I run an NYC security business. I'm getting calls for more protection after the Midtown shooting.

Tom Buda has been the president of Buda Security since 1998Courtesy of Tom BudaTom Buda worked for the NYPD before starting his private security business in Manhattan.Buda said he's received requests for increased security measures since Monday's shooting.He shared how private security personnel are trained to protect office buildings.This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Tom Buda, the owner of a private security business in New York, following a fatal shooting at a Midtown office building. It's been edited for length and clarity.After Monday's shooting at an office building in Midtown Manhattan, I immediately started getting calls from clients asking for additional security. First, I checked that everyone I work with was OK. Then, I worked most of the night to add security to different sites.By Tuesday afternoon, I had about 12 calls from new clients for increased security through at least Friday.I run Buda Security, a private security business on Park Avenue that I founded in 1998, 14 years after I joined the New York City Police Department. After I retired from the NYPD in 2005, I worked with the UN in various security roles until 2018. Then I focused on my security business.I have clients working near 345 Park Ave., the building that the shooter targeted. We do private and corporate security, special events, executive protection, hotels, residential buildings, and events in the city.Since the UnitedHealth CEO was shot last year, existing clients and new clients have decided to spend more money on security drivers and security for their CEOs.How private security officers work with companiesSecurity for an office building can sometimes get boring and quiet. We train our guards not to be complacent and remind them that something like what happened on Monday could happen at any moment.We tell our team to be proactive. You can check your phone, but don't look at it for a long period of time. Go to the door and look outside. We tell them to check the Citizen App. Many of our guys are either active or retired NYPD or federal agents, so they have contacts in the precinct and can reach out to assess any news.In a bigger office building like the one targeted on Monday, companies will usually employ their own security at the desk that checks people in with appointments. We are typically called out to supplement their unarmed security when there is a threat. We have unarmed security, too. Our guards are usually in the office or outside the building, rather than in the lobby.Planning for an active shooterIn an active shooter situation, we will use the force necessary to stop the threat. For our armed people, deadly force may be appropriate and necessary.When it comes to our employees, we check their training prior to hiring. All of our armed personnel are either active or former law enforcement officers or have special training. They are trained by the law enforcement agency they've come from on how to engage with an active shooter. Even though we don't only hire active or retired law enforcement, they get priority.Also, clients will sometimes hire us alongside an off-duty detail officer, who is also paid by the company. The uniformed NYPD officer who was killed on Monday had been hired in the building as security.Every client should have a plan for dealing with these kinds of situations, from locking the building down to shutting off the elevators. Contingency planning is everything.The Midtown shooting and the UnitedHealth shooting are a wake-up callThe main question I have about the Manhattan shooting is how the active shooter got so high and far into the building. I think after this shooting and the UnitedHealth CEO shooting, threats are going to be handled differently.Many changes could be made to prevent a shooter from getting far into a building. For example, buildings can add turnstiles that might slow down people getting into elevator banks or funnel them into a narrow area where they can be filmed or observed by a security guard.Corporate security directors, store owners, and anyone with employees are responsible for understanding how important security is. Although incidents like this may only happen a couple of times a year, preparation can make a difference.Read the original article on Business Insider

Comments

Business News

Big Box Store Sam’s Club Joins IndyCar’s Andretti Global Racing

Forbes

American Eagle responds to the controversy around its ad campaign with Sydney Sweeney: 'Great jeans look good on everyone'

about 3 hours ago

The economist who coined the acronym BRICS talks about how his original vision evolved

NPR

Headgum Founders Jake Hurwitz & Amir Blumenfeld Celebrate 10 Years Of Running A Podcast Network: ‘We’re Trying To Hold On To The Last Few Indie Comedy Vibes That Are Left In Podcasting’

about 5 hours ago

Can Cleveland Golf’s Triangular-Shaped HiBore XL Start A Trend?

Forbes

Comments

Business News

Big Box Store Sam’s Club Joins IndyCar’s Andretti Global Racing

July Jobs Report Casts New Warning On Immigration And Worker Declines

Interview: Superman Wētā VFX Supervisor Guy Williams On DC Worldbuilding

When Is ‘The Bad Guys 2’ Coming To Streaming?

