AVSS E-UPDATE

IN THIS ISSUE

Deans Message
Industry Ensures Food Service Safety
AVSS 2011: Apply Now
CEO Symposium Gets High Marks
AVSS Board Update
OSHA Webinar: October 26
Convention Centers: Legal Update

New Crowd Manager Training
RSAT: Rate Your Risks
New Severe Weather Guide
ICMC 2010: Register Now
 

AVSS Revamps Emergency
Preparedness Training for 2011


by Frank Poe, AVSS Dean

VenueConnect, IAAM’s Annual Conference and Trade Show in Houston, July 23-27, was a terrific event. The Trade Show featured nearly 250 exhibiting companies, and the education and networking sessions covered important and valuable topics.

AVSS took full advantage of VenueConnect by launching our first CEO Symposium on July 27 with 19 students. This new short course was designed for senior venue managers, providing them with a high-level review of safety and security practices. The daylong program was capped off with a unique tabletop exercise in incident command and control, using cutting-edge technology. (See the related article on the Symposium below.)

I want to acknowledge and extend our sincere thanks to the AVSS faculty–Kevin Mattingly, Paula Kirchman, Paul Schieck, Bob Mayer, Chris Rogers and Harold Hansen—whose hard work and dedication enabled us to pack a lot of great material into 7 ½ hours and deliver a quality learning experience, as our students confirmed.

In the coming days, the AVSS faculty will be shifting its focus to February 20-25, 2011, for the annual Academy for Venue Safety and Security. Learn more about AVSS  in the article below, and register now to ensure your spot in Core Training or Advanced Training, or in our Specialized Courses.

For AVSS 2011, we have restructured our emergency preparedness training in response to both student and faculty feedback. In Core Training, instruction will continue to focus emergency preparedness around the PPRR planning approach: Prepare, Prevent, Respond and Recover. Students also will get hands-on experience with important how-to tools to develop emergency preparedness plans. During Advanced Training, students will find several distinctive changes to the curriculum, including intensive exercises using advanced technology to test each student’s organizational, analytical and leadership skills in real-time incident management.

We’re pleased that Ed Farmer has joined the AVSS faculty to lead emergency preparedness training. Ed is the Special Events Coordinator and Specialized Unit Lieutenant for the North Carolina State University Police Department.

Finally, this fall, AVSS will host its latest webinar on October 26: OSHA and the Public Assembly Venue. Through its webinar program, AVSS seeks to discuss timely and relevant issues related to the safety and security of venue employees, clients and customers. The upcoming OSHA webinar will focus on the regulations regarding employer duty and responsibility in the workplace, and employee obligations in safe work practices. If you’re a venue anywhere in the United States, I hope you’ll plan to participate in this important information session.

Our goal with AVSS is to continue to provide you with the best and only source for the most cost-effective training in life safety management, security planning and professional development. Please let us know what AVSS can provide to you to help you better protect your people and property.  

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Regular Reviews Ensure
Safe Food Service Operations


Stadiums and arenas host hundreds of millions of fans annually, and creating memorable—and safe—experiences for fans is a top priority for these venue managers. Recently, safe food handling practices at stadiums and arenas have been in the news. While AVSS and IAAM join these venues in assuring fans and the public that food safety is a top priority, we also know that food service operations are complex, requiring careful attention to numerous processes and practices. Each facility has thorough quality assurance practices, and highly trained managers work to meet very high standards and take swift action if issues arise.

Keeping food service operations in top-notch condition means constant vigilance and attention. As the fall season gets underway, it’s a good opportunity for every venue’s team to review safe food handling practices and, more specifically, ensure that the right questions are posed to food service providers, whether third-party contract or a self-run operation.

The following checklist is provided as a basic guide to assist venues in which food handling, preparation and related areas to review. More thorough assessments of food service operations also should be scheduled to assess other procedures and practices.

While not an exhaustive list of actionable items, this checklist offers a starting point for venue managers and their team to secure information from their food service operation on food handling practices. Be sure to consult your local city/county/state health department for applicable codes/inspection criteria as well as an understanding of your responsibilities under those codes to ensure your venue is providing the safest and best possible food handling and preparation practices.

