by Brianna Crandall — June 10, 2013—ASIS International, known as the leading association for security management professionals with more than 38,000 members worldwide, has formed groundbreaking partnerships with two associations in recent weeks to foster the growth of the security industry as a whole and to bolster the healthcare security and information technology security sectors as well.
In preparation for ASIS’s 59th Annual Seminar and Exhibits in Chicago in September, ASIS joined forces with the top organization for healthcare security professionals, International Association for Healthcare Safety and Security (IAHSS), to enhance the knowledge and skills of Seminar participants and to support the work and reach of each other’s organization.
IAHSS will work with the ASIS Healthcare Security Council to develop and co-sponsor educational sessions focusing on healthcare security at the ASIS event. IAHSS will also offer training and exams for its prestigious CHPA certification prior to the Seminar. Both organizations will mutually promote each other’s annual conference and association to their respective members, and IAHSS will host a booth at the ASIS Seminar.
ASIS has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Building Industry Consulting Service International (BICSI) with the goals of fostering the growth of the security and information technology systems industries, promoting public safety, and protecting critical infrastructure globally. BICSI is a professional association that supports the information technology systems (ITS) industry, serving more than 23,000 ITS professionals, including designers, installers and technicians, who provide the fundamental infrastructure for telecommunications, audio/video, life safety and automation systems.
The primary focus of this agreement is collaboration and information sharing in the areas of research, education, standards and advocacy with the hope of impacting homeland security and driving practice, policy and strategy across the private and public sectors. Among the key issues that may be addressed by the two associations are: privacy concerns over the use of security and ITS technologies; the development of an educated security and ITS workforce; voluntary consensus standards; and the availability of federal and state financial resources for the protection of critical infrastructures during a time of fiscal austerity.
