Managing large event spaces: such as arenas, conference centres, or sports stadia can be very challenging. Organisers, Safety teams, event managers, event owners, emergency services, and other internal teams jointly work together carrying out varied functions to make events happen, spectators often have no idea of the effort in takes to create these great spectacles.
The security team is one of these supporting elements; often they are viewed as a hinderance or an expense that bring no returns, however, they are unfortunately a necessity and in fact sourcing a good company to supplying security provisions can save you money.
An effective security team is a vital component, sourcing the right company to support both day to day & event day activities can be pivotal to the success of a venue. The security team do more than meets the eye, they assist in maintaining a safe environment, facilitate controlled access to site, deter unsavoury activities and reduce the possibility of reputational damage.
This blog will give you all the information you need to know and what to look for when sourcing a company to supply Permanent security & crowd safety staff.
So, what’s the difference between Permanent security staff and crowd safety personnel?
Permanent Security – The team’s primary objective would be to protect the integrity and assets of the building, protect the clients’ interests, ensure a safe working environment for F/T employees/visitors, and provide first responders to any incidents between events on a 24/7 – 365 basis.
Due to the event space having a multifaceted function permanent security guard services must be reliable, available long term and have repeatable standards. Staff must be adaptable, be able to demonstrate a good understanding of the nature of the project and be clear on the demands of the job/working environment.
Crowd Safety Staff – These teams generally consist of qualified crowd safety personnel, the provisions they usually supply ranges from stewards and SIA licensed security to supervisory/management and safety officers. They are often employed on an ad-hoc basis and brought in to manage crowds and satisfy the safety certificate.
The following tips have been devised to act as a guideline to help develop a good general understanding & to effectively assist you in recruiting the right company for your venue. Here we have put together a list of 10 critical features you need to look at when trying to find permanent security personnel for multifaceted/event-based spaces.
- Qualified Security Personnel
Within this section we have highlighted what to look out for in relation to company accreditation & staff qualification wise.
Permanent Security – (Minimum Requirements)
- Security officers must have a valid (DS) SIA Door Supervisor license.
- CCTV operators must have a valid (CCTV) SIA CCTV license.
It is essential that your security provider can supply SIA-licenced personnel and they should ideally be SIA ACS approved (Security Industry Authority’s Approved Contractor Scheme) Choosing an SIA approved contractor – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). Another good indicator is that a good company would be registered with the NSI – (National Security Inspectorate) – NSI is a hallmark of excellence for providers of security and fire services. NSI approval is a highly respected and trusted in the security and fire sectors, it assesses companies that demonstrate technical expertise and reassures quality of service. The NSI carryout 6 monthly audits on companies they ensure that companies are complying with regulations such as IR35, they audit company accounts, and amongst other checks they guarantee that companies are doing things ethically. NSI – Certification for security and fire protection companies.
K9/Dog services –
If companies provide dog handler provisions, they are registered with an appropriate body such as NASDU | National Association of Security Dog Users.
Crowd Safety Personnel – (Minimum Requirements)
- Stewards – require an NVQ level 2 in spectator safety.
- SIA Security staff – require a valid SIA & NVQ level 2 in spectator safety.
- Supervisory/Management – require a valid SIA & NVQ level 3 in spectator safety.
- Safety officers – require an NVQ level 4 in spectator safety.
- Adaptable security guards – in addition to having fully trained and accredited security guards, you may have additional duties for the personnel deployed as permanent security officers on your site. This could be having key-holder access responsibilities, monitoring CCTV cameras footage or having first aid responsibilities, for example. Most good security guard providers should be able to provide resources that suit these requirements.
- Local knowledge – the security guard provider should be able to provide personnel who have knowledge of the local area and its environment, this can be advantageous in understanding the challenges and the people, and also for assessing emergency scenarios, i.e. where are local police, ambulance and hospital facilities?
- Adequate resources – when manning permanent security guard services you need to assess what ratio of security guards to people you require for a particular event or event space. It is important that your provider can supply these numbers, at short notice and all to the same standard.
- Industry experience – it is important that you are supplied with personnel who have experience in all industries and are particularly suited to yours. For example, if you host sporting events are they experienced in dealing with tribal rivalries, abuse and alcohol issues? If you host music events, is it possible they may have to deal with people under the influence of recreational drugs?
- Know the venue inside out – a good security guard provider will be able to carry out a thorough risk assessment of the site and have detailed knowledge of site plans, health & safety procedures, fire exits and site boundaries etc.
- Good communications – security guards are an initial point of contact for the venue or event space, so they need to have good customer service skills, as well as being able to communicate with internal supervisors and managers and to negotiate calmly with customers who are trying to force unauthorised access or who may be abusive or problematic.
- Worker support – although the security guards are permanently deployed on-site and are part of your team, you also need them to be monitored and supervised by the service provider. And if they are working alone, this requires lone worker support and welfare.
- Good record-keeping – having good systems for patrol reporting and the recording of incidents and accidents is usually a good sign that the provider is professional and reliable and works to a high standard in all areas.
- Equipment – the security guard provider should supply their personnel with all the equipment required to carry out the job. This can include hi-vis jackets, uniform, personal protective equipment, smartphone communications and torches.
If you require professional permanent security guard services for your event space, conference centre, arena or stadium, then contact First Response Group. We have a track record of providing a high level of expert security for large venues and big corporate names across many different industry sectors. Our adaptable resources are always tailored to suit your needs and we can respond quickly and effectively to ensure your permanent site security is taken care of, so get in touch with First Response Group today.
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