Standard Operating Procedure
Review how the food service operation handles each of the following areas:
     a) Employee health and personal hygiene
         
Glove and utensil use
        
Contact with blood and body fluids
        
Handwashing
        
Tasting method
        
Eating and drinking in the workplace

     b) Cleaning and sanitizing
        
Laundry and linen use
        
Machine warewashing
        
Manual warewashing
        
Facility and equipment maintenance
        
Pest control

     c) Use of approved vendors
         ● Specification development and use
        
Receiving fresh, refrigerated, frozen foods
        
Receiving chemical(s)

     d) Storing refrigerated and frozen foods
        
Storing dry goods
        
Storing chemicals
        
Rotating stock

Food Safety Checklist:
Review how the food service provider handles each of the following areas:

     a) Standard operating procedure
        
Calibration of thermometers
        
Use of thermometers
        
Thawing foods
        
Preparing cold foods
        
Preparing and cooking hot foods
        
Holding foods
        
Cooling foods
        
Reheating foods
        
Use and handling of leftovers

     b) Transporting food to satellite locations
        
Temperature maintenance at the production kitchen
        
Temperature maintenance at the receiving/service kitchen
        
Transportation of food and equipment from receiving kitchen
            to production kitchen

     c) Cleanliness and sanitation of service areas
        
Cleanliness and sanitation of the dining room
        
Service temperatures

     d) Responding to a foodborne illness complaint

     e) Responding to a physical hazard complaint

     f) Food safety training programs

     g) Self-inspection for continuous quality improvement

     h) Food safety program verification

     i) Record keeping and documentation

     j) New employee food safety checklist
        
Food service in emergency situations
        
Closing the operation
        
Opening the operation
        
Visitors in food service

To share more information or ask questions related to food service operations, please use IAAM VenueNet and post your comments to the AVSS: Food Safety Forum in Discussions. Documents and resources can also be posted to the AVSS: Food Safety library under Resources. For assistance accessing VenueNet (login ID or password), contact Lori Wehmer at lori.wehmer@iaam.org

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February 2011 Academy:
Apply Now!
 

The Academy for Venue Safety & Security, February 20-25, 2011, is the  only source for customized safety and security training, designed specifically for the public assembly industry.

AVSS offers venue professionals two five-day training programs focused on security planning and life safety management. Students start with Core Training in year one and return for Advanced Training in year two. AVSS students also complete various Specialized Courses.

The February 2011 AVSS will be held at the American Airlines Training & Conference Center (AATC) in Fort Worth, Texas. Apply online today to guarantee your seat in these popular programs.

For an all-inclusive cost of $2,480 per program for Core Training and Advanced Training, which covers all lodging, meals and instructional materials, AVSS students:
 
       ● Receive in-depth training to prepare, prevent, respond to and recover from many types of emergencies at public assembly facilities.
       Learn the latest and most relevant safety and security training available to venue managers.
       Refine their venue emergency plans and communication strategies.
       Engage in classroom and tabletop exercises, and take away practical strategies and solutions.
       Interact with top faculty who are industry leaders and recognized experts in safety and security.

Four Specialized Courses are scheduled for AVSS 2011. In response to industry requests, AVSS schedules Specialized Courses to enable students to complete more than one course during the weeklong AVSS.

Certified Aggression Control Manager Training, Feb. 19 – 20, 2011: $1,400
Safety & Security for Persons with Disabilities, Feb 19 – 20, 2011: $1,120
Facility Management Law School, February 21 – 22, 2011: $1,250
Severe Weather Preparedness, February 23 – 24, 2011: $1,250

All-inclusive tuition—and special discounts: Specialized Course tuition includes costs for all instructional materials and all lodging and meals at the AATC. Take two Specialized Courses and receive a 5 percent tuition discount on the cost of both courses. Take three courses and get a 10 percent tuition discount on the cost of all three courses. Plus, 10 scholarships for Certified Aggression Control Manager Training, each worth $280 to reduce all-inclusive tuition to $1,120, are available to the first 10 students who apply.

