Chapter One
FRONT DESK ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES ESSENTIALLY, safety and security efforts are as much a state of mind as they are the use of security systems and countermeasures. While written policies, procedures, and plans and equipment are essential to effective safety and security and emergency management programs, without the active participation of all employees, the best of programs will fail. This is true of no one more than the organization's front desk staff.
Having a complete understanding of your organization's safety, security, and emergency management programs is vital to enable you to fulfill your responsibilities. As a way of determining if you have good, basic knowledge of how the organization approaches these programs, ask yourself the following questions.
* Do we have safety, security, and emergency management programs?
* Is there one program that covers everything, or are there separate programs for emergency management and safety and security?
* Who has the responsibility for maintaining and updating these programs and the related procedures?
* If we have multiple locations, are procedures the same at all locations?
* What printed emergency procedures have been provided to all employees?
* Are these procedures part of the orientation for all new employees?
* Do all employees receive refresher training in emergency procedures?
* What reports am I to make following an emergency or a security breach, and to whom do I make the reports?
If you are not sure about the answers to any of these questions, seek out the people who do have the information and ask them to fill in any blanks for you. Some things you do each day are fundamental to the continued safety and security of your organization, your fellow employees, and visitors to your building. Often taken for granted, these standard procedures are the foundation of your organization's safety and security.
In addition to organization-wide, day-to-day safety and security procedures, the front desk needs to be involved in all elements of the organization's emergency management program: mitigation, preparedness, emergency responsibilities, and post-emergency responsibilities.
Day-to-Day
I was recently in a company's elegant modern main entry. The well-appointed lobby with decorator chairs and sofas, beautiful artwork, and plush carpeting was equipped with state-of-the-art life safety system components including smoke detectors, sprinklers, and copies of evacuation procedures and routes on one of the glass-topped tables. The area was equipped with well-placed security cameras and signage indicating that all visitors are to check in and sign the visitors' log. I knew that the front desk was also equipped with a panic button that could be used to alert security and an additional button that would automatically lock the entrance doors. Great-until I walked in the front door and passed the receptionist, who finally looked up from reading a magazine and said "hello" as I walked into the main section of the building.
What's wrong with this picture? The receptionist did not know me. Who was I? Where was I going once I entered the main part of the building? Quite simply, the person at the front desk failed to do her job by following basic established procedures. Avoid falling into the, "Nothing has ever happened here, and I don't think it ever will" trap. Don't allow a failure to regularly follow all procedures "just this one time" to become your organization's vulnerability.
First and foremost, keep an eye on what's happening in the front desk area. Avoid sitting with your head down reading a book. Don't get involved in lengthy conversations with colleagues or lengthy personal phone conversations. Be aware of who and what is coming through the door. If someone sitting in the waiting area moves, be aware of where they are going.
If employee badges are required at your location, do everything you can to maintain 100 percent compliance. If a colleague, even one you know well, is not wearing their badge or if the badge is not visible, remind them of the requirements. If there is a metal detector, have everyone go through it. No by-passers allowed!
While it might be easier to just ignore some of these standard procedures-after all it's your coffee buddy Sue or Joe or maybe a company executive-there are policies and requirements and it's your job to enforce them. No exceptions. Consider this case in point for following all security guidelines to the letter at all times.
The headquarters office of an international law firm began experiencing thefts. Items including smaller pieces of equipment, supplies, and employees' portable CD players and wallets began disappearing on a fairly regular basis. Security conducted an investigation, first suspecting that an employee or perhaps cleaning company employees might be responsible. After calling in security specialists who placed an undercover person in the office, the culprit was found to be both obvious and unbelievable.
Law firms are notorious for working long hours when attorneys and the staff are preparing court documents or getting ready for a hearing or trial, often eating meals in the office to continue their work. People at this law firm had a favorite pizza parlor that they regularly called to have their meals delivered, and there was one delivery person, we'll call him Bob, who was everyone's favorite. He often had a funny story to share and knew many employees by name. Known well by the front desk staff, Bob was allowed to circumvent front desk security procedures and come and go at will. Got it yet?
