continuity across business operations in the event that risks arise. Organizations should do the following to mitigate these risks:

  • Assess and plan for resilience in the design phase

    To identify potential vulnerabilities of a site, events such as natural disasters, rising sea levels, or extreme weather conditions need to be considered prior to drawing up blueprints. For example, in areas which pose risks of hurricanes, buildings should have higher elevations, impact-resistant windows, and hurricane straps to strengthen the infrastructure. 

  • Implement and monitor backup systems to ensure continuous operations

    The use of backup power and gas helps businesses operate in the event of power loss amidst physical disasters or other events. Organizations should incorporate backup for communication and other business systems to allow for uninterrupted operations in the event of a cyberattack. 

  • Improve health and wellness in buildings

    To increase the wellbeing of building occupants, organizations have began to monitor their building environments, including factors such as light, noise, air, and water quality. COVID-19 has accelerated this trend, as indoor air quality and HVAC maintenance can impact the potential airborne spread of the virus.  

  • Build greater agility to respond to major shocks

    As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations are making buildings more flexible and accessible due to legally mandated building closures and fluctuating occupancy levels. Facilities managers have the ability to monitor, optimize, and repair building assets from the safety of their home with the help of IoT-enabled maintenance software applications. 

  • Ramp up cybersecurity for building and business systems

    To ensure business continuity, organizations need to take a holistic view of building security across both physical and cyber risks, as recent experiences have shown that cyber events can cause physical implications. 

  • Enhance occupant safety in buildings

    Enhance physical building safety by setting up a protected, layered perimeter and monitoring internal and external threats, such as disgruntled employees and protest. 

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Contact a Convergint Expert

Convergint, partnered with Everbridge, has the expertise needed to enhance building resilience in a response to a wide variety of threats, from natural disasters to cybersecurity attacks. Contact a security expert today to learn more.

About Everbridge

Everbridge, Inc. is a global software company that provides enterprise software applications that automate and accelerate organizations’ operational response to critical events in order to Keep People Safe and Businesses Running™.

For more information visit www.everbridge.com

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