Do your events team know how to respond to a terrorist threat?
9th March 2015
** CAUTION – THIS PAGE MAY CONTAIN SENSITIVE MATERIAL ON THE TOPIC OF TERRORISM **
Across the world and throughout the media we are regularly reminded about unpredicted perils that have the potential for destruction of our everyday lives such as;
- 9/11
- 7/7
- Mumbai bombings 2008
- Boston bombings 2013
It is extremely hard for anyone to be able to pinpoint in advance the timing and location of catastrophic occurrences and is best characterized as low probability but of potentially high consequence (Silvers 2008). Explosions, threats, hostage taking and many more are becoming increasingly publicized across the globe, setting FEAR into many that an attack can happen anywhere at any time.
Is terrorism being taken into account within risk management of an event?
Presently risk management consists of;
- Employing security teams
- Pre-event security sweeps
- Planning for emergencies
- Reporting of threats and opportunities
So yes, you may say there are precautions in place
BUT..
Are event managers really doing enough?
It is NOT currently a law that all members of staff should be trained in what to do if a possible terrorist attack happens.
What do you do if you hear of a possible threat?
What do you do if someone threatens you?
Who do you contact?
Many event companies outsource security teams from businesses such as G4S.
BUT.. is this always the best solution?
G4S are one of the biggest security teams who operate in 120 different countries and currently have 618,000 employees. This may make them look like a trust worthy, attractive company to hire but you may be wrong. The CEO Nick Buckles admitted to his company failing to deliver the staff for the Olympics as not enough of their employees were able to pass muster with LOCOG, in other words, they failed the security checks!!
Not only this but as stated by the BBC, a G4S employee was jailed for life after being convicted of brutally murdering a female delegate at a conference in Glasgow’s SECC complex.
When hiring outside security companies, the team could be put in a venue or on a site they may not have worked in before. If a terrorist act occurred, would they know what to do or and help or possibly hinder the possible evacuation as they will not know the venue well, unlike regular employees?
Not only does hiring a large security team cost your business, it could be an unnecessary action!
“it has been estimated that organizers of events worldwide spend over $2 billion per annum on security, although in years where ‘blanket security’ is required for major events this figure can rise to $6 billion” (Coaffee & Wood, 2006, p. 513).
Silvers (2007) states two of the most common problems with emergency response plans include;
- Employees not knowing what actions to take in an emergency
- Lack of training and practice
It is has become a known fact that terrorists target mega events in order to gain as much media exposure as possible to achieve as much attention to their cause as conceivable (Whisenant, 2003).
Do all security teams and staff working on the event know what procedures would take place if a terrorist attack occurred, or what to do?
- What do you do if you hear something suspicious?
- Who do you tell?
- Should staff at events be trained in the case of a possible attack?
How this can help
Training staff of all hierarchy could help prevent any possible terrorist attacks and could allow you to hire a smaller team which could save you money on staffing.
It would be advised to train all staff on every level of the hierarchy for a possible threat or attack.
Consider your current training around the subject
Do you think expanding on and testing your staff in case of a terrorist situation could save your event in the future?
Making sure ALL your staff know who to contact in a potential emergency situation can help you to cooperate with the hired security team help and law enforcement to eradicate the potential problem.
Tarlow (2002) suggests a few pointers when considering training your staff for a potential terrorist crisis.
It has been said that you should always consider public awareness and participation during a potential terrorist attack.
Are ALL your staff trained and ready to do this?
Panic = catastrophe!
- Implement employee and volunteer training.
- Discuss potential solutions with all event staff.
- Make sure everyone is up to scratch on the safety and security procedures.
- Patrol the premises and event space.
- Make sure doors, windows and entry/exit points are checked on the run up and through the event.
- Always remain calm!
You know the history and devastation of terrorist attacks so PLEASE share your thoughts and opinions on whether you as an event manage believe ALL staff should be trained in the possibility of a terrorist attack..
Surely any event manager who does not train their staff in emergency procedures (which is what a terrorism attack is) is negligent in their actions? I’m not sure that all staff (including volunteers) need to be trained into how to prevent a terrorist attack, but they do need to know what to do in the event that one happens (e.g. escape routes, first aid stations, evacuation points). It is up to event managers to assess all risks and come up with pertinent control procedures, this is just another risk and one that no doubt increases with the scale of the event.
Thank you for your comment.
As someone who has worked on events, terrorism isn’t an issue that I feel is focused on enough. I would personally feel more panicked if a terrorist attack was threatened or had happened than if there was a fire evacuation (which is heavily mentioned during training). I was always told to ask three times for the attendees of the event to leave when concerned with a fire evacuation but would this rule still apply in a terrorist situation? Would it be every man for themselves if the building was about to be blown up?
As mentioned in the above article, terrorism isn’t just about bombs and guns, what would happen if the water/food had been poisoned? Are these things that staff should be looking out for? Should events staff always be suspicious of people around the food/water elements of an event that are not supposed to be around such areas?