To graduate from AVSS with recognition as an emergency preparedness professional, a student must successfully:

       ● Complete 160 hours of Core and Advanced Training and Specialized Courses.
       Develop an emergency preparedness plan for your venue.
       Pass the final exam

Apply online today. For more information, contact Harold Hansen, IAAM Director of Life Safety & Security, at harold-hansen@sbcglobal.net; or call 773.973.2049; or Frank Poe, AVSS Dean, at joefpoe@att.net; call 469.261.1095.

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New CEO Symposium Delivers
‘Insightful’ Safety & Security Review


AVSS introduced its first CEO Symposium at IAAM’s 2010 VenueConnect Annual Conference in Houston. The one-day CEO Symposium is a condensed, high-level version of AVSS safety and security training that’s specially designed for top venue management, including general managers, executive directors and other senior staff.

“The Symposium is designed to familiarize venue executives with key safety and security issues to strength their decision-making and leadership skills. This is especially important when a crisis requires the GM or senior managers to take command and lead their team,” explains Harold Hansen, IAAM’s Director of Life Safety & Security.

Symposium topics included risk management, emergency preparedness, security operations, safety responsibilities, and training. In addition, Symposium participants took part in a simulation exercise, using Incident Command Analytical Tactical Simulation (ICATS) Web, a new computer program developed by the Department of Defense. (AVSS, along with IAAM and its Life Safety Council, has been working with private-sector entities and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to modify this DOD simulation program for use by the public assembly industry.) Using ICATS|Web, the CEOs performed the various duties of key venue positions central to crisis management in an incident. This simulation program is an excellent tool to develop incident command skills, evaluate venue staff performance during an incident, and test protocols and procedures.

“This simulation program provides an excellent means to develop incident command skills, evaluate venue staff performance during an incident, and test protocols and procedures,” says Hansen. AVSS first introduced ICATS|Web during its weeklong annual training program in Dallas/Ft. Worth in 2010. “This simulation program is an important instructional tool for all of us in the public assembly industry, and we’re eager to get this available on a more widespread basis,” he adds.

Participants were very positive about the Symposium experience, calling it “intense but very insightful.” Brad Gentile, Vice President of Operations for the International Exposition Center, said the session “brings focus to issues that we don’t think about every day.” Kathy Lowery, General Manager of Northshore Harbor Center, called the CEO Symposium a “valuable learning experience and an eye-opener. The information I gained will aid me in further developing emergency plans and expanding staff training. Every GM should take this course!”

AVSS is already looking ahead to again offer the CEO Symposium during IAAM’s VenueConnect 2011 in Phoenix and will be exploring opportunities to schedule the one-day session during at least one other IAAM meeting during the year. For more information about the CEO Symposium, contact Harold Hansen, IAAM Director of Life Safety & Security, at 773.973.2049; or e-mail harold-hansen@sbcglobal.net.

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AVSS Trustees Approve
in Curriculum and Programs


By Mark A. Camillo
Chair, AVSS Board of Trustees
Senior Vice President, Strategic Planning, CSC

As chair of the AVSS Board of Trustees, I am pleased to offer an update on our recent annual meeting in Houston where we reviewed the direction for the Academy for next year and beyond.

Working with the following trustees, as well as with Frank Poe, AVSS Dean, and Harold Hansen, IAAM Director of Life Safety & Security, I feel we have a strong leadership team, representing decades of proven experience and expertise in the areas of public assembly safety, security and preparedness:

     • Mark Hamilton, Managing Director and Global Product
       Development, G4S Events, G4S Secure Solutions (UK) Ltd
     • Peter Hayden, FDNY Chief of Department, Retired
     • Daniel T. Mullin, Vice President of the Department of
       Investigations, Major League Baseball
     • Greg Shaheen, Senior Vice President, NCAA

Here are some of the key activities and plans for AVSS we discussed:

• AVSS Curriculum: The 2011 Academy will offer increased focus on the area of emergency preparedness both in Core and Advanced Training. We’re pleased that Ed Farmer, with the North Carolina State University Police Department and an AVSS graduate, will be leading training in this critical area. The AVSS faculty also continues to explore opportunities for alternate delivery of Advanced and Specialized Courses, including ways to take the programs on the road for greater access and cost-effectiveness.

