Designing a Safety System against Terrorism in Hotels - Assignment Example

? Designing a Safety System against Terrorism in Hotels This paper evaluates the effects of terrorist attacks on tourism,particularly focusing on Singapore’s hotel industry. Terrorism is known to impact popular tourist destinations adversely and this impact is likely to be higher on hotels due to their elevated susceptibility. Risks and hasards of terror attacks are fully recognised, and so is the challenging task of effectively executing a comprehensive management strategy. The paper, therefore, not only examines risk management models but also resources utilised in these efforts, which are both human and technological. The significance of stakeholders’ cooperation, in addition to external and internal communications, is also a matter of emphasis in the effort to combat terror. Contents Abstract 2 Contents 3 Introduction 4 Terrorism and Its Motivations 4 Hotels as Targets of Terrorism 6 Security Model 8 Proposed Safety System Diagram for Hotels 10 Detection 10 Dejection 11 Protection 11 Deflection 11 Connect 11 Reflect 12 Conclusion 12 References 13 Introduction In the past several years, the hospitality industry and particularly hotels and other accommodation facilities have encountered numerous terrorist invasions. For instance, in 2003 there was a fatal terrorist attack on the Indonesian branch of the internationally renowned JW Marriott hotel, in Jakarta. A repeat attack was witnessed in Jakarta in 2009, but this time on Rits Carlton. Other notable hotel attacks include that in 2008 on Taj Mahal in Mumbai and the 2011 attack on Kabul’s Intercontinental Hotel. As a response to these deplorable attacks, the majority of internationally renowned hotels executed both technical and physical measures, which seek to regulate the flow of vehicles and people to and within hotel areas. In most of these situations, however, these reactive strategies have proven inadequate in providing sufficient security. Instances of failure include triple attacks on Kabul’s Serena Hotel and repeat attacks on Peshawar’s Pearl Continental Hotel. Further, investigation of past events has shown that physical security strategies have done little to avert terror attacks on prominent hotels. However, research on proper strategic approaches to tackle terrorism is rather inadequate. This paper, therefore, seeks to narrow down this gap by examining literature on terrorism management models for purposes of hotel security. The paper then utilises these conceptual frameworks to formulate and recommend a fundamental anti-terrorism approach for hotels (Tarlow, 2007). Terrorism and Its Motivations There are numerous definitions of the term ‘terrorism’, but most of them appear to overlap. Equally, many researchers have made the attempt to establish basic definition criteria of terrorism. There seems to be a broad agreement among these scholars that these criteria include: deliberate utilisation of illicit and unusual force; deeds instigated by political and other ideological motives; invasions targeting innocent civilians or non-combatants and the terrorists are usually radical factions of society. Based on these standards, therefore, the ample definition of terrorism can be given as various acts of violence inspired by political aims and imposed upon defenceless people, thus generating fear among the directly targeted groups as well as the broader implied audience. This is done with the principal aim of optimising political assertion and attempting to redress power interactions among different societal groups (EIU, 2009). Hotels are usually categorised as ‘soft’ marks for terrorism, i.e. targets which are easy to penetrate and highly difficult to defend. This is not just in terms of physical nature but also in regard to their symbolic and social nature as well as their business. These aspects render hotels susceptible to terrorists as they can easily attain their objectives, as outlined in the previous paragraph. According to Thackrah (2004), the constant movement of individuals into a hotel, around its environ and ease of exit presents a serious challenge in providing defence from terrorists. Singapore’s Case Singapore is one of Asian cosmopolitan and up to date city-states. This nation is not only a principal commercial hub in Asia but an internationally acclaimed trading port as well. This rapidly developing Asian country acts as the domicile for world renowned financial institutions, making it a popular destination for business and leisure travellers. This immense potential is evident from the fact that the country received more than 10 million tourists and accrued an income of about $14 billion in 2007 before the global recession struck. Further, Singapore’s tourism sector is largely benefiting from improved infrastructure such as air and water transport, thus functioning as a regional and global hub for transportation. The majority of global spanning hotel chains have adequate representation in Singapore, and the fact that its constitution defends religious freedom and guards against racial discrimination makes it more enticing for tourists (Gill, Moon, Seaman, & Turbin, 2002). However, there is still persistence of racial tensions under this surface of