Primordial Defense

From 1954 until the early 1990s, the Macy’s Department Store in New York City operated one of the most iconic private security canine programs in the country. It all started with security guard Joe Gaudioso and K-9 Cash, part of Macy’s original Doberman security team that patrolled the store after hours protecting one of America’s busiest retail locations. According to historical reports, one handler would sometimes be responsible for multiple dogs patrolling off leash throughout the store during overnight operations.

I came across this advertisement for security. It’s like they’re putting out a call to carnies for security. And these people are expected to work entry control and stop dangerous contraband from entering the venue. They aren’t even capable of protecting people if someone dangerous does come to any of them. What a shame.

🚓 The Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) has seat openings for upcoming law enforcement public order and public safety courses in June!

Field Force Extrication Tactics (FFE)
Offered June 7–12 and June 22–27, the three-day FFE course trains students to operate tools necessary for safely extricating individuals from protester devices, while ensuring due process. The course features hands-on activities in realistic scenarios and is accredited for 2.4 CEUs.

Public Order and Public Safety: Basic (POPS-B)
Available June 7–12 and June 22–27, POPS-B provides law enforcement officers with essential information and skills to respond to civil disturbances. Topics include protest types and actions, legal considerations, responsibilities of public order units, and crowd control methods. The course concludes with hands-on activities in realistic contexts.

Field Force Operations (FFO)
Offered June 14-20 and 22–27, the three-day FFO course teaches law enforcement and security officers about protest types and actions, legal considerations, responsibilities of mobile field force teams, and crowd-control methods. The course culminates with hands-on activities in realistic scenarios and is accredited for 2.4 CEUs.

Incident Command: Capabilities, Planning and Response Actions for All Hazards (IC)
Also available June 22–27, the IC course is designed for management-level responders who may supervise hazardous materials response incidents. Participants evaluate threats, prioritize targets, measure required capabilities, and discuss Incident Response and Action Plan processes. Accredited for 2.4 CEUs.

Seats are limited—apply soon! For more information, visit the CDP website or contact us directly.

For additional information and the link to apply, visit https://cdp.dhs.gov/training-calendar.

CDP training is completely funded for state, local, tribal and territorial emergency responders to include roundtrip airfare, meals, and lodging.

Someone needs to be in charge of and focused on safety and security.
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May 28, 1977 - Southgate, Kentucky. Bevery Hills Supper Club Fire kills 165 people.

Physical Security Performance Goals for Faith-Based Communities | CISA These goals provide readily implementable, cost-effective solutions and resources to help faith-based communities reduce risk and enhance resilience.

Between May 21, 2026 and May 27, 2026, there were 33 nonfatal, and 1 fatal, suspected drug overdose emergency medical service (EMS) encounters were reported in Fayette County through ODMAP (Overdose Detection Mapping Application System), which represents an unusually high number of suspected nonfatal drug overdose encounters in this period.

I see so many times a business that should have security and they just refuse to get security. “We haven’t had any problems” is generally how they decline to engage in talks about having security. Imagine trying to sell smoke detectors to homeowners and the response you get is “we haven’t had any fires.” That’s great you haven’t had any incidents. I call that fortuitous outcomes.

This can be summed up as a Black Swan Fallacy (often linked to the "Problem of Induction"). Black swan fallacy is the false belief that because an event has never happened in the past, it cannot happen in the future. It is a form of argument from ignorance that relies too heavily on past experiences to dictate future realities. For centuries, Europeans believed all swans were white because they had only ever seen white swans. In 1697, Dutch explorers found black swans in Australia.

Security should be proactive, not reactive. The primary goal is deterrence. A visible security presence stops incidents before they happen rather than responding after the damage is done. I’ve seen many times a business refuse to have proper security and then after something bad happens they decide to get proper security. Failing to get proper security can increase risks of liability. For businesses and event organizers, failing to employ standard security measures can lead to massive legal and financial liabilities if something does go wrong.