At this time of year the entertainment and news media are brimming with advice on how to successfully accomplish those New Year’s resolutions. Whether it’s a weight loss goal, realizing a dream on your bucket list or sticking to your resolve on your “un-bucket” list (i.e. never watch another reality TV show), the advice all seems to come down to the fact that success depends on developing and sticking to a plan.

It’s almost become a holiday tradition. Backed by catchy slogans (December to Remember) and sentimental ad spots (snowy scenes, families, cars with big red bows), the year-end auto sales season is in full swing. In fact, a recent Business Week article stated that a five-year average ranks December as the top month for total U.S. car sales.

According to the American Red Cross, approximately 45,000 disasters, man-made and natural, occur in the United States each year. Because of the seriousness of the potential for loss, security and emergency preparedness has become an essential tool in helping to limit the number and types of threats that facilities such as office buildings can face. While there are many different types of security solutions for office buildings, key management systems are a vital component of emergency preparedness to minimize loss and speed response.

On college and university campuses across the country, the role of the campus police officer is changing. More and more, school leaders are authorizing the arming of sworn officers to allow them to provide a higher level of protection in the areas they patrol and to allow for a more effective response in high-risk situations.

They’re called crimes of opportunity for a reason. Property and valuables left unattended and unsecured, even for short periods of time, pose a temptation to thieves, employees, cleaning staff, contractors and building visitors. Cash, computers, business information/data, other valuables and even identities are prime targets for theft in an office environment any time there are security irregularities.