A new government report released yesterday has dropped a bombshell on the state of private security and its ability to protect our nation's most important buildings.

In a routine check on the state of private security for our nation's federal buildings, investigators were able to sneak explosive materials inside - get this - a total of 10 out of 10 times.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security has said that poor management on the part of private security companies is a big part of the problem, with insufficient training given by the companies.

Here's what the report found:

• Only 13,000 private security officers are assigned to a total of 9,000 federal buildings.
• In one region that was investigated, officers haven't been trained on x-ray machines in over five years - since 2004.

While officials are vowing to fix the problem - and they say it will take a while - we know that it shouldn't take these kinds of reports to make the changes necessary to keep our buildings safe.

Every day, security officers witness this kind of poor management first hand, but are often afraid to speak out in fear of unjust retribution.

It's time for practices like this to end. Security officers need to be able to carry out their jobs well so that they're better prepared to be the "first" first responders in an emergency.

Watch the video and sign our petition.

Last week, the Washington Post published an opinion piece authored by Valarie Long, the Vice President of SEIU Local 32BJ, which represents approximately 10,000 security officers across the Northeast.

In the piece, Long recognizes the importance of the job that security officers perform each and every day, raises the need for improved standards in the private security industry, and offers her condolences to the family of Officer Johns.

Here's what she writes:

The tragedy at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum was a painful reminder that private security officers often are our first line of defense and that these modestly paid men and women risk their lives to keep us safe. As we mourn Stephen T. Johns, we can honor his memory by raising security industry standards.

It's in everyone's best interest to ensure that security officers are well prepared to handle emergencies and are treated with the respect they deserve for their brave service.

No doubt, you've likely heard about yesterday's tragic shooting incident at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, where security officer Stephen T. Johns tragically lost his life.

The event is a bitter reminder about the importance of these brave men and women who serve as the "first line of defense against a terrorist attack," and the methods that can be taken to ensure their safety while on the job. All in all, there are more than 1 million private security officers in the United States - nearly twice the number of police officers.

On this morning's Today Show, the director of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, Sara Bloomfield, paid tribute to Officer Johns and commended the entire security team for their bravery and heroism:

"Everything happened yesterday as we train for these things. And as I think you've reported, two of our officers did attack this assailant and none of our visitors were hurt, so we feel that this actually worked extremely well, in terms of how many lives were saved in this incident. And again, we want to commend our officers who responded so well and pay tribute to Officer Johns, who also behaved so heroically in this incident."

In an interview with the Center for American Progress' ThinkProgress, Steve Maritas, the organizing director of the union that represents them, said the following:

"These guys are security police professionals, which is a whole different level of training compared to security guards...When they train these guys, they're trained on more of a terrorism level."

Healthcare cuts are hurting working families and our communities

Security officers at Kaiser Permanente medical facilities are fighting cuts to their healthcare. The 1,800 officers at Kaiser are employed by Securitas, the largest security company in the world. Even though they protect hospitals, patients, and medical staff at the country's largest non-profit healthcare organization, many security officers now face the impossible choice of putting food on the table or getting medical care for themselves or their family members.

Securitas implemented a series of rollbacks in February that have made healthcare too expensive for many officers and their families.

Deductibles are now sky high--costing $1,000 for just single coverage.
- Prescription drug costs have tripled. Many officers now cannot afford to fill their prescriptions, and some have even resorted to taking medication every other day.
- Routine and preventative care such as doctor visits, blood work, and lab tests now have very high fees. For example, an officer would now have to pay $1,000 for a MRI.
- Co-pays have doubled and even tripled in some cases.

Earning as little as as little as $10.40 an hour, security officers at Kaiser are struggling to pay their bills, put food on the table, and support their families.

Jagdeep Singh, mother of three: "My kids are generally healthy, but they can get sick easily at school. I tell them they can't get sick and just to take Tylenol, because we can't afford to go to the doctor. I just take over-the-counter medicines to avoid getting sick."

Security officers provide a vital service of protection. Members of the public, healthcare providers and patients benefit when security professionals are healthy and receive the care they and their families need.

Jobs Growth Not a Myth in Certain Sectors

For the millions of Americans who have lost their jobs or feared for their job security in the past couple of months, one might think there are simply no jobs to be had in this current economic downspiral.

Although nobody's job is 100 percent secure, there are certain professions that have proven to be less sensitive to economic downturns. For the many Americans who spend their days scouring the classifieds or waiting in mile-long lines at career fairs, it's encouraging to know that there are job sectors that are still in need of educated employees right now. Here are a few bright spots:

Health and education are at the top of the Obama Administration--and our country's--list of priorities, so teachers and healthcare professionals are in high demand.

Of the 30 fastest growing professions reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), nearly half are related to the healthcare field, which saw a gain of 27,000 jobs in February alone. Highly in-demand occupations include nurses, medical assistants, physician assistants, home health aides, and medical records and health information technicians.

BLS has historically classified teachers as a recession-proof career field, and much like healthcare, there will always be a need for teachers. The National Center for Education Statistics predicts that in the next eight years, 2.8 million more teachers will be needed to join the 3.2 million existing teachers because of retirements, higher enrollment and teacher turnover.

More reasons to "Go Green:" We all know it's time for America to invest in renewable energy for our country's future, and there is already a huge and growing sector working to fight global warming. The Obama administration is very focused on green job creation and clean energy initiatives that will work on harnessing all forms of solar, geothermal and wind power to double our renewable energy production by 2012 and advance sustainable growth.

According to Newsweek, in one 2006 study released by the Renewable Energy Policy Project, researchers found that 2,000 businesses in Michigan could use wind turbine technology as an employment alternative for 34,000 ailing auto workers by reorienting workers from their manufacturing jobs to jobs focused on creating renewable energy for the state. As the U.S. auto industry continues to decline, think about how many other states a project such as this could benefit...

Jobs in "green" energy and the environmental sector will continue to see increased employment rates, to fill the green jobs that already exist as well as explore new technologies that will allow us to rely less on dwindling natural resources and preserve the environment.

Job security in Security: The fact that we're in a recession doesn't lessen our country's need for security and law enforcement to ensure the safety and protection its citizens. Jobs in America's Homeland Security and Defense Departments are increasing, with 80,000 more positions opening up over the next two years, as estimated by a report by the Partnership for Public Service. Other sought-after positions include security guards, police officers, international and transportation security experts.

Amongst the steady stream of discouraging economic news and dismal unemployment numbers, it's reassuring to know that there are still job fields that stand a good chance of weathering this economic storm. For a look at the Bureau of Labor Statistics' projections of the fastest-growing careers, click here.

More reading on career fields that can offer higher job stability during times of economic hardship:

USA Today: "Even in a recession, some companies are hiring"
TIME: "150 Best Recession-Proof Jobs Overall"
Kiplinger: "Recession-proof Careers"

Flickr photos used in this post courtesy of greenforall.org and MatthewBradley