Review office security around an ordinary workday: who arrives first, how visitors enter, who works alone, and how people leave. The plan should fit your building, public-facing work, and the needs of staff and visitors. The goal is a workable set of procedures that people can follow during ordinary operations and an unexpected incident.

Walk through the space and the workday

Review how people enter and leave, how visitors are welcomed, who has keys or access credentials, and how shared spaces are managed. Include early arrivals, evening work, deliveries, and periods when someone works alone. Ask the landlord or building manager to clarify responsibilities for common areas, maintenance, alarms, and emergency systems.

Consider the needs of participants and staff with disabilities, language needs, or particular privacy concerns. A change that improves access control should also preserve safe emergency exits and comply with applicable requirements. Have qualified building and safety professionals review physical changes rather than relying on a generic checklist.

Create clear routines and reporting routes

Name a primary safety contact and a backup. Explain how staff report a concerning interaction, missing key, broken lock, or suspicious message. Establish visitor and contractor procedures appropriate to your setting. Keep personal contact information and internal schedules from being exposed unnecessarily at reception or through public calendars.

Prepare practical instructions for an emergency, including evacuation, accounting for people, and communicating if normal systems are unavailable. Coordinate with building management and local emergency professionals. Staff should not be expected to confront a threatening person or investigate a risk on their own.

Get an assessment suited to your organization

The Democracy Security Project is the starting resource in the resilience chart. Its work overview describes physical security training, consultations, and referrals. Ask what kind of office assessment or planning support fits your organization, and check current availability.

Prepare a concise description of your workspace, operating hours, concerns, and existing procedures. Share detailed vulnerabilities and floor plans only through an agreed, appropriate channel. An assessment is most useful when it leads to a manageable action list with responsibilities, costs, and review dates.

Train, review, and communicate

Introduce procedures during staff and volunteer orientation and rehearse the actions people may need to take. Revisit the plan after a move, staffing change, incident, or change in public activity. Explain updates clearly without publicizing sensitive security details. If there is an imminent threat, contact emergency services and move to safety; a planning resource is not an emergency response service.

Explore the Nonprofit & Foundation Resilience guide for related resources. For strategic or crisis communications support, contact Caitlin at CBKStrategies.

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