Reposted from DL Online

When the Becker County Historical Society embarked on a $3.2 million fundraising campaign to build a new county museum last fall, they knew the need was urgent: The current facility, located at 714 Summit Ave., had developed significant structural issues, particularly with its leaking roof.

But this past week, it was once again illustrated just how critical this issue has become, as the museum's research library sustained "significant damage" from a leak that had expanded during a recent spate of rain, says the museum's executive director, Becky Mitchell.

"Public access to the research library will be very limited while we work to fix the damage," she added, noting that they are in the process of moving some stackable shelving into the research library area that will provide better protection for the books and other research materials that are stored there.

"We were gifted with this shelving by the county," said Mitchell, adding that the new shelves are stand-alone and do not need to be placed along the museum walls, which is where the water leaks have mainly occurred.

Because the shelving units are large and difficult to move from one location to another, they had hoped to save them for use in the new museum building — but this most recent water damage incident has changed their plans, Mitchell said.

"It's (moving the shelves) going to be quite a large undertaking, and the shelving units are going to take up a lot of space that we don't have," she added, "but keeping our research library materials and museum artifacts safe to the best of our ability is the priority."

While access to the research library will be restricted, those who need to access those resources will be able to do so.

"We encourage people who want to use our research library to call ahead and reserve a time," says Jennifer Johnson, the museum's research library director. "Also, if they can, please let us know ahead of time what they want to research, so I can pull the materials and have them ready to use when they arrive."

There has also been some water damage in the exhibit area on the museum's upper level, Mitchell said, so while all of the exhibits will remain open to the public, "some items will need to be assessed and possibly moved to off-site storage."

All of these actions are "temporary fixes," however — Mitchell says that the Historical Society has been working with the Detroit Lakes Community & Cultural Center, Chamber of Commerce, and representatives from both the City of Detroit Lakes and Becker County on developing a new construction plan for the museum building that will, hopefully, address some building and parking deficiencies for both the museum and the DLCCC.

"We hope to have a plan ready to be presented to our (Historical Society) members and (museum building project) donors in late October or early November," says Mitchell. "We want to see if it's a better alternative (than the original building plan) in terms of long-term sustainability."

The ultimate goal, Mitchell added, is "to come up with a plan that's going to carry us — not just the museum, but the community center and the (Historic Holmes) theater — through the end of our lifetimes. We want to build a facility that's not so large we can't afford it, but at the same time, is large enough to accommodate growth for the next 40-50 years.

"The historical society has been around since the late 1800s," she said. "We need to do everything we can to save what we have (i.e., research materials and artifacts) and make sure it's here for future generations."

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Reposted from San Diego Union Tribune

All the other times the alarm tripped at the Fallbrook Gem & Mineral Museum, it was, well, a false alarm. Still, when the alarm notification came early that Sunday morning, treasurer Michael Palculich had to drag himself down to the building to reset it.

But this time would be different.

Palculich and his wife got to the museum on Alvarado Street, just west of Main Street, not long after 4 a.m. to find the wrought-iron security gate open and the glass doors behind it broken.

“We were shocked,” he said last week. “It was a crime scene at that point.”

Fallbrook Sheriff’s Detective Joel Couch said the thief or thieves who busted into the building on Sept. 10 smashed four glass display cases, grabbing a number of items.

Museum officials say they lost five notable pieces from the treasured tourmaline collection, including two remarkable 9-inch-long pink and green pieces from North County mines. One of them had been donated to the museum by a doctor years ago, in memory of his late wife.

“Why? Why would you take those things?” said Mary Fong/Walker, past vice president of the society that runs the museum.

The burglars, Fong/Walker said, “took the most iconic and valuable specimens” from the display of tourmaline mined in San Diego County. Also gone were 13 rough and cut sets. Some were tourmaline; the others included gems such as emerald, topaz and garnet.

“This is definitely not what anybody expected to happen, especially such a small museum in a sleepy town,” Fong/Walker said.

She said the Fallbrook Gem & Mineral Society has more than 100 members, and that she has been a part of the group for more than 25 years.

