The Building Security Council (BSC)

The threat of terrorism against U.S. buildings and their occupants is very real.  There is a well-organized effort underway to improve the security of federal buildings, but much of the information from those programs is justifiably classified. Furthermore, more than 85% of non-residential buildings are neither owned nor leased by the federal government. The efforts to improve the security of state, municipal, and privately owned buildings are largely uncoordinated, ineffective, or nonexistent.

Today, more than ever, a multidisciplinary approach to all aspects of building design, construction and maintenance is needed as building projects become increasingly complex. With respect to security, building owners and operators face a daunting matrix of choices, costs, and ill-defined benefits. They generally have no methodology for pursuing a balanced approach to security and no way of measuring the success of any such efforts.

The Building Security Council was established by professionals in the building security arena in November 2005 to address the above issues and to enhance public safety by promoting building security.  The mission of the BSC is to administer and maintain rating systems that enable building owners and operators to evaluate and improve the security of their facilities. Our vision is to enhance public safety by promoting building security.  The BSC seeks to accomplish this mission through its Building Security Rating Program (PLUS™) and a Building Security Certified Professional (BSCP™) credential.

Building Security Rating Program - Promoting Logical Unified Security (PLUS™)

The BSC's Promoting Logical Unified Security (PLUS) rating program is a system that building owners and operators, as well as building desingers can use to determine their building security needs. When design professionals consider security in a holistic manner, such as required by the BSC rating program, they will produce better, more innovative solutions which will enhance building security. Using the PLUS program building owners and their consultants will be able to decide what to do, how to do it.  The PLUS sytem will also help them determine if their efforts have been successful.

The PLUS program used existing guidelines to design its rating program.  Guidelines such as the FEMA Risk Management Series, especially FEMA 426 – Reference Manual to Mitigate Potential Terrorist Attacks Against Buildings; FEMA 452 - Methodology for Preparing Threat Assessments for Commercial Buildings, and FEMA 430 - Primer for Incorporating Building Security Components in Architectural Design were utilized to create PLUS . 

In September of 2007 the PLUS program received SAFETY (Support Anti-terrorism by Fostering Effective Technology) Act Designation from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The Safety Act promotes the development of effective anti-terrorism products, services and technologies by protecting certified companies and their customers from liability should a terrorist act occur. This protection applies to qualified anti-terrorism technologies and services that are sold to both government and commercial enterprises.

The process of obtaining a PLUS rating is very simple.  Building owners will voluntarily apply for a security rating level awarded by the BSC for their buildings. The owners will submit detailed information about the design and operation of their buildings, and a set of reviewers will evaluate the submittal against standardized rating criteria. The reviewers will suggest an appropriate rating level to the BSC’s Building Evaluation Committee, and the final rating will be given. The owners will be required to pay a fee for this service.   Read more..

Building Security Certified Professional (BSCP™)

The Building Security Certified Professional (BSCP) certification program was created in 2006 to provide design and security professionals with a credential that demonstrates a comprehensive, multidisciplinary understanding of building security issues.  Building security professionals who possess an Architect license, Landscape Architect license, Professional Engineer license, or the ASIS International Physical Security Professional (PSP) or Certified Protection Professional (CPP) credentials are encouraged to pursue the BSCP advanced certification.    The long-term goal of the BSCP program is to integrate security into every stage of the facility life-cycle--planning, design, construction, and operation.  Currently, there are forty-nine individuals that achieved the Building Security Certified Professional (BSCP) credential.  Read more..

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The Building Security Council is currently seeking individuals to participate on its committees to develop and implement the Building Security Rating System and Building Security Certified Professional program.  Please contact the committee chairs noted below for additional information.

Rating System Development Committee
Mohammed Ettouney, Ph.D., P.E., Chair

Building Evaluation Committee
Jon A. Schmidt, P.E., SECB, BSCP, Chair

Certification Program Development Committee
Leonard Hopper, FASLA, BSCP, Chair

Outreach Committee
Charles Meyer, P.E., M.AEI, Chair