Lyme Disease Nearly Ended Justin Timberlake’s Tour: What You Need To Know

Lina Kahn is taking a victory lap over the Figma IPO

Trump's tariffs are (still) coming

Saskatoon company launches Saskatchewan’s 1st corporate child care program

Canada should ‘stand up’ to U.S. after Trump tariff hike, B.C. forestry exec says

A raging Trump digs in on his trade war after brutal jobs report

Zillow hit with federal copyright lawsuit over 47K allegedly stolen property photos

Meta dishes out $250M to lure 24-year-old AI whiz kid: ‘We have reached the climax of ‘Revenge of the Nerds’

Engineering students build innovative 3D-printed drone that can switch between water and air

UFC Vegas 108 Fight Card: Odds, Predictions, Prop Bets And Picks

6 Exciting New Netflix Movies In August 2025

‘The Naked Gun’: What Happens In End-Credits And Post-Credits Scenes?

New Album ‘Strange Hours’ Brings Eli Young Band Full-Circle

James Gunn’s ‘Superman’ Cracks $300 Million At Domestic Box Office

Trump Fires Senior Labor Official Over Jobs Numbers

Inside The Troubled Road To Micah Parson’s Trade Request

Investment trusts rise up from the ashes

Watch shares plummet as tariffs hurt Switzerland

Donald Trump hits out at Federal Reserve as US jobs fall

Euronext eyes Stock Exchange bid amid deals frenzy

ALEX BRUMMER: Donald Trump's deals are a global blow

RAY MASSEY: Genesis G80 is a swish, smooth sensation

A Federal Reserve governor just said she's resigning early, giving Trump a chance to put even more pressure on Powell

Your chats with Meta's AI might end up on Google &mdash; just like ChatGPT until it turned them off

I'm a New Yorker who went to Montreal for the first time, and 5 things surprised me

American Eagle responds to the controversy around its ad campaign with Sydney Sweeney: 'Great jeans look good on everyone'

The economist who coined the acronym BRICS talks about how his original vision evolved

Could higher tariffs mean more layoffs in Canada? What industry experts say

Calgary home sales fall 12 per cent in July as inventory reaches pre-pandemic highs

Trump says he will fire lead official on economic data as stocks shudder

Car finance payouts have been limited, but lenders aren't off the hook

Ahead of Trump’s Trade Deadline, Firms Rushed Goods Out of Duty-Free Warehouses

Michael Cardozo, 84, New York City’s Longest-Serving Chief Lawyer, Dies

Fed Governor Resigns, Giving Trump Opportunity to Shape Central Bank

Trump, Claiming Weak Jobs Numbers Were ‘Rigged,’ Moves to Fire Labor Official

Lenders do not owe millions compensation over car finance, Supreme Court rules

Jury orders Tesla to pay more than $200 million in Autopilot crash case

Switzerland, the land of luxury brands, could see prices skyrocket from Trump's 39% tariffs

Trump calls for firings after soft jobs report

Delta Air Lines tries to calm fury over ticket prices, telling lawmakers it won’t use AI

Ford recalls 312K vehicles over loss of brake power that can increase crash risk

Fed governor Adriana Kugler resigning, opening up spot for Trump to fill

Elon Musk’s Tesla ordered to pay $329M in deadly Autopilot crash case: ‘This will open the floodgates’

Lenders do not owe millions compensation over car finance, Supreme Court rules

Headgum Founders Jake Hurwitz & Amir Blumenfeld Celebrate 10 Years Of Running A Podcast Network: ‘We’re Trying To Hold On To The Last Few Indie Comedy Vibes That Are Left In Podcasting’

Can Cleveland Golf’s Triangular-Shaped HiBore XL Start A Trend?

What McLaren CEO Zak Brown Thinks Of FOX Acquiring A Third Of IndyCar

Trump Orders Nuclear Submarines Moved In Response To Threats From Former Russian President

For Phillies Prospect Justin Crawford, The Time Is Now

What car finance ruling means for you as drivers could still get compensation

The 37 taxes you pay and why it now takes £3.1m to feel 'wealthy' - This is Money podcast

India grows 80% of the world's turmeric. So why are farmers struggling?

Trump says he gave new orders to US nuclear submarines in response to an ex-Russian president's 'foolish' talk

Tesla must pay over $242M in damages after being found partly at fault for deadly Autopilot crash

'Let's step outside': Sharon Stone on her explosive first encounter with Michael Douglas before 'Basic Instinct'

Trump said he plans to fire Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner hours after disappointing July jobs report

Your chats with Meta's AI might end up on Google — just like ChatGPT until it turned them off