Fong/Walker, who works in the gem and mineral industry, declined to speculate on the monetary value of the five tourmaline pieces, which she said have been featured in special exhibits at mineral expositions around the world.

“You can’t put a price on something that is one of a kind,” she said.

Depending on the size and quality of the gemstones, they can fetch as little as a few dollars up to thousands of dollars.

News of the theft, she said, felt “kind of like having your heart ripped out of you.” There has never been a burglary — much less a smash-and-grab heist — at the museum. The place is run by volunteers, and Fong/Walker said everyone remains shocked by what happened.

“It’s such a big-hearted organization, and to violate that...” Fong/Walker said, trailing off.

Repairs have been made to the doors and display cases, but the free museum remains closed for now. It will reopen for the annual Fall Festival of Gems, a street fair right outside its doors, on Oct. 8.

Anyone with information about the burglary or missing pieces can call the Fallbrook substation at (760) 451-3100.

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Reposted from Business Wire

Kaplan University and the International Foundation of Protection Officers (IFPO) announced a partnership that is designed to expand access to professional training and higher education for professional private security officers. The announcement was made at the ASIS International Seminar and Exhibits Conference in Dallas, Texas.

“While there are more than 2.2 million people employed in the security field, there are still not enough professionals to fill the increased demand for services,” said Sandi J. Davies, IFPO Executive Director. IFPO has trained more than 80,000 individuals who have graduated with IFPO certifications.

Through the partnership agreement, the Certified Protection Officer program (CPO) and Certified in Security Supervision and Management (CSSM) certifications offered through IFPO will translate into direct course credit that can be applied toward an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in criminal justice at Kaplan University. IFPO members will also be eligible for reduced tuition rates on courses at Kaplan University. Furthermore, Kaplan University students will be able to take the certification courses at a discounted rate.

“A partnership between IFPO and Kaplan University is an industry game-changer for the entire security industry. Education is now a critical element to the success of security officers at every level. IFPO certifications, combined with a higher education degree, work well together and provide an exponential return on investment for both the client and the community,” added Tom M. Conley, President and CEO of The Conley Group, Inc., a Des Moines, Iowa professional security services provider, and Immediate Past International Board Chair of IFPO.

Kaplan University courses are all available online providing the convenience and flexibility security officers, who typically work non-traditional hours, need in order to continue working while earning their degree.

Bryon Mills, Director of Public Sector Solutions at Kaplan who was present for the announcement, said, “A win-win partnership like this one with IFPO is what Kaplan University is best at. Providing a high-quality, affordable education for busy working professionals who need or want to earn their college credential and advance in their careers is core to our mission.”

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by Stevan P. Layne, President & Founding Director of IFCPP

In the horrible aftermath of the Las Vegas shooting, a number of preventive possibilities have come to the surface. Better gun controls would help, but are not necessarily the answer. And while firearms may be the most common means of attack, we still need to consider the use of explosives, incendiary devices/fire, vehicles, or a number of other possible weapons.

Entry screening does make a difference, but is difficult to put in place in some venues.  Difficult is not impossible, just usually more costly or logistically challenging. If sports stadiums, amusement parks, and other entertainment venues can screen visitors quickly and efficiently, the initiation of reasonable screening methods is possible in most all types of businesses and institutions, regardless of the types of facilities, number of visitors, or other factors. 

The task of management is to think about where potential attackers might secrete themselves, and determine a failsafe method of screening them before they reach their desired point of attack. Unfortunately, there are those who will say "how many times have attackers hidden in hotel rooms?" We often use the lack of numerous incidents in our own businesses or institutions to justify minimal action, or no action. Think about the number of terror-based attacks in the U.S. before September 11 finally awakened us to the reality of the threat. The extensive media coverage from Las Vegas does more than horrify potential concert attendees - it provides great stimulus for potential attackers as well.   

Improving our protection, in fact initiating better protection, will continue to be a major feat.  It will require considerable funding, greater staffing, all new training, and close coordination with numerous agencies. The Las Vegas law enforcement personnel and other first responders are to be congratulated on their excellent response and quick location of the perpetrator. Even then, it really wasn't quick enough. We need to identify potential attackers and suppress them, before the first shot is fired.  t can be done. 

