With ongoing reports of crime and violence at schools, offices, hospitals, and even places of worship, seemingly nowhere is protected from the ingenuity of evil. The current emergency management infrastructure often falls short of supporting a swift response to curtail dangerous incidents. Understaffed call centers, lags in when calls are picked up, and slow response times all increase the odds of tragedy.
This unfortunate reality means that leaders from all sectors can no longer assume that “it wouldn’t happen here” and must instead face that their emergency response infrastructure likely is not sufficient to contain and prevent threats. “Reactive” isn’t cutting it; they must take a proactive stance toward crucial matters of security, safety, and emergency prevention.
In the corporate sector, the National Security Council’s whitepaper “Workplace Violence: Using Technology to Reduce Risk” states, “Given its recognition as a top occupational hazard, relatively few organizations have sufficient programs in place to prevent, mitigate, and respond to violence.”
In U.S. society at large, a 2024 article in Security Magazine notes that there were 658 mass shootings in 2023, and “The reality is that most organizations are just beginning to focus on supporting the infrastructure and putting the systems in place to create a comprehensive workplace violence prevention program.”
It is time to eschew minimal, halfhearted attempts at security and invest in the safety of those we care for and are charged to protect. An unpredictable landscape necessitates revolutionary integrated security measures that cover all bases–from threat detection and prevention to instantaneous and comprehensive emergency response.
Reviewing the Numbers
Consider these sobering statistics on violent incidents in the U.S.:
Cumulative Workplace Violence Statistics
- The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports in 2020 there were 392 workplace homicides, and 37,060 nonfatal–but intentional–injuries by another person.
- Of victims who experienced trauma from workplace violence in 2020, 22% required 31 or more days away from work to recover, and 22% needed 3 to 5 days away from work.
Schools
- In a given year, 16% of students will bring a weapon to school, and 8% will threaten another student with a weapon. Approximately 1% will specifically bring a gun to school, 5% to 7% will be threatened or injured with a weapon at school, and 16% will experience unwanted sexual contact at school.
Retail
- 88% of retailers reported that shoplifters were more violent/aggressive in 2023 vs. 2022, including 49% who said they have observed “much more” violent/aggressive behavior. 67% of retailers reported more violence/aggression among organized retail crime (ORC) perpetrators, and 53% have witnessed an increase in aggressive repeat offenders.
- A survey on workplace safety revealed retail workers’ largest areas of concern are erratic or aggressive behavior from customers (58%) and theft (58%). Nearly half (49%) of retail workers report theft and vandalism are rising.
- Of the 392 U.S. workplace homicide victims in 2020, 30% were performing retail-related tasks such as tending to a retail establishment or waiting on customers.
Healthcare
- Healthcare workers are five times more likely than those in other industries to sustain workplace violence injuries. In 2018, 73% of all nonfatal workplace violence-related injuries involved healthcare workers.
- In one survey, 69% of healthcare workers say they worry about aggressive or erratic behavior among patients or visitors, and 59% regularly worry about being assaulted at work.
- A National Nurses United (NNU) report released in February 2024, which polled more than 1,000 nurses in 48 states and Washington, D.C., stated a surprising 81.6% of nurses reported experiencing workplace violence in the past year, with nearly half of them saying violence has increased, and only 3.8% saying they saw violence decrease in 2023.
Places of Worship
- Incidents in places of worship increased by 34.8% between 2014 and 2018, according to FBI hate crime statistics
- A 2023 CNN article on violence in houses of worship affirmed “mass shootings…are not confined to churches. Every house of worship is now considered a soft target.” It also quoted a report that found “some 480 incidents of serious violence take place at communities of worship in the US each year,” and “two-thirds of the assailants had no affiliation with the congregation.”
Acknowledging Inadequate, Fragmented Security Measures
A 2022 survey given to chief security, legal, and compliance officers, counsels, attorneys, and security directors shows that “workplace violence preparedness at businesses is primarily reactive and inconsistent.” A 2021 National Nurses United (NNU) brief about workplace violence in hospitals stated, “Healthcare employers have a moral and legal obligation to provide a safe and healthful workplace to their employees,” which “involves recognizing the hazard of violence on the job and implementing effective workplace violence prevention plans.” The NNU’s report in 2024 reiterated the necessity of proactive measures, such as unit-specific workplace violence prevention plans and appropriate staffing levels, but it also exposed that “many healthcare employers continue to fail to implement these essential protections,” leaving workers vulnerable.
The Citadel Mall shooting in Colorado Springs in December 2023 also exemplified a lack of proactive measures and a vulnerable security infrastructure, as a fight was allowed to escalate, unchecked, until one person was shot dead and two injured. The perpetrator had an extensive and violent criminal record–a security system that included facial identification technology would likely have triggered an alert to forewarn mall police before the violence began.
In April 2023, a mass shooting at Old National Bank in Louisville, Kentucky, resulted in the loss of five lives and left eight others injured. After several of her colleagues had been shot, a bank employee was able to hide in a conference room and dial 911. The assailant, a former employee wielding an AR-15, had no trouble entering the bank. Additional security protocols, including weapons detection technology and external video cameras, could alert personnel of a possible threat and allow employees to contact law enforcement immediately.
Practice scenarios have their place in emergency safety plans, but drills alone won’t work if there are no additional preventive measures and tools in place. An Illinois study “Exploring School Violence and Safety Concerns” states, “Many schools have instituted emergency response protocols for reacting to an active shooter incident, and 95% of students nationwide participate in at least one lockdown drill each school year. These responses alone are often insufficient, offering no tools for prevention of such attacks.”