Maybe a suggestion could be that a venue walk is done to make sure the events staff are sure of the exits, evacuation routes, first aid points and procedures. Training is usually a spoken meeting rather than a physical showing of the procedures.
It could be considered that those studying events management may want to be made aware of situations that occur when working events, both from the point of view of running the event and from the point of view of working on the event. Such practical skills don’t seem to be taught in any module form as of yet.
If putting on an event large or small there should be a procedure in place that all employees can follow and be trained to know how to deal with an incident that may occur. You never know what might happen at an event but if staff and also volunteers are trained in how to deal with a variety of situations then looking after the public at the event should run much better. I would have designated leaders that staff would know to go to for instruction so everything could be co-ordinated and less likely to be confusing. Always make sure within your teams you have enough first aiders and that every member of staff knows the evaculation procedure. You can never fully prepare for unexpected events but if all staff are trained in procedures such as evacuation first aid etc then in the event of an attack there is more likely to be a controlled evacuation rather than everyone panicking. Also it gives the client piece of mind that you have all these procedures in place.
Thank you very much for your comment. You mention very valid points. We wish for those reading this to adopt such tactics in order to stop terrorist attacks or eliminate as much catastrophe through panic if an attack takes place.
Your point about the clients peace of mind is very interesting to think about! After all it is them that you a re trying to keep happy as an events manager.
As an event Attendee for many years it is only recently I have consider what if… At a small event it would not cross my mind but at a big event it has. I would assume as a customer that procedures would be in place and all staff would be trained should the unthinkable occur, but is it honestly, I don’t know. Can you fully prepare for such an event happening? Ultimately the customer has to enjoy the event to the maximum but also feel safe. I suppose it is down to the event company to persuade the client that he has most eventualtiys covered. Let’s hope we never have to experience it.
I attend alot of events such as music festivals and terrorism isnt something i would normally think about when attending but you would hope that all staff were trained in what to do in a possible terrorist attack to ensure everyone’s safety, whether this is the case or not, i don’t know.
Thank you for your comment Lucy. I do agree that a terrorist attack is not something you think of when attending an event and the thought of safety is left up to the team working there and in charge because as an attendee your trust is within the organisers and security.
Having attended and worked at many large scale music and sporting events, I have noticed that the is an increased in police and security presence. However, when working at these events, it was always as part of a separate company so all my other colleagues and i were not trained in what to look out for and what to do if a terrorist attack were to happen. This would cause many members of staff to panic, adding to the chaos. I would definitely agree that more needs to be done to prepare all the staff for the increasing risk of an attack.
Thank you for your comment Daniel. You raise an interesting fact about your own previous work experience at events. I agree that many members of staff would panic in the situation of a possible attack and would not know what to do or who to turn to. Would you feel more comfortable if you knew how to deal with a possible attack?
It is surprising that given the rise in terrorism over the years that the threat of terrorism does not seem to have been given the appropriate attention when it comes to the management and running of events. The world post 9/11 saw a huge increase in security at airports and it is this sort of response to terrorism that should be applied holistically to other places that could be a target i.e. large events. The idea of a law being put into place where all staff must be trained for possible terrorist attacks is certainly a reassuring one. However, it may be more effective to improve the training in outside security companies who could offer higher quality security in response to an attack than all event staff, which could justify the costs. Perhaps basic level training for all staff could compliment using outside security companies, although this may incur extra costs that potentially aren’t worth it due to the low-probability risk.
Thank you for your comment Chloe. Your thoughts on basic level training for all staff are definitely something that should be taken into consideration. The amount of responsibility given to staff should not be a great deal but knowledge of how to deal with such situations needs to be put in place. The cost of this is something that event companies will need to do research on but surly the safety of everyone at an event should be the most important thing, do you agree?
Having worked in theatre management and being a performer myself, modern terrorism isn’t likely something you can provide much training for in respect of ‘attack response’ but more in terms of caution and awareness. Gone are the days of bomb threats being phoned in, they just go off. I think there are far too many variable outcomes of an attack to train for in terms of say a building structural failure or as someone mentioned before, an infrastructure breach like water poisoning. Awareness, caution and evacuation procedures might be more solid angles for events teams to train for? Fundamentals in the UK seem to be lacking however. I go to a lot of gigs and in North America they check bags thoroughly for blades/explosives etc. At the Rogers Arena in Vancouver liquids weren’t permitted at all aside from beverages bought on site. This level of security seems non existent in equivalent venues like the o2 arena in London, are standards supposed to be international? Basics like these should be covered all the time?
Thank you for your comment Paul. You make a valid point about there being many variable outcomes of an attack, which would be hard to train for but as many event companies are doing little in the process of training employees at the moment, do you agree that some form of training should be put in place whether it be what to do in a bomb threat or simply what to do or who to turn to if you see or hear something suspicious? The more knowledge employees have the safer the environment. I agree that the level of security is not at the standard of other countries and with the attacks that have happened recently around Europe I believe the standard of security and training should be of higher demand.
