Under attack: security at city landmarks.

Nobody can dispute that the mammoth needle-nosed building jutting 1,454 feet into the sky and towering above all other major New York City landmarks would make an attractive post 9-11 terrorist target, so it may seem odd that the Empire State Building's managers are finding themselves challenged to prove they have established even the most basic security measures.

But representatives of SEIU local 32 BJ--a group working to unionize security guards--claims the Empire State Building's security structure is weak. And weak buildings make good targets, according to Howard Safir, former New York City Police Commissioner now chairman and CEO of Safir Rosetti, an independent security and intelligence consulting firm.

"We live in a dangerous world where terrorists are looking to do us great harm," said Safir. "Those of us in this business believe it is not a matter of if the terrorists attack, it is a matter of when the terrorists attack. When they attack, the attack is not going to be on a hard target, it is going to be on a soft building. They are going to attack those who have not been paying attention."

100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care conducted a study for SEIU Local 32 BJ pinpointing dangerous holes in the security system of the Empire State building. These include lack of training for security staff, inadequate structural reinforcement of the building itself and absence of protocol to follow in the event of an emergency.

In addition to the survey, security officers contracted by Copstat Security Inc.--a privately owned company in New York--to work at the Empire State Building signed affidavits describing the insufficient levels of training they claim to have received. Officers Rene Villanova, Julius Dawkins and Eujenio Connelly met with City Council Speaker Christine Quinn to present a petition signed by more than 40 security officers expressing concern about lack of training and proper equipment.

Management at the Empire State Building said the union's efforts are largely concentrated on propaganda used as part of an organizing drive that is "regrettably, unfairly targeting the Empire State Building and its public relations thereto," according to a statement issued by Patricia Amerman, spokeswoman for the Empire State Building.

"The Empire State Building has an extremely high level of security. We are often called upon by the UN and other places for advice on their security systems. We have it honed down to a science, especially since 9/11, and certainly we have the technically knowledgeable people involved to carry this all out," said John B. Trainor, executive vice president of Helmsley Spear Inc, the building's leasing agent prior to the appointment last week of CB Richard Ellis.

The strength of any security system in New York is difficult to prove. The Security Guard Act of 1992 established guidelines for training and licensing security guards. These guidelines were updated by Governor George Pataki's office in 2004 to include more extensive criminal background checks for security guards, but have otherwise remained unchanged. They require an eight-hour pre-assignment training course, a 16-hour on-the-job training course and an eight-hour annual in-service training course.

SEIU local 32 BJ representatives believe these requirements could be reevaluated in light of the more substantial security threats we face in the nation today.

Aside from the training requirements, there are no known standards of evaluating buildings security systems.

Members of the Empire State Buildings security staff includes people with extensive law enforcement backgrounds, in addition to those contracted by Copstat, according to the statement issued by Amerman, which also contends that security staff receive at least 60 hours of professional training that "far exceeds industry standards" during their first two years of service. This is broken down into "New York State required 32 hours of training, and in addition, an extra 24 hours of non-required training in terrorism awareness, detonation and response to explosive devices. This additional training is conducted by a team of internationally recognized experts in counter terrorism."

The 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement dispute that level of training. They further claim the lack of bollards or other structures to prevent vehicles armed with bombs or other explosive devices from driving through the building or backing up onto the loading dock on 33rd street. The study says any attack could be compounded by the fact that the building does not appear to have explosive resistant glass, or be glazed with bomb resistant glaze.

These devices currently exist at many of Manhattan's high profile buildings, including the Javits Convention Center, 2001 Varick Street, the World Financial Center, the Port Authority bus terminal, all of the embassies, among others.

"I think if the building is a landmarked building, a high profile or public building, it is a prudent measure to take," said Raymond Daddazio, president and CEO of Weidlinger Associates, a structural engineering firm in Manhattan. "The most important thing you can do is to keep the explosive-laden vehicle as far away from the building as possible. Every foot matters. Before you'd even think of reinforcing your building, the first thing you'd address is how far away a building is from the curb."

"Physical standoffs from explosives are a very important factor," Safir agreed, although he added that in major urban areas it is sometimes difficult to get the kind of setback you need for bollards.

The former police chief said it was vital to establish protocol in the event an attack occurs, adding, "Everyone has to know what their role is, to know who is in charge and follow very closely an incident command system, This is very important so that if and when a crisis occurs, whether it be biological, chemical, explosives, or otherwise, everyone should know exactly how to react."

Safir said having these protocol set in place is "not as common as it should be" but companies that choose to institute these types of drills could make a significant difference in the number of lives saved if an attack occurred. The companies in the World Trade Center who practiced drills put in place during the 1993 bombing including knowledge of what stairwells and elevators to use, and pre-established floor wardens had the most efficient and effective evacuations.

"Planning is the most important thing. People have to be trained or drilled on what to do or what not to do or else you are going to have panic," Safir said. "Once a crisis hits it is too late."