Interactions with Customers and the Public
One of the most important functions and one performed frequently is dealing with customers and members of the public. While it’s important to ensure accessibility for customer questions, complaints, paying of bills, etc., it’s also important to ensure that personal and office security are maintained. There is a trade-off between promoting accessibility and a friendly utility/customer environment and the need for basic security measures. The following suggestions can be used when developing a security plan for the office. Not all of these suggestions are practical for all situations. Much depends upon the size and location of the office and the number of staff working there. Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security just because (for instance) the office serves a small rural area or because all of the customers may be known to the workers. Determine what’s practical for the situation and implement as many of these suggestions as possible – and always err on the side of caution.
· Utility offices should have a “Reception Area" where the customers can fill out papers and pay bills while being separate from the rest of the office and from employees. If your office has space, sectioning off a reception area with a teller’s window for basic transactions could be a modest yet important investment. When the need arises, further access can be given to further conduct business.
· Request picture identification for those customers or walk-ins that office personnel are not familiar with. An account number is not sufficient, especially if they act suspicious or threatening.
· Consider installing a drive-thru window to limit the normal access to office personnel and office spaces. This will also add to security for both your office staff and any cash or valuables that are kept in the office.
· If possible, have two people in the office when cut-offs and other system changes occur so customers will not have to wait so long (and possibly get angry) to get an answer to their questions.
· Place "BLANK FORMS" in the reception area, for common transactions and requests, instead of having to individually hand out the forms or open the door. This can reduce the amount of time your staff has to spend for routine activities.
· Place lights in the reception areas that are brighter than those in the office so employees’ movements are less likely to draw attention in case they need to get away or make a call.
· Consider placing bars on the windows or using bulletproof glass to limit access to the payment registers. All windows, such as those to the outside as well as those used for customer transactions, should be secured.
· Make the slot on a drop box only large enough to accommodate a single envelope instead of a 1" or larger slot that other things could be shoved in. Make the slot or drop so that the single payment is inserted and then it drops into another place when the drop window closes (like a mail box on the corner). Secure the drop boxes so that only a limited area can catch on fire if someone puts a combustible material or fluid into that drop slot and strikes a match.
Other Public Relations Activities Designed to Enhance Security
· Development of a Public Awareness/Neighborhood Watch type program can contribute to the overall security plan. In regard to your office facilities, speak with those residents and/or commercial activities located nearby and encourage them to report any suspicious activity to the utility and/or law enforcement officials. Provide them with a point of contact and telephone numbers. Use billing inserts and other communications measures to inform customers about the need for increased security for the water facilities.
· Establish a set procedure to deal with customer complaints concerning water quality – taste, odor, color or other physical change. Have a complaint form prepared to record all the pertinent information from the customer, such as location, duration, and water quality characteristics (smell, taste, color, oily, filmy, burns on contact with skin, etc.). Have someone designated to evaluate and respond to water quality complaints as soon as possible, including if necessary contacting local law enforcement, local health department and/or TCEQ.
Physical Security
The amount of physical security measures will depend upon the perceived threat level and the resources available to the utility. The extent or severity of past incidents/break-ins is one prime indicator of the types of physical security your office requires. Another consideration is the location of the office – is it on a well traveled street, are their residences nearby, etc.?
· Doors to the outside should have secure locks (dead bolts) as well as any separate interior rooms containing valuable equipment or records. If feasible and affordable, consider alarms on all doors and windows and motion alarms for interior areas of your office. Make sure that all doors are locked every time you leave – thieves can be in and out of unattended rooms in less than a minute.
· Establish a key control and accountability program to ensure that only authorized staff has copies of keys. Keep a record of locks and associated keys and to whom the keys have been assigned. Consider periodic re-keying of locks, especially after loss of keys and/or employee turnover. Have all keys engraved with “DO NOT DUPLICATE.”
· Keep office keys (such as for filing cabinets or interior rooms) on your person or in a secure cabinet. “Secret” hiding places do not remain secret for long.
· Each office should have some type of alarm (either to sound on-site and/or to notify law enforcement personnel) or at least something that looks like an alarm to deter would-be robbers.
· Implement a testing program for alarm and lockup systems.
