Terrorist threats and hostile nation-states in aviation security management

Security Management at Aviation and Healthcare Sectors

Security Management Essay

This paper discusses the concept of aviation security management and security management at healthcare settings. In addition to that, this paper also lists down and describes the important factors that can have an influential impact on the functions of aviation and a healthcare security manager.

Security Management at Aviation and Healthcare Sectors

Aviation Security

The general aviation security confronts a number of security challenges. The policy makers and the security managers in the aviation sector experience elevated number of security risks due to a number of factors. These factors include; diverse and geographically dispersed airports, relatively open air bases and protected infrastructures such as nuclear reactors and chemical plants. (Elias, 2009)

The aviation security is important because of the increasing number of terrorists, who aim at exploiting the general aviation sector to damage the protected ad critical infrastructure and the high profile targets. Some aviation assets themselves are the targets of the security threats. For instance, according to some of the corporate aviation operators, the aircrafts carrying important corporate personalities face high ratio of security threats. (Elias, 2009)

Factors Influencing the Functions of an Aviation Security Manager

There are a number of factors that might have an influential impact on the functions and performance of an aviation security manager. Some of these factors are discussed below;

Terrorist Groups

The terrorist groups, both from a political and religious perspective, aim at harming the non-combatants with a purpose of affecting a specific audience. Because of their clear intention to harm various nations and their interests, the terrorist groups are the biggest threat that the aviation sector confronts in the present era. (Federation Of American Scientists, 2007)

The ultimate goal of the terrorist groups is to exploit the functioning and well being to the aviation group by initiating a number of simultaneous and catastrophic events. This is because the aviation sector generally contributes greatly to the economy of a nation and acts as a symbol of visibility and dominance for a nation. (Federation Of American Scientists, 2007)

The intensity and degree of the threat that the terrorist group poses to the aviation sector is increasing and this increase has led towards a change in the functions of the aviation security managers and the security plans that are made by them. The terrorist groups are now adapting multiple front techniques, which includes modality of planning, complexity of attack, and style of execution, such techniques require the managers to constantly asses the threats posed by the terrorist groups as they cannot rely on the historical trends and patterns. (Federation Of American Scientists, 2007)

Hostile Nation-States

The structure of the internal command and control within a nation also influence the functions of an aviation manager. If a state has weak internal command and control then there is an increase in the threats to the aviation sector and the managers have to develop the plans and shape their actions accordingly. (Federation Of American Scientists, 2007)

A weak internal command enables the agencies within the nation to develop a cluster of threats for the aviation group. A strong internal control and command, on the other hand, enable the aviation group to operate in a safe, effective and reliable air domain and hence enable the aviation security management to have a flexible and less rigid structure. Some nations, however, have a very stiff and rigid routine for the security managers because due to a weak infrastructure safeguard and hostile internal intents the aviation sector has to confront an elevated amount of threats. (Federation Of American Scientists, 2007)

Criminals

Criminals, which may include either individuals or groups, may use the air domain of the nation to conduct activities that are deemed illegal by the state laws and international convention. Domestic extremists may get indulged in an effort to damage the aviation sector of the state. There may be a large number of potential domestic extremists that have considerable knowledge about the aviation sector and may use it against the aviation industry. (Federation Of American Scientists, 2007)

The ratio of domestic extremists who are involved in developing and deploying targeted-attack techniques, which may include improvised or conventional explosive devices, with an intent to damage the aviation sector have an influential impact on the functions of an aviation manger. In addition to that, these factors also have the tendency to alter the manner in which the aviation security manager operates. (Federation Of American Scientists, 2007)

Threats to and from Aircraft

There are three major factors in this category that might have an influential impact on the functions of the aviation security management. These factors include;

Large Passenger Aircrafts: these aircrafts confront the highest rate of terrorist threats as they have the capacity to incur huge and catastrophic damages. (Federation Of American Scientists, 2007)

Large All-Cargo Aircraft: these aircrafts carry large and sophisticated equipment and hence they also face an increased percentage of security threats, both internal and external. (Federation Of American Scientists, 2007)

Small Aircraft: these aircrafts either confront a threat of becoming a victim of an illegal activity or they can be used as a weapon to damage the large passenger aircrafts. (Federation Of American Scientists, 2007)

