THE BEST PROTECTION AGAINST INCREASING THREATS TO PUBLIC SECURITY IS A CAREFULLY WORKED OUT SECURITY PLAN BEFORE AN EMERGENCY OCCURS. FOR ANY FACILITY, THIS PLAN INVOLVES ANALYZING AND EVALUATING SECURITY RISKS, DETERMINING THE NECESSARY TECHNICAL AND HUMAN PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT, AND PROVIDING THE NECESSARY ACTION DURING AN EMERGENCY. THE RISKS CAN BE DIVIDED INTO THREE CATEGORIES: (1) PRIMARY RISKS (NATURAL CATASTROPHES AND ACCIDENTS), (2) SECONDARY RISKS (OFFENSES INSPIRED BY A DESIRE FOR ECONOMIC GAIN LIKE HOLD-UPS AND LARCENY), AND (3) THIRD DEGREE RISKS (OFFENSES MOTIVATED BY IDEOLOGY, SUCH AS SABOTAGE AND POLITICAL ASSASSINATIONS). TECHNICAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT INCLUDES PHYSICAL BARRIERS SUCH AS BARS, ARMORED CARS, AND SAFES, AS WELL AS AUTOMATIC DETECTION EQUIPMENT (BURGLAR ALARMS, SPRINKLER SYSTEMS, VIDEO CAMERAS). FOR GREATEST EFFICIENCY OF THE HUMAN RESOURCES, GUARDS AND OTHER SECURITY PERSONNEL MUST BE TRAINED IN THE NECESSARY BEHAVIOR IN CASE OF EMERGENCY. FINALLY, THE MEASURES WHICH SHOULD BE TAKEN TO COORDINATE ACTIVITIES IN CASE OF EMERGENCY INCLUDE THE TECHNICAL OR HUMAN DETECTION OF THE EVENT, THE TRANSMISSION OF INFORMATION (ALARM), AND INTERVENTION. THE NEW TECHNICAL SECURITY CENTERS IN LAUSANNE AND ZURICH (SWITZERLAND) ARE EXAMPLES OF LARGE-SCALE ELECTRONICALLY EQUIPPED EMERGENCY COORDINATORS. IN CASE OF ALARM, COMPUTERS NOT ONLY IDENTIFY THE TYPE OF EMERGENCY AND SOURCE OF THE CALL BUT ALSO LIST THE NECESSARY COUNTERMEASURES FOR EACH PARTICULAR ASPECT OF THE EVENT. THE ARTICLE CONTAINS NO REFERENCES. --IN FRENCH. (SAJ)