harmonious co-existence of people from diverse social, racial, political and religious cultures. The considerations mentioned above serve as clear indicators that Singapore has a high likelihood of being viewed as an attractive terrorism target. Hotels as Targets of Terrorism As shown earlier, hotels in popular destinations have witnessed numerous terror attacks. Some of these attacks have taken place in well-liked holiday resorts and others have occurred in troubled nations where visitors are primarily foreigners in the country for official or business reasons. The global pattern of terrorist attacks shows that they are driven by evolution of local and global political circumstances (Henderson, 2007). Even though Singapore has not witnessed any terror attack on its hotels, it is imperative to note that it lies within a politically volatile region, with terrorists allied to cells such as Al-Qaeda being active in neighbouring Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines. This emphasises the importance of executing comprehensive security strategies to effectively defend its tourist destination status and protect the visitors, thus upholding its economic growth. The vulnerability of hotels, particularly in Asia, was made rather obvious by the recent attack on the Taj Mahal and India’s branch of Trident Hotel based in Oberoi. A terrorist organisation based in Pakistan launched attacks on these hotels on 26th November 2008 (Dimanche, 2004). The two luxury hotels, frequented by businessmen from overseas and the wealthy Indian citizens, were fully occupied. The attackers launched grenades and started shooting soon after the initial explosions. Some patrons in these hotels were able to run away unharmed, while others were held as hostages and later murdered. Army commandoes took control of the hotels on the third day of the siege, but by this time, 52 people had died at Trident and 32 in Taj Mahal (Pisam & Fleischer, 2002). The reasons why hotels are principal targets of terrorism include the fact that they provide access to people throughout. Additionally, there is large and ample gathering space in big hotels, thus making it easy to overcrowd and create a potential target population. The numerous poorly secured exits and entrances also make it easy for people with malicious intent to penetrate hotels (Horner & Swarbrooke, 2004). Further, crucial conferences and meetings are usually held in hotels, meaning that government executives and renowned businessmen are likely to be present. In addition, the most prominent hotels form part of global chains, which are owned by American investors. These businesses are, therefore, a symbol of the nation and its administration, making them a target for extremists that are against America’s policies. Other hotels could also be vulnerable to attacks, due to their location in insecure environments and nearness to outstanding targets such as malls and foreign embassies (Groeneboom & Jones, 2003). Security Function and Management of Crises Numerous methods have been formulated to safeguard hotels from terrorism. Some of the common techniques utilised are construction of protective barriers, surveillance, workers identification and installation of emergency alarm systems. However, people should not forget that as they improve their systems, the terrorists are also embarking on new tactics for the same, thus becoming more conversant with technological advancements. Therefore, it is advisable for countries such as Singapore, which have not encountered any of these dreadful attacks, to incorporate terrorism prevention measures into the buildings’ design. Nevertheless, this is a hard venture for the hotels that have already been established and this might be a hard investment to adjust to, with the only option being to reinforce existent security measures (Ludes, 2004). Even though research on hotel security is limited, there are numerous aspects that have been taken into consideration to ensure that the hotels are safe. While some of the security measures put in place might be tough on the customers, they are necessary in guaranteeing safety against terrorism (Henderson, 2003). It is imperative to note that the provision of sufficient security has become more difficult, with hotels’ tendency to diversify amenities besides accommodation. Protection of a hotel against terrorism evidently presents numerous predicaments for management, but the steps discussed in subsequent paragraphs can be adopted to ease the process (Kader, 2007). The first stage towards provision of adequate security is comprehension of the premises in addition to identification of the projected threat. This is where a hotel’s management should understand the capability and intentions of suspected terrorists. The second phase involves deciding on what steps management must take in order to protect and identify the vulnerable areas of the hotels. The management team must also ensure that they take full responsibility in protecting every individual within the premises. The third step entails identification of measures that can be adopted to reduce the risk of terrorist attacks, thus emphasising the need for an integrated approach to guarantee security. This approach must encompass proper conveyance