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By Jeff Spoern
IN AN AGE WHEN NEW technology emerges
seemingly overnight, it’s easy to succumb to the notion that high tech
electronics and advanced telecommunications are the best investment to
improved venue safety and security. Certainly virtual security operations
centers, telemonitoring systems, smartphones, video feeds and real-time data
sharing are needed to mitigate the multifarious security threats that arise
in any large assembly, but the myriad of technological tools and devices now
on the market are just part of the solution for safeguarding lives and
structures.
Manpower remains indispensable for public safety and
security. Staffing is the single biggest challenge in the security industry
and this is especially the case when deploying the hundreds of personnel
required for large venues and high-profile functions. Solving the human side
of the equation requires hiring qualified people who are trained to handle a
myriad of safety and security scenarios and who are adept at working in a
coordinated manner with other agencies.
Hiring the right people
Venue managers are under constant pressure to keep costs in check. While it
may look great on paper to squeeze the budget by reducing the number of
trained security officers, that cost savings comes with significant safety
and security risks. It is not uncommon for event organizers to enlist
nonprofit groups as additional staff support, yet members of youth sports
teams, religious organizations or nonprofit community-based organizations
are hardly security professionals. They are not properly trained in
emergency preparedness nor do they have a vested interest in event services,
security or crowd management. Oftentimes, security operations necessitate
the deployment of upwards to 500 people to manage 50,000 swarming
concertgoers, sports fans or political event attendees. Some guard services
providers resort to subcontracting and calling in temp services when they
cannot fill posts with their own security officers, but 500 badge wearers
are not the same as 500 qualified badge wearers.
Qualified security officers are professionals who have
undergone a rigorous selection process, one that goes beyond verifying
employment history, a clean criminal record and a drug-free test. Besides a
thorough background check, proper screening includes verification of
technical requirements, face-to-face interviews, and personality, honesty
and psychological assessments that shed light on an applicant’s attributes,
traits, talents and values. One reason for such lengthy processing,
particularly with personality assessments, is so that an individual can be
matched to the role, responsibility or environment that best suits him or
her. Those security firms who have extensively screened their personnel will
have a greater ability to pair the right person with the right position.
Training enhances
game-day performance
Training is fundamental to the successful performance of security officers.
Guard service providers who are committed to providing their clients with
skilled personnel will have a comprehensive orientation and training
program, professional certification programs and continuing education for
their employees.
One practice that some guard service providers have
implemented over the last few years has been to instruct officers on
effective customer service approaches for dealing with the public. Alcohol
awareness training, for example, is important for capably managing
alcohol-impaired individuals during concerts and sporting events. Security
officers must also know how to maneuver in our star-struck culture so that
when a famous face sits in the stands, distractions are minimized and
everyone enjoys the event.
While security officers use “people skills” on a daily
basis to ensure a pleasant guest experience, their proficiency in dealing
with unlikely events can mean the difference between life and death for
thousands of people. Consider, for example, the severe weather that struck
Atlanta in March of 2008. Inside the Georgia Dome, a Southeastern Conference
quarterfinal game between Mississippi State and Alabama had reached overtime
when a tornado rumbled overhead. Part of the fabric roof was torn away and
small pieces rained down on the court. The jumbo TV screen hanging overhead
began to sway, as did scaffolding. TV crews clamored to safety and the court
emptied, with players taking shelter in the locker room. Security officers
quickly moved to block the exits of the Dome, deeming that it was safer
inside than outside, where an EF-2 storm with winds reaching 130 miles per
hour was raging. No one was injured and the game resumed an hour later.
Emergency preparedness training is essential for
security staff to competently handle natural disasters and severe weather.
Without mock drills and walk-throughs to learn the likely evacuation flow
pattern, security officers cannot be expected to perform when emergency
strikes. Risk factors are different in every venue in every city, and can
change with the seasons. In spring and summer months, facilities in the
Midwest may be at risk for a severe thunderstorm or tornado; on the West
Coast, earthquakes are a threat year round. Security managers should take
the time prior to an event to review response plans with their staff,
focusing on the most relevant scenarios.
Not only do venue managers have to consider acts of
nature, but they must also prepare for malicious human acts, as the sobering
events of September 11 made all too clear. In a 2003 article entitled
“American Sports as a Target of Terrorism: The Duty of Care after September
11th” published in Monday Business Briefing, authors Ron Hurst, Paul Zoubek
and Catherine Pratsinakis note that large public gatherings that celebrate
American popular culture, especially sporting venues, are potential targets
for terrorism. “American sporting venues must continue to be viewed as
‘American signature properties’ subject to the real and present threat of a
terrorist attack,” wrote the authors.
In a post-9/11 world, sports managers must be
adequately trained and knowledgeable regarding available security measures
to prepare for, prevent, detect and deter potential threats to their sports
venue. But it is also important to remember that heightened security tools
like hand-held metal detectors, state-of-the-art surveillance equipment, and
practices such as searching personal items or limiting vehicle access to
venues are only as good as the people deployed in the field. Without highly
trained security officers, even the most sophisticated response plan has the
potential to go awry.
A coordinated team
effort
It is astounding to consider how extensively communications has grown since
the early days of manned guard services. Decades ago, venue operators may
have maintained contact with local law enforcement officials, but these
days, very large events require numerous agencies to operate in a
coordinated manner. Guard service providers are in close communications with
local, state and federal representatives, including the FBI and even the
Department of Homeland Security, sharing and assessing potential threats or
disruptions.
One of the best recent examples of event organizers,
law enforcement and security officials working in tandem is the kick-off
concert that was scheduled this past June at New York City’s South Street
Seaport. When the crowd swelled to nearly double the expected attendance,
organizers deliberated with security and police officials regarding guest
safety and ultimately cancelled the event. The decision may have
disappointed concertgoers, but it kept the crowd safe.
The challenges to security in the twenty-first century
are more complex than those of decades past, and certainly, guard services
providers must understand new threats and be capable of applying
measures—including specialized technology—to minimize risk. However, as
demonstrated by the handling of the 2008 SEC playoff game in the Georgia
Dome or the recent South Street Seaport concert, it pays to invest in highly
qualifi ed security officers.
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Jeff Spoerndle is the Director of Event Services for
Whelan Security. Mr. Spoerndle has 17 years of operations and sales
experience in the special event security market. He has coordinated the
security programs for some of the nation’s largest events, including NFL
games, MLB’s World Series, NCAA Final Four, NBA All-Star Weekend, U.S. Open,
and the Billy Graham Crusade. In 2008, Mr. Spoerndle was responsible for
coordinating the contract security at the Republican National Convention.
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