• CEO Symposium: The first Symposium on July 27 was an important step in a new direction for AVSS, which is to connect venue executives with our valuable training. We plan to offer the Symposium at next year’s VenueConnect and at other IAAM meetings as feasible during the year.

• Simulation Software: Incident Command Analytical Tactical Simulation (ICATS) Web, a computer simulation program originally developed by the Department of Defense, was previewed with participants at both the 2010 Academy and recently at the CEO Symposium in Houston. AVSS will continue its efforts to make this decision-making tool widely available to our industry.

• AVSS Webinars: Three AVSS webinars have been held since Fall 2009, reaching more than 2,000 participants; nearly 90 percent have responded with favorable reviews. The 90-minute webinars are offered at a cost of $49 for AVSS member facilities; $69 for non-members. By providing condensed, cost-effective training that can be offered to groups of employees, this format seems to have resonated with the industry. This Fall, AVSS will host its next webinar on OSHA and public assembly facilities, led by AVSS faculty members Chris Rogers and Steve Adelman.

• New partnerships: The Trustees recognize that a vital initiative to moving AVSS to the next level is a partnership with a nationally recognized university that seeks to grow its academic offerings in the areas of safety and security. AVSS is developing key criteria for identifying and evaluating possible university partners. In related activity, AVSS has been contacted to bring safety and security training to South America, in particular to provide support to venues that host soccer games and that attract especially zealous fans. We are doing appropriate due diligence to explore these opportunities.

The AVSS Board of Trustees is committed to challenging the Academy to continue providing the best training and resources to you and to our industry. We hope you will continue to take advantage of all that AVSS offers, including our comprehensive program in February 2011 as well as upcoming webinar offerings. Please let us know what else we can be doing to help you ensure your venue’s safety and security.


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New AVSS Webinar
to Focus on OSHA and Safe Workplaces


Save the Date:
October 26, 2010 – 10:30 a.m. CDT

Cost: $49, IAAM members;
$69, non-members

 
       OSHA Criticizes Job Safety at Theme Parks, Entertainment Venues
      Stagehand Death at Vegas Venue Spurs Safety Talk
SeaWorld Seeks to Settle with OSHA in Death of Killer-Whale Trainer

OSHA, the nation’s watchdog over workplaces, is charging that safety is not a “high enough priority” at theme parks and entertainment venues, following tragedies such as the death of the SeaWorld killer-whale trainer and other stagehand fatalities. The federal regulator is calling for tougher measures, ranging from higher monetary penalties for non-compliance to proposals requiring new barrier protections at the front of performance stages.

With venues put “on notice” by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, management must be even more ready to deploy safety strategies to work—and know the answers to such questions as:
 
     How do you maintain a safe workplace?
     What are your venue’s responsibilities under OSHA safety regulations (29 CFR 1910 and 1926)?
     What are the legal (civil and criminal) implications of non-compliance?
     How can you educate employees to avoid obvious hazardous conditions?

The next AVSS webinar on October 26 will cover these and other critical issues in a 90-minute session, led by
expert AVSS faculty members: Steven A. Adelman, Esq., Adelman Law Group, Phoenix, Ariz., and Chris
Rogers, Director of Risk Control, Aon Risk Services, Thousand Oaks, Calif.

Participants also will learn about OSHA’s priorities, how to handle a meeting with OSHA and prepare for an inspection, and gain insight on what’s coming from this agency in the future.

Get the advantage you need: Plan now to participate in this valuable 90-minute webinar. For one registration fee ($49 for IAAM members), any number of employees can be involved in this webinar. Registration will be open later this month.

For more information, contact Harold Hansen, IAAM Director of Life Safety & Security, at 773.973.2049; or e-mail harold-hansen@sbcglobal.net.

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Legal Showdown on
Convention Center Exclusives


According to Trade Show Executive magazine, the debate over the legal right of convention centers to effectively bar private service contractors from working trade shows moved closer to a trial by jury this month when a Federal judge in San Diego rejected homeland security as the justification for such a policy.

