SECURITY SITE SURVEY
DEVRY CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS – The Devry Center
Jim Jones
February 15, 2013
Eval of Security Systems
Professor Semore Butts

Overview

This site survey was conducted by Jim Jones on February 15, 2013. This document is intended to detail the security survey and analysis for Devry Corporate headquarters. The report will detail the strengths and weaknesses of each of the operational areas. While it will detail an overview of staff and visitor procedures it will not be a personal evaluation of the staff’s readiness or ability to carry out those activities and responsibilities.
The objective of the recommendations in this audit are to ensure that Devry Corporate headquarters complies with state, local, and federal regulations for the safety of its employees, the public, and visitors. It will also assist with recommendations that ensure Devry Corporation is free from any legal liabilities as a result of action or non action as it relates to security and safety (Garcia, 2008).
Summary

The Devry Corporate Headquarters is the central location for Devry Inc., which owns and operates fourteen educational institutions, their supporting both domestic and international operations. These Institutions are comprised of large scale educational facilities requiring sophisticated infrastructures. Each of the supported institutions must adhere to the Higher Education Act standards of security and safety. Those standards would not be applicable in the corporate headquarters as the use of these facilities are strictly related to corporate governance, share holder support, board of directors , and investor relations.
The Information in this report was obtained from Devry Inc. Directors, Management, and supporting staff members. There will be aspects of the analysis and observations contained in this report that relate to third party vendors and the procedures in which they serve and interact with the Devry staff. The content of this document will address the activities and services within the Corporate Headquarters and will not address vendor or third party company policies and procedures. These policies and procedures will have been evaluated as part of their contract and RFQ process.
Physical Location and Characteristics

Devry Center is located at :
9210 Higher Education Drive New York, NY 11747

Devry Center is a thirty story corporate tower, which classifies it as a high rise building. The building is situated on a four acre plot of land in downtown New York City. Construction was completed in December of 2008. Information regarding the construction phase from the New York department of buildings revealed that the building complied with code and safety standards at that time.
The building was recently inspected for physical safety and structural integrity. The façade, interior, and foundation were all well within safety standards. The New York City department of building codes also verified that the elevators, both freight and passenger were recently inspected and have never received violations.
A discussion with the Director of Maintenance revealed that internal safety inspections are performed on a rotating schedule. When maintenance staff moves through out each area of the building they are doing manual walk through of the entire surrounding areas. The third party window cleaning staff is responsible for reporting issues with the façade the maintenance staff also inspects internal elevator and motor and cabling apparatus’s on a weekly basis. Each passenger and freight elevator contains a framed inspection placard that is current. The elevators contain passenger safety instructions in the event there is an emergency as well as how to operate each function in icon, Braille format. The maintenance staff was also able to provide the location of the current building inspections posted in placards next to the bank of passenger elevators (New York City Government, 2013).
Exit signs, and safety information as well as fire alarms, fire hoses, extinguishers and sprinkler systems are all installed as required by New York city building code, and New York City Fire Inspection standards,
My recommendation for improvement and liability protection of the physical structure integrity is that a third party structural engineering company performs a full inspection twice yearly.

Physical Security and Access Controls

The Devry Center has 1,800 tenants and a maximum capacity of 2,000 there are 30 floors with only 27 of them utilized as employee workspaces. The building also contains an underground parking garage, a ground level freight delivery loading dock and rooftop garden. A twenty four hour security staff monitors the building via patrol and closed circuit security camera’s. There are alarms in the shipping bay doors and the parking garage entry however there are very limited alarm applications in interior areas

Visitor and Employee Access

The first floor of the Devry Center consists of an indoor public lobby and café with several seating areas and vendors that provide coffee and pre-packaged food items in portable refreshment stands. Moving toward the back of the building there is a security and reception desk directly across from the banks of elevators. Office Hours for the public are Monday thru Friday 9am to 5pm EST. Visitors must check in at the reception desk. Reception greets them and verifies the purpose of their visit and confirms access with a supervisor from the appropriate department. Visitors are then directed to the elevator bank with verbal instructions on how to find the offices that they are looking for.

According to the employee handbook employees are required to display their employee Identification on their person at all time. They do not check in via any process. A guard at the desk watches for individuals bypassing the desk but does not physically check for identification. Employees accessing the building after office hours must sign in at the Reception desk. Security does not verify any of the afterhour’s access with a department supervisor.

All of the floors utilized for employee workspaces are not secured entry points. Individuals may exit the elevator and walk freely through each of the area’s the executive floors are the only exception where there is an additional reception area and security desk.

My recommendation is that the lobby security and reception desk be moved to act as a barrier in front of the elevator bank requiring access from a security measure to actually enter the elevators. Each of the interior floors would be locked and secured with a waiting area of its own.