· Each office should have a secure, out-of-sight location where the customers and would-be thieves are unable to view staff. This can be accommodated by having the bill payment window facing a wall so that the clerk is not readily visible to the customer. Two-way mirrors can also be used to allow the employees to see who is outside in the reception area.
· Consider placing pipe or concrete barriers around the front of the office or any location where the public can drive into the building.
· Make sure that local law enforcement knows where all of your facilities are located (including your office) and ask that they include them in their patrols.
· Consider having water, cell phone, emergency numbers and a panic-button alarm in a secure location where the employees can at least wait out a threat. Also it would help to have an enclosed, secure room or a separate locked restroom for those inside that is different from the public restroom.
Records and Funds Security
· Hard (paper) copies of important documents and records should be kept in a separate, secure fire-walled room if possible. As an alternative, fire resistant and locking file cabinets and/or a fire safe also would be a good investment. Keep important records secure whenever they are not in use – do not leave any important records out in areas accessible to the public unless they are actually needed to transact business.
· Back up computer records on disc, and these backup discs should be stored off-site if not daily, at least once per week. Compact disc burners are cheap and easy to install on your existing computer, if you do not already have one. Large amounts of information can be copied quickly and the discs are relatively compact and can be stored in fireproof boxes or deposited in a bank for safekeeping.
· Consider spending some time and resources scanning important records (easements, contracts, deeds, loan documents, etc.) into a computer and save them onto disc and/or a remote computer. Many times office personnel can perform this function as scanners are also very inexpensive and available software makes them easy to use. If that is not possible, consider having records retention “farmed out” to a CPA, attorney or someone the system trusts to maintain records.
· Always keep cash and checks in a safe place. Never leave large amounts of cash in the office overnight. Make daily deposits, perhaps even twice a day if you are handling large amounts of cash and have no other means of securing cash during the day.
· Consider placing signs in your office that state “no cash left overnight,” or “no bills larger than $50.00 accepted” or “cashiers do not have access to safe,” etc. While these types of signs might not discourage hardened criminals, every measure adds to the overall security of the personnel and facilities.
Personnel and Personal Security
· When hiring personnel, consider conducting a background check for past criminal activity. Have the applicant fill out an employment application (TRWA has examples) and check out references prior to hiring.
· Incorporate adopted security procedures as part of the employee’s job description/performance plan and include in periodic evaluations.
· Keep track of what employees are issued what keys (or security codes).
· When an employee leaves, ensure that all keys and identification badges are returned. Consider changing locks and access codes where appropriate if there is concern about the former employee.
· The use of uniforms and having vehicles marked with the name of the utility ensures the public that it is water utility personnel working on utility facilities and not an unauthorized individual. The use of identification badges may also help.
· Train staff on basic security procedures, including the items covered here, and make sure that they know how to properly report any unusual or suspicious actives they encounter. This includes procedures for bathroom breaks, lunch, and smoke breaks.
· Have a checklist for use by office staff in the event of a threatening call.
· Do not discuss confidential matters or routines in front of visitors.
· Keep personal valuables with you or put away in a secure place.
Computer/SCADA/Information Storage
· Ensure that computers limit access by password. These passwords should be changed every few months and (if needed) following employee turnover.
· Ensure that virus protection software is installed and updated regularly. Invite customers to help keep facilities secure by including a statement on security on the home page and providing contact numbers to report suspicious activities.
· Ensure that no information is posted on the system’s Web site that could be used in any attempt to disrupt system operations or contaminate water.
· Information collected as part of conducting a vulnerability assessment (as well as the final product) should be considered confidential and not divulged to the public.
· SCADA systems should be set up to allow varying levels of access (through password protection) to view system status and change parameters according to employee functions.
If you have any questions, you may want to contact a local bank or credit union and ask them about things like their personnel procedures.
Of course, you can always go to the EPA website for information. A great address for resources and help in utility security from the EPA is:
http://cfpub.epa.gov/safewater/watersecurity/index.cfm [1]
Below are some other water and wastewater security resource Web sites:
For NESC: http://www.nesc.wvu.edu/ [2]
If you are a member:
For AWWA: http://www.awwa.org/ [3]
Other, general Web sites of interest for water/wastewater infrastructure information:
For WEF: http://www.wef.org/Home [4]
For NOWRA: http://www.nowra.org/ [5]