David Hyde, the director of security services for Cadillac-Fairview, which has significant properties in Toronto’s financial district including the TD Centre, said while alternations were made to how existing officers were deployed in building lobbies and other key areas, and tools such as CCTV cameras were used to provide more focused coverage, he has not significantly ramped up security at his facilities.

“This kind of incident causes us to revisit where we might need to improve. The actions we’ve taken have been more geared toward reassuring a nervous tenant and nervous public and nervous visitors to the buildings. These threats have been here a long time and we’ve very much been aware of them,” said Hyde, adding tenant concern was “fairly minimal” despite the fact press coverage on the issue has been intense.

"We increased security manpower around tower lobbies and parking areas to reinforce a positive perception of security to building tenants and visitors.  We do have the capacity, within a threat escalation profile, to progress to more high profile security measures (i.e. hand-held explosives detection units, searches of all vehicles entering the facility, restricting access through the lobbies).  We did not take these more advanced steps in the recent case as the authorities (CSIS, RCMP and Toronto Police) confirmed there was no continuing or impending threat in relation to the suspected terrorist cell arrested across the GTA.  We base our response on the risk as it is presented or apparent to us and the best interests and needs of our tenants," said Hyde.

Cadillac-Fairview went to policy of random searches of vehicles entering loading dock areas and vehicles were stopped and asked to verify purpose and identity, and the information was logged. 

Some security directors say steps taken by other large facility landlords was somewhat exaggerated given the fact CSIS indicated the threat had been eliminated.

“The biggest reaction I think I saw was the misunderstanding of what security officers are to do in such situations,” said Paul Carson of Brookfield LePage Johnson Controls (BLJC). “I understand that some organizations have adopted the inspection of large trucks with parabolic wheeled mirrors for inspecting the
underbelly of trucks, which in an of itself may appear to be a proactive step but does it provide any real value other then the optical one?”

BLJC is a joint venture between Brookfield Properties and Johnson Controls World
Services Ltd., and the company provides facility management services.

Carson says ammonium nitrate/fuel oil (ANFO) bombs are generally concealed in the payload area of a truck and unless the contents of every truck is inspected it is unlikely a bomb of this nature would be detected because no external wiring is required to ensure detonation of the ordinance.

“But it does show a degree of diligence that is comforting to the general public, which shouldn't by any means be discounted,” he said.

While Cadillac-Fairview tenants were informed of what measures were in place, the approach Hyde said he took was to be calm and not add any additional security features above and beyond what was already in place.

“We don’t want to be alarmist. We felt, as a responsible corporation, it would be inappropriate for us to ramp security up to the level of having guys in flack jackets checking the sidewalks to make sure no vehicles are parked out by the building,” said Hyde. “That gives the public the message there is an impending threat that could come to fruition at any given moment. We don’t need to take steps that cause anxiety, panic and alarm based on having no factual data of a threat. CSIS confirmed there’s no continuing threat here so it would irresponsible of us to take very controversial and intrusive measures.”

While some property management firms increased security presence with bomb-sniffing dogs and checking every vehicle, Hyde said the decision was made that additional measures such as that were not required.

“I would argue that’s what you do in an elevated threat level situation. When threat levels have gone up based on factual data or information from the authorities or from knowledge you’ve got that’s what you do. We have a process in place to support that, however, this was not one of those situations,” said Hyde.

A heightened sense of concern around preparedness may cause some organizations to ramp up security spending, but experts say that isn’t necessarily the correct approach. In fact many facilities have been ramping up security gradually as part of a long-term plan to harden their system, but the plan was not related to any specific threat.

“Even if everyone was to get a $1 million and told 'do what you need to do', you wouldn’t be able to do it overnight,” says Leo Manos, director of security services with the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto. “Certain projects have to follow others. You can throw money at it, but you still need to have time on your side. It takes time to implement.”

Manos says there is the day-to-day needs of the business to remain concerned about and about culture change when a new security system is put in place. He has been gradually increasing the number of CCTV cameras at the historic hotel, as well as adding physical landscaping barriers in the form of planters crash rated for a 15,000 pound vehicle, at the west side of the hotel and limiting parking on Piper Street at the rear of the hotel.

 “We were planning for that some time ago. We’re still doing things to better our facility and we always revisit our security policies and manuals and projects. So yes, maybe now it has more attention to and maybe some are thinking they should move their three to five-year plans up because they won’t have that time to plan for it. There’s a saying ”“ if you are predicting it you will most likely prevent it.”

For the most part, communication remains a core element in reassuring clients and tenants that security measures are in place. Soon after the terror suspect arrests were made public, Cadillac-Fairview sent out communications to all its tenants in the downtown core.

“From our major tenants connected to critical infrastructure or connected to the major sectors of financial or insurance, yes we were contacted by a small portion of those tenants asking what we were going to do in response,” said Hyde. “Our message was business as usual.”

Hyde says Cadillac-Fairview did deploy existing resources in different ways.

“Anytime you are dealing with a perception issue, I think it’s incumbent on a responsible security organization to increase the visible elements of reassurance to the tenant basis, to the visitors to the building, to the population using the building,” he said.

That means if there is a concierge that typically sits behind a desk, in this situation that individual may have more regular interaction with the patron of the lobby and get out from behind the desk more.  Or, the security department will hone in cameras on sensitive locations such as tower lobbies and loading docks and take a more hands on approach with frequency and taking a closer look at cameras during key periods of time.