More than three-quarters of Americans (77%) believe there’s more crime in the U.S. than a year ago, according to Gallup’s most recent annual Crime survey. In light of that statistic, it’s no surprise the demand for more effective security measures has become more urgent than ever. Compared to traditional metal detectors, advancements in Artificial Intelligence-enabled weapons detection systems can offer facilities cost efficiency and accuracy, streamlined entry procedures, and a more discreet and non-intrusive experience. Joshua Douglas, SVP of Product & Engineering at Xtract One Technolog ..read more

Rare in today’s political climate, Wisconsin, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, Texas, Kentucky, Nebraska, Maryland, and Virginia have all unanimously passed bipartisan critical incident mapping laws or state-level initiatives for schools. Many other state bills are in progress. This unanimous support underscores the importance and urgency of enhancing emergency response efforts with critical incident mapping, according to Critical Response Group. What Is Critical Incident Mapping? Founded by U.S. military special operations veterans, New Jersey-based Critical Response Group ..read more

It’s May 1, and that means it’s time to kick off Building Safety Month. This year marks the International Code Council’s (ICC) 44th annual campaign to raise awareness about the importance of building codes and the role that building safety professionals play in keeping communities safe. Building Safety Month includes five weekly themes, each addressing how building safety impacts us on a personal, local and global level, plus an overall theme for the month. This year’s theme, “Mission Possible,” encourages people to get involved in all aspects of building safety. Week One: May 1 – 5 ..read more

After tallying up thousands of votes, Cintas Corporation has named Bob Galewski, from Wabasha-Kellogg High School in Wabasha, Minnesota the winner of its 11th annual Custodian of the Year contest. On April 30, Galewski celebrated with students, teachers, administration and his family in a surprise ceremony. He was presented with a $10,000 check on behalf of Cintas. “School custodians do more than keep facilities clean and safe, they’re often support systems for the community,” said John Rudy, Senior Marketing Director of Cintas. “It’s clear Bob cares about the well-being of each student at hi ..read more

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has announced the 2024 cohort of 12 cities selected to participate in its LEED for Cities Local Government Leadership Program. The program helps local governments set goals, collect data, and validate performance against sustainability and quality of life metrics using the LEED for Cities rating system, revolutionizing the way cities and communities are planned, developed, and operated to improve their overall sustainability and quality of life. “This year’s leadership cohort brings together diverse local governments from across the U.S. to strengthen ..read more

Many organizations are struggling to keep pace with the evolving demands of the workplace, according to a new eBook from Envoy. The eBook, “Tomorrow’s tech, yesterday’s tactics: Bridging the gap to a future-ready workplace” explores current workplace challenges based on the survey responses of over 400 executives across key departments including facilities, security, IT, and HR. The survey data was conducted in partnership with with Hanover Research. Nearly all (96%) of organizations are encouraging or mandating onsite work with some regularity, highlighting a significant shift back to physica ..read more

By Daniel O’Brien   What if you could dramatically slash your electricity bills and power your facility with clean, renewable solar energy without spending millions of dollars upfront or navigating the complexities alone? Thanks to explosive growth in commercial solar installations across the United States, and strong financial incentives powered by legislation such as the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022, it’s a reality all companies can tap into. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), more than 18 gigawatts (GW) of solar capacity have been installed in the U.S ..read more

This year for the first time, students in Atlanta were invited by Honeywell and the Atlanta Hawks to imagine and design an automated and sustainable sports arena. The winners of the inaugural Arena of the Future Innovation Challenge were announced last week at State Farm Arena.    “I am inspired by the creativity and dedication of the students participating in the Arena of the Future Challenge. Their forward-thinking solutions are a testament to the power of community and education in shaping a greener, more sustainable future.” — Billal Hammoud, Honeywell The eight-week Challenge ..read more

By Laura Champagne   Climate change has caused more hurricanes, tropical storms, and torrential rainfall across the country this year, putting business complexes, commercial properties, and public buildings at risk of leaking and flooding. Water-saturated structures are prime breeding grounds for mold, but there are ways to prevent, detect and remove it before mold contamination becomes a serious and costly issue. Being proactive limits an owner’s exposure to the liability of debilitating health effects and structural safety concerns. Mold requires three things to grow: water, food, and h ..read more

By Sherry E. Jackman and Sedina L. Banks   After many years of drought, in late 2023 and early 2024 California experienced significant rain. Indeed, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported rainfall quantities far exceeding averages in most areas statewide. With the rain came consequences for many of California’s industrial facilities including an onslaught of 60-day notices of violation (NOVs) from private enforcers threatening to file federal Clean Water Act complaints. Consequences arose because many of California’s industrial facilities are subject to California ..read more