Stay tuned for further discussion on this and other topics that are in the forefront of our minds.

Reposted from AlliedUniversal

Always be vigilant and aware of your environment. Identify any suspicious-looking individuals or situations that are out of the norm, and alert authorities, local law enforcement or a nearby security professional.

Here are some standard tips to handle an armed assailant in your vicinity:

• Protect yourself first by quickly determining the best action to take.
• Evacuate. Escape via the quickest exit.
• Hide. If evacuation is not possible, look for a secure door, office or barrier out of the shooter’s view. Call 911 to report the incident when safe to do so.
• Take action against the shooter as a last option.
• When law enforcement arrives, try to remain calm and follow officers’ instructions.

We know that every institution likely has an emergency response plan, but this is a good opportunity to revisit it to make updates and familiarize your staff with emergency procedures.

Consider these additional precautions: Conduct training on threat assessments; test your emergency notification systems and decision making process; review any memorandums of understanding with non-campus first responders; lead ongoing drills and assess your facility’s layout and design for security tightening. Also, consider installing metal detectors, bullet-proof glass, closed-circuit cameras or entrance controls in certain parts of a building. Remember to include post-incident planning.

Customers and guests will generally follow the lead of employees and managers, who are more familiar with the layout of a building. Therefore, it is critical that these individuals work together to prepare for any violence that can occur on and around your property.

Read AlliedUniveral's blog for more info about active shooter situations and workplace violence. 

Additional resources:
http://www.nccpsafety.org/assets/files/library/Active_Shooter_Pamphlet.pdf
http://www.nccpsafety.org/assets/files/library/Active_Shooter_How_to_Respond.pdf
http://www.nccpsafety.org/assets/files/library/Memorandum_of_Understanding_Writing_Guide.pdf
FEMA Active Shooter course

Reposted from The Art Newspaper

The region’s arts institutions survived the storm largely intact, with some planning to reopen this week

Hurricane Irma, now downgraded to a tropical depression, wrecked havoc across the Caribbean this weekend and killed at least 42 people, but museums in Florida were mostly spared from any large-scale destruction, according to early reports. Following evacuations ordered last week, residents are slowly returning to their homes and some institutions plan to reopen this week.

The Perez Art Museum Miami (PAMM), which sits on Biscayne Bay, “sustained no damage to the building, and suffered no flooding,” a spokeswoman said. “The roof held well, and there was no problem with the hurricane-resistant windows. Surge from Biscayne Bay did not reach the building, even at high tide.” And all the works in the collection, including sculptures installed in the garden, are in fine condition. “PAMM expects to have the building fully ready for opening and welcoming the public on Thursday, 14 September, at 10 am… and is planning family-oriented programming,” the spokeswoman added.

Due to a curfew, that was not lifted until Tuesday afternoon, some other museums were still waiting to assess any damage, including the Bass Museum and ICA Miami, both of which are under construction ahead of reopenings planned for the coming months. However, a public lecture with the artist Mark Handforth at the ICA’s temporary space in the Design District, schedule for Friday 15 September, has been postponed. “We are thankful that our staff is safe and accounted for and our thoughts are with those who are still battling the aftermath of the storm,” said the Bass’s executive director Silvia Karman Cubiñá.

According to a news update issued by FIU, which turned over its recreation centre as a shelter for locals and opened its Green Library to students and faculty on Tuesday, surveys still need to be done of the The Wolfsonian and the The Jewish Museum of Florida, which it operates.

One historic site, the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens in Coconut Grove, did sustain some serious flooding to its basement, café and stores, although the main building and its collections remained safe. A truck arrived on Tuesday to begin pumping out the water from the lower levels. “The good news is there are no art collections stored [there],” a spokesman told the Miami Herald.

The Florida Keys suffered the brunt of the storm, with an estimated 25% of homes destroyed and 65% hit with major damage, according to FEMA. But a small ray of sunshine came out of Key West on Monday, with the news that the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum’s colony of six-toed cats had weathered Irma unharmed. “The cats seemed to be more aware sooner of the storm coming in,” curator Dave Gonzales told MSNBC’s Nightly News, “and in fact when we started to round up the cats to take them inside, some of them actually ran inside, knowing it was time to take shelter.”

