Pakistan Olympic Association

 

Amid the cheers and revelry and action, threats to security at your sporting events are possible. A new group is helping athletic departments implement proactive policies

 

By Dr. Lou Marciani and Dr. Stacey Hall

 

 

 

 

In the post 9/11 world, there is no room for complacency. The Department of Homeland Security has identified professional, collegiate, and high school stadiums and arenas as potential targets for terrorism. It’s a sobering warning that’s impossible to ignore.

 

Whether you are an administrator at a large university or a small high school, you must have an action plan for preventing and responding to possible threats. Sports events in the United States offer the potential for high casualties as well as widespread economic impact. If we don’t take prevention efforts seriously, our sports contests can be easy targets.

 

As you begin a new academic year, a proactive approach to sport event security management should be a high priority. In an effort to assist schools with this approach, the University of Southern Mississippi created the Center for Spectator Sports Security Management (SSSM) in 2005 through a Department of Homeland Security grant. It is the only research and development center in the United States focused specifically on sports event security management.

 

In our two years of existence, the SSSM has focused on promoting, supporting, and enhancing academic research, technology development, education and training, and service programs involving all aspects of sport security management. We have also learned a lot. Here, we’ll share ideas on how to develop an effective sport venue security plan, no matter how large or small your school.

 

Catastrophic events and elevated terrorist threat levels serve as constant reminders that sports venues, including collegiate and high school stadiums and arenas, are vulnerable to disasters. These events can result in significant property damage, personal injury,

and loss of life. If that’s not a good enough reason to take action, consider these

arguments:

• Schools have a moral and legal responsibility to protect spectators, officials, competitors, employees, the community, and the environment to the highest degree possible.

 

• Athletic programs must comply with the contractual minimum security and safety obligations outlined by their athletic conference or state association, and the regulatory requirements of municipal, county, state, and federal agencies.

 

• Having a plan in place will enhance one’s ability to recover from financial losses, regulatory fines, lost market share, damage to equipment or products, and business interruptions if a crisis does occur.

 

• Preventive procedures reduce civil and criminal liability in the event of an incident.

 

• A proactive plan enhances an athletic department’s image and credibility with spectators, competitors, employees, corporate sponsors, and the community.

 

• It may lead to reduced venue insurance premiums.

 

• If a disaster strikes and a school is not prepared, the resulting fear could irrevocably damage a program. If calamity occurs on a national scale, it could cripple a multi-billion dollar industry.

 

One reason we hear that athletic administrators don’t enact security plans is that the whole process seems overwhelming, with so many new areas to think about and details to work through. To help make it more manageable, we’ve broken down the steps into

three major priorities.

 

Controlling Access: A huge lesson we’ve learned since 9/11 is that allowing anyone to go anywhere they want can lead to disaster. That’s why a key part of any security plan involves controlling access to key areas in your facility.

 

Although it may seem invasive at first, we recommend that you conduct background checks on all employees, contractors, vendors, and even volunteers. Then, identify everyone who has permission to perform certain jobs in the facility using special credentials. You can simplify this system by indicating zone access or game function through a color code.

 

Next, develop a policy for deliveries that also includes an identification system. Compiling a list of pre-approved vendors and contractors works well, as does requiring that all deliveries be made to a single location at the stadium or arena. When a delivery arrives, a trained athletic department employee should inspect all vehicles and identify the driver before allowing entry to the venue. When possible, use a canine unit to inspect delivery vehicles.

Then, think about how an individual might have access to your facility when no one is watching. Are all entrances secure? Are there other ways inside the building? Consider placing secure screens over all utility intakes, for example.

 

Twenty-four hours prior to a game, lock down the stadium. Twelve hours later, establish a secure inner perimeter around the stadium with limited and controlled vehicle and pedestrian access points.

 

As fans begin to arrive, have a system to inspect their bags and clothing and a policy for items to be permitted into the stadium. We suggest implementing a standard pat down and/or using hand metal detectors, with security personnel located at each entry point. Consider prohibiting coolers, bags, large backpacks, and outside food or beverage, except as required for medical or family needs. Explosives and weapons should also be prohibited. It’s important to publicize the policy concerning inspections and prohibited items, so all fans are clear on what is allowed.

