The Realities of Guns and Business Operations in America

 by Don Martin

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Many security and business leaders are navigating the intertwined realities of firearms in the workplace, specifically around laws protecting an employees’ right to carry. As these laws proliferate, this can be a delicate balancing act for organizations looking to uphold their proactive security strategies while remaining in compliance with state regulations.

Balancing these priorities are the subject of an upcoming talk, “Guns and Doing Business in America: What business leaders need to know to keep their facilities and people safe,” at 3:30 pm, Thursday, April 11 at the SDS booth #23045 at ISC West. Mr. Jin Kim, FBI (Ret.), a leading active shooter expert, will present an in-depth exploration of the critical knowledge, strategies and technological tools business leaders can use to maintain safety in the face of such challenges. Mr. Kim will shed light on how a multi-layered approach combining policies, procedures and technology – including Shooter Detection Systems’ indoor gunshot detection solution – can help position security leaders to detect and appropriately handle any potential gun-related threats at their facilities.

Ahead of his presentation, we spoke with Mr. Kim about some of the unique obstacles facing security and business leaders as they navigate the potential of firearms in their facilities.

Shooter Detection Systems: Right to carry laws vary widely by state, including differences in an employer’s ability to control who can carry or store firearms on business owned property. Are the disparities between local regulations getting bigger, or are there any other general trends in this area?

Jin Kim: Recent firearms-related legislation has impacted not only the national dialogue but also how businesses and institutions must manage the risk landscape. Subsequently, managing firearms in and around the workplace has become complex for companies. In the end, the ubiquitous trend and reality will remain – preventing firearms from entering a space is a goal very few institutions can attain.

Shooter Detection Systems: What types of challenges do these trends pose to enterprises, particularly those that operate in multiple states?

Jin Kim: Companies operating with multi-state sites in multiple states face a unique challenge and balance of maintaining a governing enterprise-wide gun policy and individual state legislation – notably when they lack continuity. The varying state legislation regarding firearms storage in an employee’s privately owned vehicle parked on the employer’s property is an example of a significant operational risk. In these cases, proactive policies and strategies require recognition and synergy of mitigation practices beyond the routine. This is an example of how universal or one-size-fits-all approaches can fall short in application within the modern-day risk landscape.

Don’t miss this chance to gain valuable insights from a leading authority on active shooter situations and learn how gunshot detection from Shooter Detection Systems can play a crucial role in a layered, proactive security approach.