ASIS International and the Security Industry Association announced Monday they will work together on advocacy and communications efforts to aid members struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The partnership will begin by addressing two primary areas of focus—business operations and advocacy—as well as content development and coordination, the associations said in a joint statement.

SIA will lead a team comprised of representatives from both groups' advocacy departments to review the financial aid package being considered by Congress as well as any federal rules pertaining to changes in supply chains. At the same time, ASIS will lead a joint team to communicate to members any information they need about weathering the pandemic, including advice on business continuity.

The groups also said they are pursuing further collaborations with academia and health care associations.

"Together we can help our members respond today to the far-reaching impact of COVID-19 and guide them with information and education that prepares our industry for a renewed future," SIA CEO Don Erickson said.

"This partnership marks the security industry's top associations coming together in an unprecedented way," ASIS CEO Peter O'Neil added. "The COVID-19 crisis has provided a unique opportunity for us to create a paradigm shift to address the growing needs of security professionals both here in the U.S. and across the globe."

Other associations also are taking extraordinary steps to address challenges faced by their members. Some examples:

• The National Business Aviation Association has launched a daily newsletter to keep members updated about COVID-19 developments as well as business aviation news.
• National Science Teaching Association is offering educators a month of free membership so they have access to the group's learning resources and tools.
• The American Bar Association has created a task force of volunteer lawyers to assist Americans dealing with legal issues resulting from the pandemic.
• CompTIA is offering free 30-day licenses to access its eLearning course on the fundamentals of IT.

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