Beyond the obvious need to protect personal safety, keeping Nevada safe is essential for ensuring a healthy economy. You and your employees are the eyes and ears of our community. In association with local and state authorities, the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce is proud to take the lead on mobilizing local business owners and their employees to play a role in securing our community against both foreign and domestic threats. We encourage you to make homeland security an item of importance as part of this effort.

Here are ten ways you and your employees can help keep Southern Nevada safe for everyone.

Homeland Security: Top 10 Ways Your Business Can Help Keep Southern Nevada Safe

1. Know Your Vulnerabilities and Risks
   Assess the potential risks of your products and services. Be aware of a customer who is not typical or who has an odd request. Is someone inquiring about an unusual use for a product?
2. Train Your Employees to Recognize Potential Threats
   Be aware of unusual or abandoned packages or vehicles and of suspicious activities. Is something out of place? Is someone loitering in your parking lot or outside of your business? Is someone taking an unusual interest in your business operation?
3. Take What You Hear and See Seriously
   If you or your employees overhear someone brag about plans to harm citizens in violent attacks or if someone claims membership in a terrorist organization, take those statements seriously and contact authorities.
4. Pay Attention to the Details
   When reporting suspicious activity, it is important to give the most accurate and complete description possible of persons, situations, vehicles, and circumstances. If possible, take notes. What are the physical characteristics? What is the make, model, color and license plate number of the vehicle? What time and place did you observe the activity?
5. Do Not Stereotype
   Do not assume a suspicious person will meet a certain physical profile. Both 9/11 and the Oklahoma City bombing were devastating acts of terror. However, the perpetrators of each catastrophic event were very different from one another in appearance, nationality and motivation.
6. Be Accessible and Open to Your Employees
   Make sure your employees know that they can go to you or their supervisor with any concerns or information, no matter if they turn out to be groundless. Sometimes employees are worried that they might not be correct in their suspicions. Share information or concerns with your employees so that they can be alert to new threats.
7. Review Your Own Security Procedures
   What kind of security system does your company have? Do you keep track of your inventory in a way that you will know if something potentially hazardous is missing? Do you know who is in your building or on your property at all times?
8. Develop an Emergency Plan
   Have an emergency plan and communicate that plan with your employees. Practice your plan with unplanned drills and assess the results. Keep your plan up-to-date.
9. Form an Industry Organization
   Communicating potential risks or unusual situations within your industry could help to detect a potentially dangerous situation. Your business might sell products that alone are harmless, but combined with products from another company, could present a real risk.
10. Establish a Network to Communicate Information
    Set up a system to share information in a quick and easily accessible manner. Communication within your company as well as with other companies within your industry is important. Businesses within the same geographic area and neighborhood should have a communications network.

Remember, any suspicious activity should be reported to the proper authorities. They are trained to handle these types of situations. Never risk your own safety or that of your employees to confront or restrain a suspicious person.

Important phone numbers

Las Vegas Metro Police Department:
311 – non-emergency
911 – emergency

Nevada Department of Public Safety:
702-486-4100 ext. 6

FBI:
702-385-1281

For more information about the Business On Guard program, contact Cara Roberts, Director of Public Relations at 702.641.5822, ext. 3832 or croberts@lvchamber.com.