Front Desk Security and Safety: An on-the-Job Guide to Handling Emergencies, Threats, and Unexpected Situations [Paperback]

Betty A. Kildow CBCP FBCI (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 17, 2003

Whether you work in the lobby of a high-rise building, man the entry point of a small office, guard a storage facility, or greet customers in a store, you are the first line of defense, responsible for the safety and well-being of the people in your building.

Front Desk Security & safety includes step-by-step plans for natural disasters, terror threats, service disruptions, medical emergencies, fire, workplace violence, and other emergency situations, as well as emergency checklists and protocols you can post at your desk and refer to at the first sign of trouble. The book covers how to conduct safety training and emergency response drills, and includes a special " What to Do When..." section.

In addition, Front Desk Security & Safety contains a basic project plan for developing an emergency management program, focusing on four key areas:

Mitigation/Prevention: Applying proactive steps to minimize vulnerabilities

Preparedness: Having the proper procedures and materials in place

Response: Protecting employees and working with external safety authorities

Recovery: Keeping the business running despite sometimes substantial limitations

Now that your role in safeguarding your building and the people in it is greater than ever before, you need to be prepared for any situation. Front Desk Security & Safety helps you take on this serious challenge, and control the uncertain.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Security Management online (www.securitymanagement.com): "Kildowís treatment of emergency management is truly masterful. From safety committee issues to business recovery, she writes with strength, clarity, and brevity.This book is recommended for front-desk trainees, security supervisors, and managers in charge of front-desk training and policy, as well as nonsecurity and nonsafety managers who want to quickly get up to speed on their responsibilities for maintaining a safe workplace."

Review

Security Letter: "This is fundamental reading for front-line workers."

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 17 and up
  
• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: AMACOM (November 17, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814408265
• ISBN-13: 978-0814408261
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #997,571 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Front Desk Security & Safety--a valuable training reference., March 3, 2004

By 

E. Anne Warren (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Front Desk Security and Safety: An on-the-Job Guide to Handling Emergencies, Threats, and Unexpected Situations (Paperback)

Here is an easy-to-follow guide for receptionists, security desk personnel, administrative professionals, or any employee in any organization who has initial contact with the public. These employees, the organization's public relations face, have increasingly become an integral part of emergency management efforts. Ms. Kildow's book builds a practical knowledge base for the reader by setting forth emergency preparedness concepts, explaining the bigger picture of emergency planning, and identifying where front desk personnel fit in the overall emergency/security program.
The chapter with specific emergency procedures is comprehensive, easy to follow, and incorporates the latest standards. Policy issues raised in Chapter 5 will give employers, as well as employees, pause for thought, and will help management understand the importance of making safety and security a part of the organization's formal culture.
The book includes an extensive glossary, a readiness assessment tool, and emergency procedures in a reproducible checklist format. Features of the book that are of particular value are the training materials, the tabletop exercise guide, and realistic scenarios. In lieu of instructor-guided formal sessions with exercises and drills, this book fills a training void found in many organizations.
The book, a tremendous economical value, is not just for front desk professionals. It is an outstanding reference or training manual for Emergency Management Directors; Safety and Security Directors; Emergency Response Team Coordinators, and others who have responsibility for managing emergency, safety, or security programs.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Frontdesk Security & Safety - An essential resource, March 4, 2008

By 

Ines Kaldas (Neenah, WI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Front Desk Security and Safety: An on-the-Job Guide to Handling Emergencies, Threats, and Unexpected Situations (Paperback)

I highly recommend this book as it achieves something that is rare in Emergency Management and Business Continuity Planning (BCP). Anyone who has worked in the field, within a company or government agency or as a consultant, knows how difficult it is to help people understand why they should invest time and resources in BCP. This book makes it easy. It provides us with case studies that hit close to home, and therefore act as a vehicle to dive into this complex and difficult field. The author is to be commended.
Within an organization, all too often risk management is steeped in a "silo" approach. This book leads us step-by-step towards integrating all aspects of emergency planning. An important new aspect of this book is that we are guided to truly integrative risk management procedures, addressing them directly to the people who are responsible for developing a plan, designing, implementing, and evaluating it. The book covers a comprehensive spectrum of potential threats and addresses one of the most difficult aspects of disaster response - the communications plan and how to deal with distressed people and the media. As a consultant, I have widely used this book, and it is equally useful for corporate risk managers and public decision-makers. Most remarkably, the author has managed to make the material readable and understandable for those new to the field. Of special added value is the wealth of highly applicable assessment, planning, and exercise tools provided as an appendix. The book is an excellent roadmap.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Book Every Human Resources Department Should Use, May 31, 2011

By 

Patrick D. Tobin "CEO" (Sacramento, California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Front Desk Security and Safety: An on-the-Job Guide to Handling Emergencies, Threats, and Unexpected Situations (Paperback)

Betty Kildow has provided a terrific tool to assist those who have the unenviable task of being what I refer to as 'the first brick in the wall.' Most organizations don't realize how important it is to provide sound and regular preparation of their administrative staff regarding emergency events. I find few organizations that even train their front desk personnel about how to record a phone threat. The FBI Bomb Threat cards are seldom seen under or near phones any longer. Why organizations put people in direct harm with little or no training, when these staff are the first person to be contacted the public, is still a mystery to me. If they had read this book I am sure many difficult and dangerous situations would be averted each day in this country.

In contrast to the single negative review of this book, found here on Amazon, I found the material very easy to comprehend. It was written with the perspectives and interests of the front desk staff, and not for a safety engineer or someone who puts themselves in a position of being an 'expert' in safety. Admin staff don't want to be preached at or bullied. They want ideas and mentors. I've seen the bullying types who practically threaten admin staff and leave them frightened or angry. This book provides the soft touch of guidance and advice. Any reader who thought this was a guide book for safety officers to hammer the lowest paid employees in a company had best look elsewhere. Ms. Kildow's approach is palatable to its intended audience. She doesn't need to use a club. She provides reason and support.

I recommend this book as both a professional emergency manager, with over thirty-five years of experience, and also as an employer who has had the responsibility for the well being of my employees. This book sits on my desktop and I share it with my clients at every opportunity. I also have provided copies to those on the front line who are friends and relatives. Thank you Betty for providing all of us with a tool to make the workplace safer for anyone working the front desk.

Sincerely
Rick Tobin
President/CEO
TAO Emergency Management Consulting