Good old Bob would walk into the building carrying the food in an insulated container to keep it warm. He would then leave with the insulated container filled with items he was able to pick up as he made his way through the office-a portable radio here, a cell phone there. No one ever questioned him or thought to look in the container he was carrying. Making an exception for Bob the pizza delivery guy proved very expensive for the firm and its employees, as well as an embarrassment to all, particularly the front desk staff.
If you have keys or an access card to the building or interior doors, keep them safe. Don't lend your keys to anyone or let anyone use a key or access card with which you have been entrusted. Don't leave your keys, access card, or ID card on a desk or countertop in your work area. It's best to always keep keys on your person or in a locked cabinet or drawer. Hiding places that you consider secret often don't remain secret for long. If your key, access card, or ID card is lost or stolen, report it to security, or others as designated, immediately. Don't label keys with a room number. If petty cash is kept at the front desk, always keep it out of sight and locked away.
If you must leave your work area for any reason, even "just for a minute or two," lock everything. Don't leave a purse, briefcase, or bag at an unattended front desk.
If you're working on a computer, clear the screen and log off before walking away. Always follow all internet/intranet security guidelines; even one exception can create a breach in computer security that may be widespread and costly. Do not leave your computer password where someone might see it or easily find it. Again, there are no "perfect" hiding places.
If you have work papers on the desktop, put them in a drawer. Avoid leaving documents in shared printers or facsimile machines in public areas. If you work with printed material that is in any way confidential or proprietary, do not simply throw it in a wastebasket in the front desk area. If there is not one in place now, request a shredder for the front desk area. If that is not possible, dispose of discarded papers in an area of the building not accessible to outsiders.
Avoid discussing confidential information or organization business in front of visitors, and remind your fellow employees to follow suit. Remember that even a seemingly insignificant conversation may include content that should not be heard outside the organization. Information that seems inconsequential to you may be of great interest to competitors or other outsiders or even to employees who may use it to the detriment of the organization or employees. Your organization's business plans, customer information, and other sensitive data are an asset to be protected.
If possible, stagger the times you take breaks and leave the area to go to lunch. Don't be too predictable. Make it a point to brief the person relieving you. Who is in the waiting area and who they are waiting to see? Are any deliveries or service persons expected? Has anything happened that is out of the ordinary? Let your relief know what is happening and get answers to these same questions when you return.
Always be aware of your surroundings. Report any suspicious activity such as an unfamiliar person remaining in the front desk area for no apparent reason or someone who returns to the building multiple times in a short amount of time for no reason. Immediately report the presence of unauthorized building occupants, such as terminated employees, or outsiders who have been identified as being safety or security risks. If you have a no-solicitors policy, make sure it is enforced.
Always follow all access controls to the letter-no exceptions. Screen all visitors to verify that they have a legitimate need to be in the building and that they are expected. Have everyone sign in and issue them a temporary identification badge. Never assume that someone has a right to be in the building. Check the identity of unknown persons.
Recently, in the reception area of an international corporation I noticed a large sphere-shaped "sculpture" approximately four feet in diameter on a corner of the reception counter. On closer inspection, I realized that what I first thought was a piece of artwork was actually created with used adhesive-backed visitor badges stuck together to form a large ball. The result was a great place for departing visitors to deposit their badges and an interesting lobby conversation piece. The fact that all visitors see that using the badges is a standard practice is a more subtle benefit of displaying this very special "creation."
All visitors should be escorted while in the private areas of the building. Each visitor should be announced to the person they wish to see by phone or intercom and then be asked to wait in the front desk area for the employee who will escort them. Following their visit the person should be escorted back to the front desk to sign out. An enforced policy that requires all visitors to be escorted while in the building is both a good security practice and old-fashioned good manners.
I've witnessed many organizations that have the sign-in procedure down pat only to frequently ignore the sign-out step. Both steps are equally important to be able to get a true picture of who is in the building at any given time.
