Facility Background & Site Survey Checklist - Case Study Example

Phase II – Building/Facility Background & Site Survey Question/Checklist al Affiliation: Company: Department Of Veterans Affairs Birmingham, Alabama VA Medical Center 700 South 19th Street Birmingham, AL 35233 Contact: Phyllis J Russell, Associate Director (205) 933-8101 Critical Infrastructure Sector: Healthcare and Public Health Part I: Building/facility Background Facility Background The department of veteran affairs is a state body that takes care of war veterans after their time in service by providing them with support and benefits. The Birmingham, Alabama Medical Center primarily provides dental services to the veterans. However, it also offers other specialized medical services with specialized medical equipment. The institution also has its own vibrant emergency response unit. This unit has up to 10 specialized ambulances, specially designed to deliver services to the veterans. The main building complex consists of 3 buildings, a vast parking space and special emergency entry. There are a total of 4 entries and exits on every building within the complex. The institution has 8 above ground water tanks that can store up to 26,000 gallons each. The hospital also has its own helipad on one of the buildings. The primary gate fence is the main entrance into the institution’s compound. However, another entry/exit is specifically left for ambulances moving in and out of the institution. This entrance is heavily protected with double the number of guards at the point of entry. Summary The institutions main facility is between two and three acres in size. The main building which has 10 floors, is at the center of two other buildings that were initially the center. The main building was built at the center and integrated into the other buildings behaving entrances that connect from each of the two buildings to the main one, making appear as one building with two extensions. Owing to the fact that this facility handles cash, it increases the sensitivity of the institution’s facilities, including the reception, the parking area and the patient wards and surgery. In the case of disruption of these areas, the institutions operations may come to halt. The medical center is located at the center of four intersections. The four corners of the facility’s compound are at these four intersections. They are; 1. The intersection of University Boulevard and 19th Street South 2. The intersection of 19th Street South and 7th Avenue South 3. The intersection of 7th Avenue South and 18th Street South 4. The Intersection of 18th Street South and University Boulevard. The institution is located in an area of moderate traffic flow that is mainly determined by the time of day. There are different facilities with a 3 mile radius of the facility. Most of them are facilities and buildings owned by the University of Alabama at Birmingham. However, there are a number of hotels and other designated restaurants within a 2 mile radius of the institution. There are six structures neighboring the facilities from across the four streets around it. They include; 1. University Boulevard University of Alabama Arthritis Muscle Center 2. 19th Street South a. University of Alabama at Birmingham b. Ziegler Research Building c. University of Alabama Hospital 3. 7th Avenue South University of Alabama Medical Center 4. 18th Street South University of Alabama Callahan Eye Hospital The institutions parking area is some distance away from the facility as the institution does not have ample parking space to accommodate all traffic in and out of the medical center. The parking space is located at 2128 Fourth Avenue North. The institutions has a shuttle service that ferries patients to and fro this parking facility at all given times. Criticality Owing to the relatively large scale of the institution’s facilities, there is need to protect the facility owing to the sensitive nature of its operations. The critically of the facility can be approached on two fronts; Criticality of the Services offered Criticality of Certain Crucial Facility Features Services The services offered by the institution are sensitive in nature. Some of the services are extremely sensitive and the dissemination of these services may involve a matter of life and death for patients. There are certain services that are considered to be critical to the operations of the institution. These services include: Cardiology: These services include the full range of cardiac services that include electrophysiology, advanced heart failure programs and Interventional cardiology. Emergency Services: these services provide treatment and care for urgent, emergent and critical medical conditions. They also respond to incoming emergency calls from outside the institution. Pharmacy: these services provide pharmaceutical services by providing all the required medicines to all the patients needing them as prescribed by the institution’s medical practitioners. Primary Care: This is the largest service provided by the facility. It involves providing medical attention to all patients coming into the facility. Shuttle Services: owing to the fact that the facility does not have ample parking space, the bus services that ferry or transport patients and visitors from the designated parking area forms a critical services. Without these services, patients with vehicles would not be able to access the medical center. Without the operations of these services, the facility may potentially cease operating as these services form the core of their facility’s function and operations. Facility Features There are certain feature within the facility that are critical to the operations and running of the facility on a day –to-day basis. These include: The Emergency Room: this section of the hospital takes care of critical and urgent medical conditions. The Pharmacy: this section of the institution stores all the pharmaceutical equipment and substances that are essential for the hospital’s operations Surgery: this section takes care of surgical procedures for patients who require such procedures, as prescribed by the specialized medical practitioners within the institution. Intensive Care Unit (ICU): this takes care of patients in critical state that have to be under constant monitoring by the medical practitioners and nurses. Helipad: the helipad forms an integral part of the emergency services. The helipad is mainly used to transport patients in critical condition and critical medical equipment and organs. This is because all these are highly sensitive and are