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By Jason Rittenberry
MOST OF THE TIME, EVENTS AT our venues proceed as planned and
represent business as usual for local public safety agencies – medical
calls, minor incidents of disorder, public intoxication and traffic
control, to name a few. However, attacks on our country in recent years
have produced a heightened awareness that security and safety can be
breached anywhere, and that special event venues are potential targets.
Planning for any event requires increased attention to
public safety, in addition to the standard event operating procedures of
event production, food & beverage, public relations, traffic and crowd
control. Multiple federal, state and local public safety agencies, other
public agencies, private sector organizations and security companies
collaborate to produce safe, successful events at our venues. When
developing a special event, venue managers need to include key personnel
from these various agencies including but not limited to law
enforcement, fi re and EMS, emergency management and utility companies.
Public and private sector partnerships in public safety
are key relationships that have been the basis for events for many
years. These efforts are on the forefront of the venue and are tactical
elements to venue and event management. However, as technology expands
across the network and threats are increased, public and private
cooperative efforts take on an even more important role.
Venue managers should understand the vital importance
of cultivating and maintaining solid working relationships with the
federal, state, and local public safety agencies with jurisdiction over
their venue. The last thing a venue manager should want to do is meet
their local fi re or police chief for the first time because of a major
incident at their venue. Whether you manage a stadium, arena, convention
center, performing arts center, or a race track, there will be special
events at your venue that you could use support and assistance from
these public safety agencies.
Events at our venues are important to local governments
for many reasons, including the public enjoyment, the sense of community
they provide, as well as the revenue generated. Effective public safety,
a critical success feature of events, requires that federal, state, and
local agencies conduct extensive planning to achieve the right balance
between ensuring the public safety and supporting an atmosphere of
hospitality.
One of the most critical tasks of venue managers is
educating local public safety administrators on the economics of the
event, above and beyond their involvement with safety and security of
participants and the event venue. All events involve commerce, have a
budget, and provide income to the local economy. If you are successful
at building a business relationship with the public safety
administrators, this task is much easier to achieve.
Venue managers must realize securing and managing
crowds at large venues cannot be accomplished in a vacuum. Interaction
and training with all public safety agencies is at the cornerstone of
event and venue security. One of the best ways to cultivate
relationships with agencies is to offer your venue as a training
facility to public safety organizations. All federal, state and local
public safety agencies train staff yet they might not always have
adequate facilities to train. As a venue manager you have access to
large public places that have dark times and can be offered for training
to the agencies. Regardless of the type of venue you manage, it is
likely that you have large spaces (arena floor, field, convention hall)
and large open parking lot that can accommodate training exercises. By
allowing and encouraging agencies to use your venue for training
exercises, you build relationships with the administrators while they
gain hands-on experience at your venue in the unlikely situation they
have to respond to an actual large scale emergency situation.
Once you have cultivated a good working relationship
with the agencies, the resources they can provide you are only limited
by their capabilities as an agency. The larger the agency, the more
resources they can provide to your venue; and the better your
relationship, the likelihood of support from the agencies increases.
Upon securing support and partnership with the agency that holds
jurisdiction over your venue, that relationship is a step towards
leveraging additional resources and collaborating with other law
enforcement agencies, federal agencies, public safety (fi re/EMS), other
city, county, and state agencies (health, building codes,
transportation, parks & recreation).
Some of the resources and services, other than basic
venue security, this collaborative effort of agencies can provide are:
— Threat and Risk Assessment of the Venue
— Specialty Units for Events
Traffic Units • Tactical/SWAT
Units • Mounted Units • Motorcycle/Bicycle
Units • Crisis Management Units Aerial Support •
K-9 Units for Sweeps and
Detection
— Communications and Technology
Command Center (UJOCC/MACC)
Wireless Interconnectivity
— Intelligence
FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task
Force (JTTF)
— Operational Logistics
Equipment • Jersey Barriers •
Fencing
— Haz Mat Detection, Response, and
Management
— Public Information and Media
Relations
Federal, state and local agencies operate with strict
organizational relationships and structures. For a venue to take full
advantage of the collaborative effort of agencies, it is important that
each support agency understands that overall management of special
events is temporary - it involves developing new organizational
arrangements, relationships and structures. Your partnership with these
agencies is similar to managing a multi-agency temporary organization.
The United States Department of Justice’s guide
Planning and Managing Security for Major Special Events, is an
excellent resource that is helpful to agencies and venue managers. If
you or the local agencies are not currently working hand-in-hand for
your special events, this guide is a great resource to share with the
administrators.
The full report, Planning and Managing Security for
Major Special Events: Guidelines for Law Enforcement is currently
available from the COPS Office by visiting www.cops.usdoj.gov.
fm
Jason Rittenberry is President & CEO of Palm
Beach International Raceway in Jupiter, Florida. He can be reached at
jrittenberry@racepbir.com.
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