I recall my first visit to a high-tech company where, after indicating the name of the person I was there to see, I was directed by the receptionist, who had never seen me before and who asked for no identification, to "Go through those doors, down the corridor to the left, pass the research and development department, turn right, pass the human resources department, and continue down the hall until you get to Sam's office. I think he's in this afternoon." As she turned me loose in the building, I thought what a good thing it was that I wasn't a competitor interested in the new products being developed by this company that was operating in a highly-competitive market or that I wasn't a disgruntled former employee with a grudge against someone in HR.
Some organizations are adding a requirement to check visitors' identification when they enter the building; in a more limited number of locations, two pieces of identification are requested. Other more stringent requirements may include searching packages, purses, and briefcases taken into the building. Whether to add these additional check-in procedures is a decision that must be made by management based on experience and the level of security needed.
If you see someone begin to leave the front desk area and head for other parts of the building without checking in, ask, "Can I help you," or "Can I let someone know you are here?" Do not give them access and do not leave them unescorted. If the person is someone who should not be there, they may likely ignore you or may give you a curt answer and head for an exit, stairway, or elevator. Do not try to stop them. Call security or 9-1-1 immediately and provide a description of the person.
For example, imagine that near the end of the business day you see a man unknown to you enter the lobby and sits down in the waiting area. Upon asking how you can be of help, the barely audible response is that he is checking his appointment book for the name of the person he is to see. A few minutes later as you are answering a phone call, you look up to see the man heading toward the door to the main part of the building. Without acknowledging your request that he check in at the desk, the man picks up his pace and with an angry look on his face, continues into the building.
Without hesitation, call security or 9-1-1. There is an unknown person in the building. You do not know who he is there to see, exactly where in the building he is headed, or his purpose for being there. Stay at the front desk to be available to give a description of the person.
If someone is loitering or acting suspiciously in or near the front desk area and you have any hesitancy about approaching them, call security or another pre-identified source of assistance. Report the person's location and description. If possible to do so discreetly, keep an eye on the person until help arrives.
Any time you see a person committing an illegal act or criminal offense, don't hesitate. Call 9-1-1 immediately and inform security and/or others as identified in your organization's security procedures. While the details of the incident are still fresh in your mind, write down a description of those involved, exactly what happened, and the time and location of the offense. If the person(s) have left the area, report where they were last seen and their exit route. If your organization does not have an incident report form, you may want to create one to provide an outline of information to be noted.
Some front desks are also a central receiving point for packages. Even in organizations where most deliveries go through a central receiving area or a mail center, it is not uncommon for an occasional package or envelope to make its way to the front desk.
If deliveries are regularly received by the front desk, validate vendor lists of all routine deliveries and repair services. Take notice and report any suspicious packages. Even a briefcase that has been left unattended and for which you can not readily identify an owner should be considered suspect. Do not handle or attempt to move any questionable item. It's important to keep track of what comes in the building ... and what goes out.
Do not allow anyone-employee or visitor-to remove computers, peripherals, or other equipment from the building unless you know who they are and that they have permission to do so. In today's highly computerized world, while the equipment leaving the building does have financial value, it may also contain confidential or proprietary information that the organization can ill afford to let walk out the door. Some organizations have established a policy and system for tracking equipment taken home by employees. A form is signed by a manager giving permission for the item(s) to be taken from the building. These forms are tracked by the front desk, and items not checked back in within the specified time are reported to the manager who signed the permission form for follow-up.
Another security procedure being used by more organizations today than ever before, particularly where data security is highly critical, is to have all visitors check in their laptop computers at the front desk. The computer's serial number is recorded and then cross-checked when the visitor leaves the building with the computer. This ensures that the same computers that enter the building leave the building and that no exchanges are made.
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Excerpted from Front Desk Security and Safety by Betty A. Kildow Copyright © 2004 by Betty A. Kildow. Excerpted by permission.
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