U.S. District Court Judge Roger Benitez ruled August 1 that the San Diego Convention Center Corp., Inc. (SDCCC), had produced no evidence to back up its claim that it was necessary to ban employees of Chicago-based United National Maintenance, Inc. from performing booth-cleaning services at the San Diego Convention Center in order to comply with a 2003 executive order from the governor of California directing state and local governments to improve security against a terrorist attack.

Read more now at www.tradeshowexecutive.com


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AVSS Debuts Web-Based Program
for Crowd Management Training


THE BASICS: The Academy for Venue Safety & Security is launching in September a new web-based program for trained crowd managers (TCM) to help the public assembly industry prepare for new requirements from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). A separate training program for crowd manager supervisors (CMS) is in development. To learn more about TCM/CMS training, visit the AVSS website.

THE DETAILS: The NFPA Life Safety Code 101 requires at least one trained crowd manager for every 250 guests at nearly all types of public assembly facilities, ranging from stadiums, arenas and shopping malls to clubs, banquet halls and restaurants. To date, 34 states have adopted this code, so it is very likely this requirement applies to your venue. The aim of the requirement is to avoid such tragedies as the 2003 Rhode Island nightclub fire, which was started by pyrotechnics and resulted in the deaths of 100 people in less than 3 minutes.

Here’s additional background on these new staff responsibilities and how the AVSS web training program can help you and your facility:

What is a trained crowd manager? TCMs are responsible for ensuring safe crowd movement during daily activities and special events. The TCM is expected to inspect means of egress, assist venue occupants, and oversee emergency response and evacuation plans and actions. This is an additional duty for existing staff, not a requirement for new staffing positions!

What do TCMs learn—and why? Training focuses on crowd dynamics, crowd management techniques, venue services and configuration, fire protection and emergency response equipment, and venue policies and procedures. TCM skills can help to ensure a safe public assembly venue, and protect and save the lives of guests and venue employees. Learning TCM skills also increases an employee’s value to every facility.

What’s a crowd manager supervisor? A CMS assists and supervises trained crowd managers to provide safe emergency and non-emergency crowd movement. The CMS will know and implement general orders and specific instructions, and provide incident-specific assistance.

TCM training program: Available September 7, 2010
 
     Complete the 4-hour online self-paced training program
     Participate in a 2-hour venue-specific training and orientation session
     Earn a TCM certificate upon successful completion of training
     Cost: $15 (multiple employee training packages available)
     Bulk licensing rates:
     100+ employees:  $14.25 per employee; venue training curriculum plan is free
     250+ employees:  $13.50 per employee; free Powerpoint template for TCM or CMS
     500+:  $12.75 per employee; free Powerpoint templates for TCM and CMS
     Purchased separately, Powerpoint templates are $150 each or $250 for both.

CMS training program: (Still in development)

     Successfully complete TCM training
     Complete the 3-hour online self-paced CMS training
     Participate in a 3-hour venue-specific training to learn: emergency response and evacuation, leadership and supervisory skill building, communication skills and resources, reporting and documentation procedures, enhanced venue familiarization
     Earn a CMS certification upon successful completion of this training
     Cost: $15

To learn more about TCM/CMS training, visit the AVSS website. Or contact Harold Hansen, IAAM Director of Life Safety & Security, at 773.973.2049; or e-mail harold-hansen@sbcglobal.net


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Registered Yet for RSAT?
Get Free Help to Rate Your Risks


The Risk Self-Assessment Tool (RSAT) is a free online program that makes assessing risks and vulnerabilities at large public assembly venues both faster and easier. The stadium and arena version of RSAT is available now. RSAT can help stadium and arena managers assess gaps in security, see how current security measures compare with other venues, and identify and prioritize areas where protective measures, training and procedures are most needed.

The online RSAT for performing arts center (PAC) venues is currently being programmed, and DHS expects to release this version in late spring. PAC managers should be on the alert for announcements via AVSS e-blasts and in future issues of AVSS E-Update.