conduits for security information, personnel involvement and physical security. The fourth step involves ensuring that all security measures and exercise plans are regularly reviewed so as to reaffirm their functionality, accuracy and advancement. This will also assist a hotel’s management in noticing the weaknesses that might be present, thus executing corrective measures accordingly. Security Model A principal security model proposed to manage crises is the ‘PPRR Model’. This conceptual security framework is a derivative of conventional disaster management measures and it consists of four stages: prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. The improved version of this model is commonly referred to as the comprehensive emergency management (CEM) and it is also used for terrorism crises management. Adding some few aspects to the model would make it an even better terrorism management approach by making sure that hotels have the right plans and strategies for dealing with terrorism. Some of the factors that could be incorporated into the CEM model include terrorist management strategies such as: detection, dejection, deterrence or deflection, protection, connection, communication, reflection and continuity (Larsen, Brun, & Ogaard, 2009).). These aspects will set a basis for the development of security management efficacy against terrorism. Some of these security management phases are illustrated in the diagram and further discussed in detail herein. Proposed Safety System Diagram for Hotels Hotel The diagram shows an improved Comprehensive Emergency Management Model, which is suitable for use by Singapore hotels for pre-emptive protection against terrorism. Fundamental design components are discussed further hereunder. Detection Detection is attained when a comprehensive, robust and analytical program to involve all the workers in the hotel, at every level, is enacted. This is why the employees should be trained on behavioral analysis in order to gain the capability of identifying any suspicious activities and analysing any reported dubious incident. Additionally, the employees need to be trained on usage of technology to detect any probable act of terror (Paraskevas & Arendell, 2008). Dejection The dejection stage deals with ensuring that all the other measures are visible. By maintaining high visibility, attackers will not have any hidden areas from which to execute their invasion plans (Paraskevas & Arendell, 2008). Protection The majority of the proposed measures focus primarily on physical protection of the hotels. This is why it is imperative for hotels to be built with incorporating a multilayered blast defence system. It is also important to ensure that hotel information is secret. Incorporation of barriers for perimeter access control is also an aspect to be considered. Additionally, hotels should collaborate with local law enforcement bodies for more enhanced security (Paraskevas & Arendell, 2008). Deflection Hotels should train security personnel on anti-terrorism strategies to enable them to diffuse any terrorism concerns using a wide array of scenarios with few or no fatalities at all. Evacuation practices, drills and numerous terrorist attack scenarios should be conducted regularly for all the workers and customers to make sure that the plans in place are workable. Importantly, the architectural plans of any hotel should be updated regularly and the information should, too, be shared with the local law enforcement (Paraskevas & Arendell, 2008). Connect This component deals with creation and maintenance of all internal and external networks to hotels, which are necessary for efficient security function. The networks facilitate flow of security information in all hotel parts. This can be achieved by developing and keeping updated emergency networks. Therefore, there is a need to create contingency plans on communication networks in case the primary channels of communication fail to work in case of such incidences (Paraskevas & Arendell, 2008). Reflect This is the final phase and it is the baseline of anti-terrorism strategy. This is where the hotel should ensure that security professionals get the right training on how to deal with terror threats or attacks (Paraskevas & Arendell, 2008). Conclusion It is important to foster security awareness and skills among workers in the hotels. Additionally, technology is essential as it enhances effectiveness of equipment in any environment. Collaboration, cooperation and communication, within the hotel industry and particularly with government security agencies, are crucial aspects in preventing or coping with terror threats. Since Singapore is still promoting the growth of its hospitality industry, hotels currently under construction must incorporate physical terrorism mitigation measures. These could be active barrier systems, surveillance systems, effective communication networks, walls reinforced to withstand blasts, and proper ventilation systems in the advent of biological weapon attacks. Overall, implementation of these security measures, among others, will guarantee security for visitors, thus fostering trade interactions. References Dimanche, F. (2004). The tourism sector. In G. 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