I agree training should be provided but it would be better suited to site specific staff who know the building better than outsourced security. The outsourcing of security is a bit of a placebo as security staff have restricted jurisdiction as to what they can do. Unfortunately everything comes down to money so I can imagine an artist of say, Beyonce’s stature being able to both justify and afford her own security to take sweeps of dressing rooms and backstage areas and maybe even the venue itself whereas a lesser act has neither the funds to afford that kind of security nor the draw to even warrant the terrorists attention in the first place due to being lower profile. Therefore it is unlikely a venue would be able to justify providing this level of security for all events, therefore training staff well on who to report suspicious activity to and spotting said activity seems the most cost effective training.
This is an interesting subject area. I believe that security and floor staff should be trined on the venue space and evacuation plans. Outsourcing security teams seems to be tricky when it comes to the knowledge of their trainging. I would imagine the training they are given by the company they work for is thorough but cannot be venue/event specific, but would it be too time consuming and ineffective to give agenct staff extra training before the event to make sure they are familiar with procedures at the event venue itself?
I do not agree with Pauls comment about security staff being a ‘placebo’. If this is the case, what is the point in spending money on an outsdouced team? surely if the satff are there to make the event attendees feel more at ease, you could hire your own staff more cost effectively and train them to be a ‘placebo’ instead?
My point about placebo security staff is based on the fact that legally security staff can do no more than use ‘reasonable force’ when dealing with a problem situation. So for instance a rowdy client should warrant no more than guiding by the elbow to the exit. Any injury inflicted on a client by a security guard is still punishable by law. These aren’t police officers. So therefore security presence only serves to deter problems and reassure attendees of their safety when the reality is quite different.
As a chef who has workied within the events Industry for numerous years i believe there should now be more knowledge on what to do when a terrorist attack happens. I know at Ascot Racecourse they have a terrorist policy which is given to every employee when they turn up. However this is one of the few events ive seen do this. I see your point with G4S as they have numbers to fill and accept almost everyone as long as they can work. I believe it is up to the event managers not G4S as they are in charge of the event and its up to them to train the staff on what they would like done in case of emergency.
Thank you Timothy for you comment, It’s good to hear that at Ascot they do have a training procedure for such potential attacks although you make a good point saying that its only one of many that do this. Do you agree then that more training should be given to all G4S employees and they all should know the porcedure before working at any event? Also should more training become available to all staff?
I have attended many big events over the years….concerts, sporting etc. the amount of visibly security ranges massively…and i guess it’s a fine line between moving people into such events quickly and efficiently /working against a budgeted cost versus a full on security check/search. In my experience it seems safe to assume that security staff go thru the motions and are there simply as a visible deterrent. So how valuable a process is this against the cost?
I would also be keen to understand about the insurance side. Can an event company be held responsible in the unfortunate circumstance of a terrorist attack…ie where security measures in place sufficient? As it is impraticle to pay for airport style security at most events it seems that such events will remain vulnerable targets …that said….I beleive a company which supplies staff for events be they security or other has a responsibility both to the people they send and the company that they are being paid by to ensure the people are well versed in at least the basics of security/evacuation etc. final word is about first aid. ..personally I think first aid courses should be compulsory at school…however…Should it not be paramount that all staff working at events should be first aid trained? So in the event of an attack…the maximum salvage of life can be achieved? David
Thank you David for your comment. You make some great points regarding the security at the events aswell as the importance of the security as well. Do you feel that all security staff at an event must have sufficient terrorism training as well as training on the evac procedure at all the sites they will work on? Also all event staff generally all have first aid training, major security companies endeavor to ensure all there staff are first aid trained. But will there training for a terrorist attack lack when the situation arises?
I’m currently an events management student at Cardiff Met. I do feel that as potential events managers, we are not taught enough about such risks. It would be interesting to see a module that focuses mainly on risk management and has mini modules that can help us to learn what we would plan to do as event managers in the future. At the minute it seems we are just being expected to know this sort of thing when we hit the events world upon graduation. This sort of theory is the type of thing I wish I had been taught on my course.
This is an interesting point and something we have thought about ourselves. We feel similarly and are sure that there is a gap in the course for this sort of information to be taught to us to prepare us for the events industry.
Apologies for my late and rushed input and I must say I agree with most of the other comments. I’ve been the events manager for a large international development organisation for 29 years and have run events all over the world. It is a fact that staff I have worked with in hotels and venues are not aware of how to deal with terrorism. This is something that should be on the agenda at any initial consultation and is something international hotels and venues should have staff trained in. I did an event in Nairobi just after the shopping mall attack. Security was heightened at the hotel I was in but the staff had still not been trained in how to deal with such an attack. It is something on my agenda and should be on yours.