 

Finally, develop a policy that minimizes traffic in and out of the stadium during the game. For example, some institutions prohibit re-entry except for medical emergencies. At others, re-entry is limited to a single entrance point staffed by an athletic department employee.

 

Monitoring Activity: Once an event begins, it is essential to monitor what’s going on in the stands, outside the gates, and anywhere else that might be problematic. Obviously, this takes staff and equipment, but it’s necessary.

 

First, provide adequate lighting for the entire facility. The lighting in the gate areas should be enhanced to allow for searching of bags and persons.

 

Next, employ an adequately sized and trained security force. Station multiple security guards at each gate entrance and arrange for law enforcement to patrol parking areas during events. To hire people for security, consider using local law enforcement who are off-duty or hiring companies with specifically trained security personnel. You can also hire and train your own security force. However, we don’t recommend using volunteers because of the responsibilities associated with the job.

 

We also suggest you use a video surveillance system on your stadium or arena grounds, parking lots, and buildings. This can complement the work of security guards and also deter activity.

 

What do security personnel and video cameras look for? Indicators of a potential attack include people, vehicles, or packages that look suspicious. Here are some specifics:

 

• Persons in a crowded area wearing unusually bulky clothing that could conceal explosives.

 

• Persons who appear to be attempting to gain illegal entry.

• Vehicles illegally parked near the arena or near places where a large number of people gather. The larger the vehicle, the larger the quantity of explosives that might be loaded into it.

 

• Unexpected or unfamiliar delivery trucks at the stadium.

 

• Vehicles approaching the venue at unusually high speed.

 

• Unattended packages that might contain explosives.

 

• Persons who appear to be continually monitoring the stadium using video/camera/observation equipment.

 

• Persons discovered with maps, photos, or diagrams of the stadium.

 

• Persons questioning stadium employees off-site about practices pertaining to the facility and its operation.

 

• Stadium or arena employees inquiring about facility operations, equipment, assets, or security measures.

 

• Employees using video/camera/observing equipment that is not job related.

 

Ready for Emergencies: Most athletic departments already have some type of emergency plan in place for serious injuries and for evacuation from facilities. Being ready for a larger threat is just an extension of that plan.

 

Start by identifying a chain of command and deciding exactly who is responsible for certain tasks. Also, establish a command center that will be responsible for coordinating resources during an incident, as well as a plan for setting up an inner perimeter (100 ft) that has both permanent and movable barricades controlled by law enforcement.

 

Have a very detailed blueprint for communication. This includes making sure each agency radio channel is also independent in case there is a breach of security, and that you have wireless cellular service with phone and group talk capacity.

 

It’s just as important to establish a process for sharing emergency information with the general public. Create audio and video scripts for specific emergency announcements. Also, develop policies and procedures for dealing with the media regarding emergency management.

 

Finally, you must have a venue evacuation plan, and a strategy for shutting down the stadium. This will vary depending on the size of your arena, but the idea is to get everyone out efficiently and without panic. The keys are clear instructions and security staff who are all on the same page.

The above information should give you an idea of the major areas you should focus on to be prepared. But each school needs to figure out for itself how to structure its policies

and who plays what role.

 

The first priority should be the appointment of a coordinator of safety and security to develop, implement, and lead all security-related programs. This could be a member of the athletic staff, faculty member, or a campus police officer.

 

The next step is to develop a cohesive team that helps with all aspects of security plans.

This may include athletic department staff, law enforcement agencies, emergency management personnel, and response professionals. The team should help develop policies and review them at regular intervals.

 

Upon establishing a safety and security coordinating body, you should conduct an assessment process to determine risk and threat levels and identify vulnerabilities. Schools can contact their state homeland security office about ways to obtain a vulnerability assessment. This can provide the basis for a plan to harden the facility and improve physical protection systems.

 

From there, policies and procedures for your specific facilities can be constructed. These policies should include the three areas mentioned above: controlling access, monitoring activity, and being ready for emergencies, including evacuation and recovery plans.

 

In addition, key physical protection systems should be identified. Based upon the vulnerability results, the program develops plans or adds physical protection systems as needed to harden the facility. This can include:

 

• Establishing an inner perimeter (100 ft) inside the stadium with barricades controlled by law enforcement.