How to get RSAT: To start using RSAT, you’ll need to register at: https://rsat.iac.anl.gov/register.
 
     The registration form will ask: Where did you learn about RSAT? Select “IAAM.” This will guide the DHS vetting process to approve your access to the RSAT.
     Once approved, you will receive two e-mails from DHS that provide (1) username and instructions, and (2) a password.
     An RSAT user guide is available for download after logging in.

RSAT is the result of a cooperative project between the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and IAAM’s Life Safety Council.

For questions or help with registering: Contact Harold Hansen, IAAM Director of Life Safety & Security, at 773.973.2049; e-mail harold-hansen@sbcglobal.net


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New Severe Weather Guide:
Be Ready for the Worst


The Basics: The Severe/Hazardous Weather Preparedness Plan and Guideline, an authoritative 70-page guide with templates and how-to information to prepare for all types of severe weather, is available to IAAM members and AVSS students for $75, a 40 percent off discount from the $125 retail cost. Order your copy online through the IAAM Catalog of Products.

The Details: Spring 2010 brought it all—tornadoes, hail, fierce winds and more. You’ve watched the news and seen the impact of severe weather. You know that it pays to be prepared.

For just $75, IAAM members can make sure guests, employees and venues are ready for upcoming summer storms and all other severe weather activity.

The Severe/Hazardous Weather Preparedness Plan and Guideline  provides venue managers with a comprehensive resource about severe/hazardous weather events and how to establish a plan for what to do in advance of, during, and after such situations. Use this new resource to learn:
 
       ● How to establish a command center and a severe weather event team (SWET)
       How and when to monitor weather conditions
       How and when to communicate with staff, guests, event presenters and others

You will also get a ready-to-use template to assist in writing your own facility’s severe and hazardous weather plan—plus a lexicon of terms and a glossary of acronyms.

Produced by IAAM’s Life Safety Council and used as part of the curriculum for the Academy for Venue Safety & Security, the 70-page guide is available to IAAM members and AVSS students for $75, a 40 percent off discount from the $125 retail cost. Order your copy online through the IAAM Catalog of Products.

For more information about the Severe/Hazardous Weather Preparedness Plan and Guideline, contact Harold Hansen, IAAM Director of Life Safety & Security, at 773.973.2049; or e-mail harold-hansen@sbcglobal.net.


Be alert:
When a severe weather warning includes your location, WeatherCall.net can immediately notify you through telephone calls, SMS text messaging or e-mails. Click here to learn how you can subscribe today!


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Register Today: ICMC 2010
November 7-10, Kansas City


Professional guest services management must keep venue guests not only safe and secure but also feeling valued and well-treated. In 2010, the annual International Crowd Management Conference (ICMC) will expand its focus on crowd management to also address the importance of comprehensive guest services management.

Join guest services managers, security managers, industry leaders and venue professionals in Kansas City, Missouri, November 7-10, 2010:
 
     Attend top-notch educational sessions about the latest and most relevant guest services protocols and crowd management techniques.
     Take advantage of networking opportunities with industry professionals.
     Participate in a skill-building class. Two different classes will be offered.
     Take away practical applications and lessons learned.

What’s ICMC? The International Crowd Management Conference (ICMC) was launched in 1982 in response to the 1979 tragedy in Cincinnati, Ohio, at a concert for the rock group Who. At that concert, 11 fans were crushed to death and scores were injured because of poor crowd management. IAAM has been committed ever since to helping venue managers adopt effective crowd management strategies while ensuring premier guest services through the annual ICMC.

Learn more: Check for program and registration details on the ICMC website. For more about ICMC, contact Harold Hansen, IAAM Director of Life Safety & Security, at 773.973.2049; e-mail harold-hansen@sbcglobal.net


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Thank you for reading AVSS E-Update. Learn more about the Academy for Venue Safety & Security at the AVSS Website. For more information about this newsletter, please contact AVSS E-Update Editor Mary Nowesnick at MNMarketing Chicago: 773.472.9413; e-mail: nowesnick@earthlink.net.


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 International Association of Assembly Managers

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