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Reposted from Visalia Times-Delta

In a matter of 15 minutes, a group of vandals created a path of destruction through Tulare County's museum at Mooney Grove Park. 

Police are searching for the suspects who caused more than $5,000 in damage and days of clean up. The museums inside the park shuttered over the weekend to allow crews to secure doors, sweep glass and help police find the vandals. 

"We're greatly disappointed in this," said Mike Chrisman, president of Tulare County Historical Society. "We want folks to know we appreciate their support of the historical society, but activities like this are totally unacceptable in today's society." 

A burglar alarm sounded just after 8:30 p.m. on Friday and sent Visalia officers from across the city to the park on the southern tip of Visalia.  

Officers arrived and found someone had smashed windows and kicked in doors to the main museum. Police said the person entered the museum and continued to smash several glass display cases. 

The vandals then turned their attention to the village.

They damaged the Surprise School, Emken House, Record Building and Main Street Gallery. A reunion was held earlier this month to celebrate students who attended Surprise School.

The school was used through 1962.

The Tulare County Farm Labor and Agriculture Museum was untouched. While it's believed no items were taken, it could be a while before that's set in stone Clean up could take weeks or even months.

In the last several years, the museum had gotten a technological boost, though. A new security system armed with more than a dozen cameras could help police identify the people responsible.

Museum Curator Amy King said the museums have been vandalized in the past but no one has ever been arrested. Vandals have never gone to this extent, either.

Mooney Grove Park is among Tulare County’s most visited parks, according to Tulare County Treasure officials. The park not only preserves a slice of Tulare County’s past, it's home to one of the last Valley oak forests.

The museum houses one of the largest Native American basket collections in California as well as artifacts of the pioneer era, agriculture equipment, and restored homes, schools and buildings.

Those who wish to donate to the historical society's Museum Restoration Fund, which will be used to cover the cost of damages, can click here. 

Property Crimes Unit detectives are using clues gathered Friday night, but anyone with information is urged to call the Anonymous Tip-Line at 713-4738.

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Reposted from Australian Associated Press

A rail museum in the NSW Hunter region has sustained an estimated million dollars worth of bushfire damage.

A woman has escaped with her life, trapped inside a building as a bushfire ripped through an historic rail museum in the NSW Hunter Valley.

Volunteers at the Richmond Vale Train Museum near Cessnock are counting their blessings after Wednesday's blaze reduced several irreplaceable exhibits to ashes but spared the life of their colleague.

"Our secretary was here on site, she was actually in the museum building as the fire came through. Basically it passed both sides of her but she is alright, she survived," museum chairman Peter Meddows told AAP on Thursday.

"She said she didn't think about it at the time, that it bothers her now more than it did then."

Caught in the path of the ferocious bushfire, the museum lost two kilometres of railway line as well as a number of restored historical trains and a coal hopper from 1880.

The final damage bill is expected to hit the $1 million mark.

The Richmond Vale bushfire that took off on Wednesday during an unseasonably hot day burnt more than 870 hectares, the Rural Fire Service said on Thursday.

"It's heartbreaking, you've got a program and you're working through it and you're achieving your goals, it's 38 years of work and we are slowly getting there and then you get this setback," Mr Meddows told AAP.

"We are all pretty dejected but we're determined to keep going."

Mr Meddows said the team was already working out how to recover from the loss.

"In a couple of weeks time we've got our family fun festival which is one of our major fundraising events so we've got to have something on for that," he said.

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by Jerry Brennan of SMR Security Management Resources

For many years SMR has been tracking the trend of security management jobs either eliminated or outsourced. Without question, those who constructed preparedness plans for their career fared the best when they found themselves without a job. Here is what you should consider in advance that will help you build an effective job search strategy should the need arise.

 Be Clear About Your Desired Profession
Many people find themselves in jobs and careers by default or happenstance. The clearer you are on the profession that you want to be in, the more effective your job search strategy will be.

