Workplace Layouts in the Era of Armed Assailants

Active shooter and armed aggressor incidents are constantly in the news — so often in fact that organizations are now evaluating the potential impact of such an incident when they choose the layout of employee workspaces. This webinar will discuss a risk-based analytical approach that will help designers and security practitioners understand likely egress choke points, compare potential floor plan layouts, and select an optimal layout to help occupants survive an attack and how and where to add features to reduce occupant risk.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion, participants will be able to:

• Better understand the characteristics of an armed aggressor threat.
• Better understand behavioral aspects of occupant egress under a severe state of panic.
• Identify vulnerabilities associated with an armed aggressor threat.
• Identify key floor plan features and supplemental mitigation measures that can reduce occupant risk to ballistic attack.

Sponsored by Johnson Controls Security Solutions

Presenters

Brandon Kehl, CPP serves as a Senior Security Consultant for Protection Engineering Consultants (PEC), where he provides experienced guidance on physical security measures for clients in a variety of industries. Prior to joining PEC, Brandon led the physical security consulting section for Burns & McDonnell and retired as the Chief of Police for Braymer, Missouri. Recognized as an expert in the areas of security awareness, security planning, multi-agency collaboration and complex integrated protection strategies, he regularly teaches and speaks at national and international conferences on these topics. Brandon's volunteer positions include such positions as Chairing the Education Council for IAHSS and the Kansas City Chapter of ASIS, Founding Director and Secretary-Treasurer of the Heart of America Patriot Foundation, and as a guest lecturer and continuing education instructor at Park University, the Blue River Public Safety Institute, and the Midwest Law Enforcement Trainers Association. Brandon is both a lead author and contributor to the currently in development ASTM standard for protecting against armed aggressors (mass violence) in educational institutions. Brandon received his Bachelor's in Criminal Justice from Park University.

Eric L. Sammarco, PhD, PE is a registered Professional Engineer with many years of structural engineering and risk mitigation research and design experience. He currently serves as the company's Advanced Technology + Research (AT+R) Team Leader and manages/supports projects and applied R&D efforts focused on risk mitigation for people, systems and mission-critical infrastructure from natural hazards, extreme accident scenarios, and hostile attacks. Eric's technical interests include assessment and design for blast, shock, and impact effects, application of advanced numerical modeling and simulation techniques, and application of performance-based analysis and design methodologies for natural and man-made hazards. Eric also manages the AT+R Team's technology development efforts, including state-of-the-art egress modeling techniques for evaluating armed aggressor scenarios. Eric enjoys serving the profession through voluntary work on several security-related technical committees. Recent examples include his contribution to the updated ASCE Structural Design for Physical Security text and his involvement on the newly formed ASTM E54 task group focused on the development of a standard for protecting against armed aggressors (mass violence) in educational institutions. Eric also serves on the board of the ASCE Structural Engineering Institute's local Austin, TX branch. Eric earned a PhD in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and MS and BS degrees in Civil Engineering from the University of Kansas.