The ratio of the above mentioned factors in the aviation sector can also have an influential impact on the operations and functions of the security managers in the aviation sectors. In addition to that, these factors can also influence the structure of the aviation security plans and policies. (Federation Of American Scientists, 2007)

Conclusion

There are a number of factors that might have an influential impact on the functions of the aviation security manager. The managers have to adapt a cross disciplined, risk based and global approach to aviation security. The managers have to frame their functions and operations in a manner that ensures that all the security resources are allocated in an effective manner and these resources work collectively to minimize the threats that the aviation sector confronts. (Federation Of American Scientists, 2007)

The plans and policies adapted by an aviation security manager shall be in accordance with the factors that influence the micro and macro environment of the nation in which the aviation industry operates. Moreover, these plans and policies must be able to detect, prevent, deter and defeat the threats that the aviation sector faces. In addition to that, they must also have the potential to mitigate the negative impacts that a threat might have on the aviation sector. (Federation Of American Scientists, 2007)

Factors Affecting the Functions of Healthcare Security Managers

There are various factors that might have an influential impact on the functions of the healthcare security managers some of these factors are discussed below:

Behavior of the Patients

The behavior of the patients is regarded as one of the most important variables that have an influential impact on the functions of a security manager in a healthcare setting. The clinical patients generally act as one of the most common source of violence due to large number of patients, long and tedious waiting hours and the disputes that might occur in relation to the quality of the healthcare services that are rendered by the healthcare professionals. (Colling and York, 2010)

Hospitals that have emergency departments, departments for the evaluation mental health, separate treatment areas, intensive care units, dedicated and remote centers for forensic patient care and units for closed head injuries have the highest potential of confronting violent incidents. This is because, according to a number of researches, these are the areas where the patients generally attack other patients and the hospital staff without any warning or indication. (Colling and York, 2010)

The security managers, therefore, are greatly affected by the nature and behavior of the patients. They have to design the framework according to the behavior that is demonstrated by the patients. As the behavior cannot be predicted through historical analysis, therefore, the managers have constantly and closely scrutinize the behavior of the patients. (Colling and York, 2010)

Behavior of the Visitors

There is a high probability that violence or aggressive accidents are initiated by the individuals who are from the outside and do not belong to the organization. Such individuals may include the legal visitors, such as the family and the friends of the patients or the illegal visitors. The illegal visitor can be defined as person who has no legitimate purpose for being present in the hospital property. (New York State Nurses Association, 2012)

The number of illegal visitors that visit the hospital can also have an influential impact on the functions that are performed by the security manager of the healthcare setting. This is because such visitors are generally involved in illegal activities, such as contemplation of a crime including abduction, robbery and assault and infliction of harm or injury to the patients and the staff members. (New York State Nurses Association, 2012)

Behavior of the Employees

Employees and the staff members also act as an active source of violence, especially against other staff members. It has been indicated by a number of studies that if an employee has committed an act of violence once in his career then there is a great probability that he would perform that act again as well. (Colling and York, 2010)

The factors that lead towards employee violence include unfair treatment, discrimination, harassment, exposure to stress and insults by the supervisors. All these factors may have a cumulative impact and lead towards the development of traumic events. The security managers, therefore, have to work with the Human Resource personnel to develop strategies that may reduce the factors that can lead towards the development of aggression and violent behavior among the employees. (Colling and York, 2010)

Age of the Nurses and Activity Level

Gallant-Roman indicated that, as quoted in the research of, young nurses have a high potential to confront violent victimization as compared to old nurses. In addition to that, it has also been indicated that hospitals that have high level of activity confront more threats in relation to security as compared to the hospitals that have low level of activity. Therefore, the function of the security managers also vary with the age of the nurses that are employed in the hospital and the level of the activity that takes place in the hospital. (New York State Nurses Association, 2012)

Conclusion

The functions of a healthcare security manager may vary with the prevalence of a number of factors but the ultimate goal of any security manager shall be to provide the employees and the patients with a safe and reliable environment and to reduce the number of violent and aggressive actions and activities that can have a deteriorating and influential impact on the well being of the patients, their families, friends and the employees. In addition to that, such accidents can also damage the good will of the healthcare settings in a very devastating manner. (New York State Nurses Association, 2012)