Leading Firms Readdress
Terrorism Preparedness

Information on this page is provided by GlobeSt.com

Terrorism preparedness will once again take a front seat this year. A group of 12 real estate trade groups have banded together to tighten the industry-wide network of terror-related intelligence. The network, dubbed the Real Estate Information Sharing and Analysis Center, was formed in the days after Sept. 11 to increase the communication-level within the real estate community and between the industry and the federal government. As GlobeSt.com reported, ISAC chairman and Real Estate Roundtable president and CEO Jeffrey DeBoer has unveiled plans to hike industry awareness of the center, with GlobeSt.com and parent organization Real Estate Media an essential part of the initiative. In an exclusive interview, DeBoer sat down with GlobeSt.com to underscore the need for the campaign and the essential service of ISAC. In addition to the Roundtable, participating groups are BOMA International, IREM, ICSC, IFMA, NAIOP, NAREIT, NAR and NMHC. From the lodging industry come the American Hotel & Lodging Assn. and the American Resort Development Assn.

GlobeSt.com: What is the genealogy of ISAC?

DeBoer: The Roundtable determined shortly after Sept. 11 that there was an information gap between our industry and federal security officials. We believed the government did not perceive real estate as a critical infrastructure industry such as the telecom, food or financial industries. We saw the need to develop a relationship with the federal government and get this communication going. We talked with federal officials and our trade-association partners, and all of those conversations resulted in ISAC.

GlobeSt.com: How do the government and the industry use ISAC?

DeBoer: The government uses ISAC to disseminate information concerning threats and advisories they feel the industry should have as well as to disseminate ideas they think the industry should develop concerning threats. Likewise, we communicate back information concerning incidents they should know about. Also, through ISAC, office, hotel and apartment owners can share what they're doing in their individual sectors.

GlobeSt.com: So what is the nature of the campaign you're launching now?

DeBoer: We want everyone to know we believe that what President Bush says is true, that we all have a stake in making sure our country is better prepared for terrorist threats. At the CEO level, we want people to understand that terrorist threats are real, and that there is a role for all of us to play. The campaign is designed to reach into all sectors, and we're going to use GlobeSt's reach and those of other Real Estate Media publications as well as the publications and web-based products of our trade associations to get that message out. The sum of the campaign is to raise awareness that we are all part of the solution.

GlobeSt.com: Last summer there were threats leveled at some Northeast-corridor buildings. Does the awareness of those threats indicate that the US is handling the issue or that we are still not doing enough?

DeBoer: The further we get away from the awful events of Sept. 11, the easier it is for us to become complacent. This campaign is designed to reinvigorate that focus and make people aware that the threat is still out there.

GlobeSt.com: But the cold fact is that you aren't going to stop an airplane from crashing into a building.

DeBoer: Keep in mind that one of the main components of this campaign is to recognize the responsibility we all have to address terrorism-security issues and to have in place an emergency preparedness and response plan. The building owners couldn't have prevented Sept. 11, but those companies in the towers that had emergency plans and rehearsed them had a much reduced casualty rate.

GlobeSt.com: How would you rate the industry today in its preparedness, especially in terms of the communication between owner and tenant?

DeBoer: Obviously certain companies and regions of the country are much more aware of potential problems and have prepared much better. Clearly the urban centers and iconic buildings are much better prepared. The shopping center industry, by the way, has made tremendous behind-the-scenes efforts to keep the shopping experience open but safe. So, like anything, some people are more aware than others. In terms of tenants, the communication needs to be made better. Again, some tenants are extremely prepared, and others are not so good. We're encouraging those relationships and the integration of preparedness plans. That's key to what we are trying to accomplish here.

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