We receive questions on an ongoing basis...some specific to an organization or topic...while some point to recurring themes. In an effort to better serve our clients and guest, we have begun developing a data base of FAQ’s. If you have a specific question you would like to see addressed, please forward your request to: Michael@mgmassociates.com

• Why would I select Michael G. McCourt Associates, Inc. over other security management consulting firms?

There are many different reasons; we’ve outlined the top three:

1. We look at Security Management (SM) with a soft eye, meaning we recognize that it encompasses many different disciplines. Our holistic approach to SM includes first understanding your corporate culture, developing your policies, supporting your managers, training your employees, in short...utilizing your available resources. Security today is about more than just cameras and software...we understand this and work with your employees to help them understand it as well.
2. As a virtual consulting firm, capable of growing and shrinking as needed, we are large enough to tackle any problem for any organization...but small enough to still provide personalized service. We don’t sell you “senior consultants,” then send you junior associates. What you see is what you get. We take pride in answering our own phones!
3. Our associates are all Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), “road-tested,” with years of public and private sector experience. Unlike many security consulting firms, our associates are long-term professionals who have worked in environments similar to those of our clients. Our longevity and non-existent turnover rate contribute to our consulting strength.

• What do you mean by a “Virtual” Security Program?

The backbone of industry in our country is made up of companies consisting of fifty or fewer employees. Generally, companies ranging in size from fifty to twenty five hundred or so employees do not have a full-time person assigned to security, but they do have ongoing security concerns. In most of these companies, security is assigned as a second function to Facilities Management, or Human Resources. These professionals do not have any formal training in security management. Our Virtual Security Program provides access to a professional security resource, without the expense of a full-time security position. The return-on-investment can be significant, and many of our clients take advantage of the program.

• Our company uses the terms safety and security as if they were one and the same...are they?

Not really...at least not in our experience. One tends to be a by-product of the other...meaning safety is usually the end result of a professional security program. Safety is a state of mind, resulting from the consistent application of proactive and preventive security measures. When companies speak of safety issues, or safety audits, they are usually referring to formal guidelines established by OSHA, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration. Safety focuses on removing situations that, left unattended, can result in injury or death. Security on the other hand, is an iterative process of developing preventive policies, practices and technology for the purpose of target hardening...or making a company a less attractive to criminals or those with malicious intent. The two are not mutually exclusive by any means, but they do require different approaches and somewhat different skill sets.

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