 

• Utilizing jersey barriers, reinforced concrete decorative planters, bollards, or large trucks or buses.

 

• Alarming all utility areas, with limited access to them through coded cards.

 

• Making intake vents hidden from view and alarmed for weighted objects and biohazards.

 

• Installing internal and external cameras with pan, tilt, and zoom that constantly monitor all areas of the stadium including the perimeter, surrounding exterior areas, concourses, playing field and concession areas.

 

Training personnel is another important step. This should include threat and risk assessment training for all key managers, orientation and training for game-day

personnel, and team training and role orientation for members of the emergency response team. Resources for training can be found through state homeland security offices.

 

Once strategies have been solidified, they should be tested. Conduct table top run- throughs of all plans, practices, and procedures. And conduct regular exercises for game-day security staff, law enforcement, and emergency management. Include an annual game-day operations simulation, emergency/disaster response drill, evacuation plan drill, and leadership response team drill.

 

Finally, be sure to conduct, annually, an audit of your security by an outside source. Such a review should assess countermeasures and include recommendations and improvement plans.

 

The issue of spectator security will never go away. In fact, it will only get more complicated. The key, of course, is to stay ahead of the threats, and we are attempting

to do just that at SSSM.

 

We are currently working on the establishment of a national safety and security certification for collegiate and high school programs. Athletic departments that successfully establish an audited and approved security management system will receive a "seal of approval" they can proudly post.

 

Our training aids include a virtual stadium demonstration tool, a stadium evacuation simulation model called the Sport Event Security Assessment Model (SESAM), and vulnerability assessment software. Recent grants are helping us develop:

 

• A feasibility study of security initiatives for Division I college football stadiums.

 

• An institutional physical protection system for collegiate football stadiums.

 

• A simulation system to evaluate and support emergency response, stadium evacuation operations, and the subsequent traffic flow at high volume sporting events. This system will be used to optimize current emergency response and evacuation plans by training security managers, emergency responders, and command center personnel with a user-friendly "what-if" analysis and interactive visualization environment.

 

To be ready for tomorrow, you have to put in the work today. Start developing and implementing safety and security measures now, before another minute is wasted. Your fans, coaches, and student-athletes will thank you for it.

 

To view a chart outlining the proposed steps of gaining security certification, please visit: www.AthleticManagement.com/SESAchart.

 

Sidebar: EVERYBODY OUT

 

Command Post Team: The following personnel report to the Incident Command Post

(ICP) upon learning of an emergency situation:

 

Incident Commander (IC): This is the on-site senior-ranking officer of the university police department who will be in command of all evacuation operations. The on-site senior-ranking officer of the local fire department will assume command of fire-related and hazardous material incidents.

 

Principal Evaluation Officer (PEO): This is the on-site senior ranking member of the athletic department or designee who will direct actual evacuation procedures.

 

Evacuation Operations Officer (EOO): The associate athletic director for facilities, this person will assist the PEO with evacuation procedures and replaces the PEO in case of his or her absence.

 

Police Supervisor: The Major of Operations or the next-highest-ranking member of the university police force will coordinate and direct the use of all sworn and non-sworn security on scene.

 

Others included in the command post team include: a police supervisor, security supervisors, medical supervisor, and physical plant supervisor. We also identify a public information officer (PIO) who is in charge of releasing information to the media.

 

The Plan: Upon notification of an emergency, the IC will contact the PEO, and then other members of the command post team. The command post team will proceed to the ICP to assess the emergency. In the event that the emergency is unexpected and warrants immediate attention, the IC and the PEO may decide to proceed with the evacuation plan right away.

 

However, whenever possible, evacuations will be preceded by a pre-evacuation alert in order to allow personnel to prepare the facility for exit. This will include making sure all exits are open and communicating with the police dispatcher, coaches, officials, media, and all staff about the alert.

 

Upon receiving notification of a pre-evacuation alert, all employees will perform pre- evacuation duties, report to assigned areas, and await further instructions. If the IC determines that circumstances warrant ordering evacuation, he will:

 

• Authorize the press box to announce the appropriate pre-determined message.