Accelerating Response Time: From Minutes to Seconds
SOS Technologies acknowledges the importance of 911 and the national emergency response system. Unfortunately, the information relay involved in 911 protocols requires precious minutes in critical situations. Although the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) recommends that 90% of all emergency calls be answered in 10 seconds, this is often not the case.
A 2021 investigation into 911 response times in Columbus, Ohio, found that “priority 1 events,” which “include ongoing life-threatening crimes and situations likely to result in serious physical harm to any person,” have an average response time of 10 minutes, 30 seconds, with the lowest-priority events having an average response time just shy of an hour.
The National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) Standard 1225 (2022 version) similarly specifies that requests for emergency assistance be answered within 10 seconds 90% of the time, and be processed within 60 seconds 90% of the time. In a 2023 article, NFPA observed that agencies following NFPA 1225 “had 65% of their calls found to be compliant, versus only 27% compliance in the calls processed by agencies not following an NFPA standard,” but records showed “the 90th percentile for call processing times is more than twice the recommended time specified in NFPA 1225.”
A 2018 news report found that many 911 call centers are short-staffed, and those who do work there have grueling 12-hour shifts and often work overtime. The article provided unsettling examples, such as a call center in Little Rock, Arkansas, where four operators received 108 calls in 20 minutes, dozens of which were from two people trying to report an attempted suicide, not getting through, and repeatedly hanging up and calling again (which put them back at the bottom of the queue each time). In another, tragic, example, a short-staffed call center in San Diego, in the midst of a hiring freeze, didn’t respond to a call from parents when their newborn had been bitten by a dog. Since they were unable to get through, the couple took the baby to the hospital themselves, where he was pronounced dead.
In an emergency, a difference of 30 seconds or a few minutes can mean the difference between life and death.
SOS Technologies offers the only patented emergency monitoring and response platform in the United States that connects directly to law enforcement and first responders, removing steps that hinder 911 from conveying details to a police dispatcher. Activating an alert secures a response within seconds.
Knowing the Consequences
A 2023 article in Security Magazine emphasized how “Organizations Need to be More Prepared for Physical Risks.” Businesses might have cutting-edge solutions in place for cybersecurity, but, it states, “Protecting an organization’s people, places, or assets from physical threats is often overlooked, and physical risk mitigation is often under-resourced. Yet the consequences of physical threats are severe. These include unplanned operational downtime, product loss, customer churn, brand reputation damage, broken vendor or supplier relationships, and loss of investor confidence. The risks can even include human injury or loss of life.”
A National Institute of Justice review of the consequences of school violence observes, “Serious violence reduces perceived school safety and predicts depression and suicidality among students.” Another study, on school violence prevention efforts, says, “Research suggests that the consequences of school violence exist for not just the victim and perpetrator, but for all exposed. In 2007, 5.5% of high school students did not come to school at least one day in the past month because they felt unsafe.”
Repercussions of violent incidents can be physical, emotional, or psychological, with long-term effects on victims, witnesses, and even an entire profession. The 2024 National Nurses United report states that 60% of respondents considered changing or leaving jobs, or abandoning the profession altogether, due to workplace violence. A survey of frontline workers in several industries revealed that those “who feel that their jobs do not prioritize employees’ physical safety have said they plan to leave in the next year” if the employer doesn’t improve safety measures; if they could afford to, “two in five frontline workers would quit their job due to safety concerns.” Ensuring workers are physically secure is an urgent business need.
The essential factor of people’s safety and security aside, an integrated security platform is a smart business move. Violent incidents can result in lost customer traffic, lower revenue, a tarnished reputation, and–if the business was deemed not to have adequate safety and prevention measures in place–hefty lawsuits.
A horrific shooting at a Virginia Walmart in November 2022 left six employees dead and four injured. The assailant, who killed himself, was also an employee. Four individuals have filed lawsuits against Walmart in the wake of the event. One of the shooting survivors filed a $50 million lawsuit, claiming the company knew of the gunman’s violent tendencies. A second survivor also filed a suit seeking $20 million in compensatory damages and $350,000 in punitive damages.
With violent incidents on the rise, retail owners have both their employees and customers to think about. A 2023 Forbes article observed that “consumers, on whom the retail industry depends, are aware that they may be putting themselves in harm’s way when they shop”; owners need to upgrade their security systems accordingly. A criminologist quoted in the article stressed, “If somebody comes to your place of business and takes your stuff or worse, intimidates your people or customers, they’re all crime victims,” and later advised, “retailers must focus on what they’re doing and approach it in an integrated way, instead of just doing a bunch of stuff. It’s got to be much more focused.” For example, according to a National Retail Federation survey, about half of retailers are budgeting for and investing in technology solutions and security equipment in the store, but fewer than a fifth have implemented parking lot surveillance units.
SOS Technologies: Keeping Pace with the Ingenuity of Evil
Leaders from across all walks of life are challenged to protect people for whom they are responsible. Failure to implement proactive and preventive measures to address today’s dangers can lead to tragedy, physical or emotional damage, legal issues, reputational damage, and loss of business.
A holistic security solution is essential for creating a safe environment, preventing potential violence from happening, and securing a sufficient response. Emergency alert and security systems are quickly becoming mandatory in many locations, and some laws going into effect may render fragmented or app-only security solutions inadequate.
SOS Technologies offers a revolutionary, AI-powered emergency monitoring, prevention, and response platform that integrates systems and drives a rapid response. Our platform is tailored to each location it protects. In addition, our solution is interoperable and technology-agnostic, meaning that it can unify siloed monitoring tools without taking a time-consuming and costly “rip-and-replace” approach.
Interested in learning more? Speak to our team about scheduling a presentation.