* Analyze the security management profession, the types of positions and the direction that security programs are heading within different industry segments. Talk to your peers and reach out to others whom you view as leaders in your field.

* Gather information by networking with and gleaning information from non-security managers from both in and outside of your organization. They are your customers and the success of a security professional within any organization is directly related their perception of your value.

 * Assess whether you are in the right profession for your interests and if there is an alignment with the current job market.

Determine Your Career Goals
What is your ideal job? Developing a clear and concise objective will help you develop a focused search plan.

* Today's security job market is highly competitive. Organizations are looking for technically qualified candidates whom will fit with their culture. They are also looking for professionals who have a clear vision of where they are going.

* A job search is time consuming. A clear objective lets you direct your energies at the opportunities that best fit your aspirations.

 Perform a Self-Assessment
A self-assessment gets you back in touch with the product you are selling: you! The self-assessment process provides the groundwork for a solid resume or CV.

* Create a list of all that you offer an organization. Identify your skills, capabilities, knowledge and areas of expertise. List of every major accomplishment and resulting impact. Once you have finished this, set it aside, wait a day or two, and then go back over everything.

* Ask colleagues and professional acquaintances for an honest assessment of your strengths. They may mention some valuable qualities that you have overlooked.

* Organize your professional qualities into general categories, such as leadership, management, organizational development and technical. These categories can be subdivided into areas that best reflect what you see in a job description or position specification for your target position.

Be Ready to Pitch
Your previous job title might get you a phone call from a recruiter, but if you can't articulate your capabilities, your background and what you've accomplished, you're not likely to get invited for an interview.

* Develop a clear, concise statement that you can use to summarize who you are and what you do. This can also be used as a summary at the top of your resume or CV. Keep your target audience in mind and speak to their needs and interests.

* Second, develop an exit statement. You're going to be asked why you left your last position. Be prepared to explain with no hesitation.

* Next, write a one-page professional background summary. This summary can help you to develop cover letters as well as present key points in initial screening calls. Your story should be compelling and reflect continued growth in your career.

* Earlier this year SMR outlined 7 key points to consider when creating your CV. Your final step is to create your go-to resume and have it immediately available when opportunities arise.

Take these steps and you will be in a good position to react to any changes, initiated by you or otherwise, in your security management career.

Got to SMR website

Reposted from ArtGuard

A Willem DeKooning painting was recently discovered among items in a small and insignificant estate sale in Arizona.  (NY Times: de Kooning Found) The piece went missing from a museum at the University of Arizona in 1985 and very quickly left a cold trail. It now seems likely it was stolen by a couple named Jerome and Rita Alter, both deceased, but the evidence is still circumstantial.

The interesting thing about the case is that from what is known it appears that at no time was there ever an attempt to sell the painting. No ransom was ever sought. No one claims to have had information stemming from any indiscreet conversations by the couple. The only conclusion that can be drawn from this is that the Alters, both of whom had strong interests in the arts, likely took it for their own personal and very private enjoyment. It was purported to have been seen behind a door in the corner of their bedroom by someone who had no idea who the painter was.

This certainly places a dubious status on the whereabouts of potentially thousands of pieces of stolen art and artifacts. We know perpetrators wait for an opportunity to sell stolen works or the right occasion to leverage them for some legal gain or reveal themselves in some careless way. But how many of the stolen works are just objects of affection, either in the possession of the thief or someone who commissioned the theft, and carefully concealed.

I return to a refrain and a reminder that contrary to the remarks – and maybe even deep rooted belief – by some that stealing high value art is a fool’s game because it can’t be sold without someone in the art world being alert to the transaction. It completely discounts the idea of emotional and aesthetic appreciation of art, the very thing we go to museums and galleries to satisfy. This may surprise anyone caught up in the wildly inflationary art market where high-end pieces are bought one day and sold a short time later simply for financial gain.

 Yes, there are people who would go to great lengths to own a piece of art that they would be quite satisfied to enjoy themselves, alone, resisting any urge to satisfy their ego by letting the world know they won this prize. This may be one of the best arguments for securing art against disappearance.

www.artguard.net