considered urgent and critical. The Back-up Generator: this is the ultimate alternative source of power in the event of a blackout. This forms an essential and critical physical feature of the building. In the event of an attack on the back-up generator, the institution will definitely cease providing its services, up until this has been restored. These facility features are essential to the operability of the facility as all other critical services provided by the facility depend on these physical features. A security threat to these sections or areas may potentially lead to the cessation of the facility’s operations. Current Security Infrastructure The facility currently possesses some security features embedded within its physical infrastructure. The facility has installed some security features that only serve as the minimal security features. Half of the facility is surrounded by a perimeter wall that protects crucial areas of the facility’s compound. The other half of the facility adjacent to the surrounding streets. The elevator to the helipad has security cardkey control that can only be accessed by specialized high medium-level to top-level medical practitioners. These employees each have a security key card that allows them access to the roof and helipad. The whole facility, i.e. the three buildings, have all been fitted with an alarm system that can be used in case of any security threat to the patients, the staff and/or the facility itself. The facility has also been fitted with CCTV cameras that monitor only the sensitive sections of the medical facility. Such as the Emergency Room, the Intensive Care Unit and Surgery. Part II: Security Survey Questions/Checklist Physical Security Facility Assessment Checklist 1. Site Survey and Risk Assessment 2. Physical Security Survey 3. Plant Security Checklist 4. Guard Security Checklist 5. Office Security Checklist 6. Home Security Checklist 7. Fire Inspection Checklist Item Assessment Question Assessment Guidance Assessment Comment 1. Site 1.1. What major structures surround the facility? 1.2. What are the site access points to the facility? 1.3. Are perimeter barriers capable of stopping vehicles? 1.4. What is the anti-ram buffer zone standoff distance from a building to unscreened vehicles or parking? 1.5. What are the existing types of anti-ram devices for the facility? 1.6. Does site circulation prevent high-speed approaches by vehicles? 1.7. Are there offsetting vehicle entrances from the direction of a vehicle’s approach to force a reduction of speed? 1.8. Is there space for inspection at the curb line or outside the protected perimeter? What is the minimum distance from the inspection location to the building? 1.9. In dense, urban areas, does curb lane parking place uncontrolled parked vehicles unacceptably close to a facility in public rights-of-way? 1.10. Is there a minimum setback distance between the building and parked vehicles? 1.11. Does adjacent surface parking maintain a minimum standoff distance? 1.12. Does site landscaping provide hiding places? 1.13. Is a perimeter fence or other types of barrier controls in place? 1.14. Do signs provide control of vehicles and people? 2. Physical Security Survey 2.1. Does the site planning and architectural design incorporate strategies from a crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) perspective? 2.2. Are public toilets, service spaces or access to vertical circulation systems located in any non-secure areas, including the queuing area before screening at the public entrance? 2.3. Are areas of refuge identified, with special consideration given to egress? 2.4. Are mailrooms located away from facility main entrances, areas containing critical services, utilities, distribution systems, and important assets? Does the mailroom have adequate space for explosive disposal containers? Is the mailroom located near the loading dock? 2.5. Is space available for equipment to examine incoming packages and for special containers? 2.6. Are critical building components located close to any main entrance, vehicle circulation, parking, maintenance area, loading dock, interior parking? 2.7. Do doors and walls along the line of security screening meet requirements of UL752 “Standard for Safety: Bullet-Resisting Equipment”? 2.8. Do entrances avoid significant queuing? 2.9. Do public and employee entrances include space for possible future installation of access control and screening equipment? 2.10. Are there trash receptacles and mailboxes in close proximity to the facility that can be used to hide explosive devices? 2.11. Is roof access limited to authorized personnel by means of locking mechanisms? 2.12. Are enclosures for emergency egress hardened to limit the extent of debris that might otherwise impede safe passage and reduce the flow of evacuees? 2.13. Is access control provided through main entrance points for employees and visitors (e.g. by lobby receptionist, sign-in, staff escorts, issue of visitor badges, checking forms of personal identification, electronic access control system’s)? 2.14. Is access to elevators distinguished as to those that are designated only for employees, patients and visitors? 2.15. Is high visitor activity away from assets? 3. Plant Security Checklist 3.1. What is the source of domestic water? 3.2. Is the incoming water supply in a secure location? 3.3. Does the facility have storage capacity for domestic water? How much? 3.4. What is the source of water for the fire suppression system? 3.5. What fuel supplies do the facility rely on for critical operation? 3.6. How much fuel is stored on the facility? How is it stored? 3.7. What is the normal source of electrical service for the facility? 3.8. Is there a redundant electrical service source? Can the facilities be feed from more than one utility substation? 3.9. How may service entry points does the facility have for electricity? 3.10. What provisions for emergency power exist? 3.11. Does the fire alarm system require communication with external sources? (Tucker & Broder, 2011) References Fennelly, L. J. (2004). Effective Physical Security. Boston: Elsevier Butterworth Heinemann. Philpott, D., & Einstein, S. (2006). The integrated physical security handbook. Arlington: Homeland Defense Journal. Tucker, G., & Broder, J. F. (2011). Risk Analysis and the Security Survey. Burlington: Elsevier Science. United States Office of the Inspector General for Tax Administration,. (2013). The physical security risk assessment program needs improvement. Washington: Department of the Treasury, Inspector General for Tax Administration. Read More