One side of the reception barrier would be reserved for individual access. Visitors would come to the front of the desk to check in and be issued a visitors pass that they must display on their person at all time while they are on the premises. The pass would be equipped with an RFID that only allows access to the floors that they are allowed to enter. Once the pass was activated and given to the individual, the visitor would enter through the metal detector and utilize their pass at turnstile to access the elevator. Security would notify the supervisor or appointed employee that the visitor is on their way up.

For food or other local non freight delivery security would sign in the vendor and notify the employees. The employee would either come to the reception area to accept the delivery, or security would escort the delivery person to the elevator bank select the floor for them and ask them to wait in the secured area for the employee to greet them. Security would also monitor them via the camera system until the returned to exit the building (Garcia, 2008).

Employee badges would also be equipped with RFID readers. Appointed human resource employees and information technology employees would have unlimited access to the system. Supervisors would have access to their own departments so that they could set entry times appropriate to the employees work schedules. Employees would access the building through the metal detector and turnstiles (Fennely, 2004).
The Parking Garage

The underground parking garage accommodates 1250 spaces and is accessible via a lift arm style entry controlled via a pin pad. The garage is monitored by closed circuit televisions systems that are equipped with night vision. At this time there is low visibility in the parking garage it is difficult to determine if a space is executive, visitor, or general employee parking.

My recommendations are that in addition to the pin entry system that a RFID reader be placed along with a guard stand. The stand would be occupied by a member of security during the morning and evening commute hours to assist guest and employees should there be an incident or difficulty with the entry systems. Employee badges would allow quick access to parking so that entry becomes more efficient and there is less wait time and traffic issues. In addition parking spaces should be color coded and timer and motion sensor activated lighting added in addition to current fixtures. Intercoms should be available every 100 ft and clearly labeled for emergency situations (Fennely, 2004).
The Shipping Receiving Area

The Shipping and Receiving are is located at the rear of the building at street level. The loading dock is well lit and monitored by closed circuit television cameras. The bay doors are alarmed and secured with adequate locking systems. Freight is brought in and stationed throughout the area.

My only recommendation is that a secured cage be provided for equipment delivered for the information technology department. Computer and networking equipment and accessories are expensive items and should be secured at all times unless being escorted through the building by an authorized employee (Garcia, 2008).

The Rooftop Garden

The Rooftop garden contains portable seating areas throughout the area and a fenced area that is shrouded containing building exhaust systems, air-conditioning units, and telecommunications equipment. The fenced area is locked.

My recommendations are that the portable seating be removed and only provided on demand by a maintenance staff or event coordinator. hardscape or heavy secured seating areas should be the only permanent seating fixtures. The fenced area should be alarmed and the entire rooftop should be monitored by closed circuit television cameras. Aesthetic barriers should be installed on the ledges around the entire roof perimeter (Devry University ).

Miscellaneous Interior Areas

Currently telecommunications, networking and maintenance closets are locked with a pin entry system. My recommendation is that these areas should also be equipped with RFID readers and alarms. Office supply closets should also be secured by a pin or RFID entry system.

Each floor contains temperature controls throughout the area. My recommendation is that each of these be secured in clear lockboxes to prevent tampering. This measure is critical in the systems server rooms to prevent overheating.

Each floor contains an employee convenience area equipped with burner style coffee machines and high wattage multi functional microwave ovens. My recommendation is to replace the coffee machines with a non burner style unit. In addition the microwaves should be replaced with lower wattage function activated panels. Both of these replacements will assist in fire safety and prevention.

While every floor has adequate lighting there are no master controls for each my recommendation is that a smart lightning system be installed timers and motion sensors determine hours and usage. Motion sensors will activate lighting as needed during off peak time.
My recommendation is that each floor should also be alarmed and motion sensors installed to assist guard patrols in determining intrusions.
Each floor has emergency maps and coordination materials as well as coordinators to assist in the event of an emergency. Employees receive training when they are hired and safety drills are performed every 90 days. My recommendation is that each floor supervisor should also be issued a panic alarm panel that will indicate necessary force, fire, or medical response if needed (Garcia, 2008)

Works Cited

Department of Homeland Security. (2011, July 13). Retrieved February 11, 2013, from Department of Homeland Security: http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/Developing_Operational_Requirements_Guides.pdf
Devry University . (n.d.). Eval of Security Programs Weekly Lecture Materials.
Fennely, L. (2004). Effective Physical Security. 3, 100 - 203. Boston.
Garcia, M. L. (2008). The Design and Evaluation of Physical Protection Systems. Burlington, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann.
New York City Government. (2013). NYC Buildings Safety and Enforcement. Retrieved February 15, 2013, from NYC.GOV: http://www.nyc.gov

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