NCS4 Gameday Security-Summer 2018

EVENT MANAGEMENT

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SUMMER 2018 National Center for Spectator Sports Safety & Security 118 College Drive #5193 | Hattiesburg, MS (601) 266-6183

National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security Dr. Lou Marciani

DIRECTOR

Lauren Cranford

SR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Daniel Ward

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF CURRICULUM

Alison Crumpton

CONTENTS FEATURES

NCS4 UPDATE

4 Letter from the Director Update from Dr. Lou Marciani

NCS4 CONFERENCE

6 The Race Is On!

Top sports security professionals head to Louisville, Kentucky

MANAGER OF COMMUNICATIONS, DIRECTOR OF GAMEDAY SECURITY

RETENTION DEFICIT DISORDER

Elizabeth Voorhees

MANAGER OF CERTIFICATIONS AND COMPLIANCE

8 Employee Retention

Rod Dillon

MANAGER OF BUSINESS AFFAIRS

Alan Jones

MANAGER OF INTERNATIONAL TRAINING

William Adams

TRAINING MANAGER

MITIGATION

Brooke Graves

TRAINING MANAGER

Dr. Kelley Gonzales

INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN SPECIALIST

11 Risk Model

Christopher Kinnan

SPECIAL PROJECTS COORDINATOR

Dr. Stacey Hall

RESEARCH FELLOW

Dr. Joshua Hill

RESEARCH FELLOW

Dr. Laura Gulledge

RESEARCH FELLOW

Mitchell Blair

PROJECT ASSISTANT

14 Opportunities

Anna Ready

PROJECT ASSISTANT

Brayden Songe

WEBSITE DESIGNER

How to improve employee retention within your organization

Preparing for major events and developing treatment strategies for mitigating risk TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

NCS4 offers various training programs for sports security professionals

UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES

18 On The Fly Inside the future of unmanned aerial

vehicle (UAV) protection

CERTIFICATION / SCREENING

22 Venue Staff Certification

A comprehensive approach to site security, access control, and training

NCS4 UPDATE

A Note from the Director Dr. Lou Marciani

Welcome to our Summer issue of Gameday Security! In this issue, we’ll highlight our upcoming conference as well as tackle important topics such as unmanned aerial vehicles, employee retention and development, and last but certainly not least - sport safety and security training and development programs.

Speaking of the conference, the race is on as we are look forward to our 9th annual National Sports Safety and Security Conference and Exhibition (presented by Johnson Controls), held on July 9-12 in Louisville, Kentucky.

Our theme this year is Enhacing Situational Awareness in the Sports Safety and Security Industry.

Every sport and entertainment organization should be concerned with whether or not their security team possesses situation awareness. As defined by the United States Coast Guard, situational awareness is the ability to identify, process, and comprehend the critical elements of information about what is happening to the team with regards to the mission. More simply, it’s knowing what is going on around you.

We hope you’ll consider joining us for several days of networking, learning, and enjoying the unique city of Louisville. You’re not too late - there’s still time to register to attend the event...

See you in Louisville!

Lou Marciani, Director of NCS4

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G A ME DA Y S E C U R I T Y S U MM ER 2 0 1 8

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THE RACE IS ON

Why top sports security professionals f rom around the world are heading to L ouisville for this year’s NCS4 Conference With eight successful conferences already under their belts, officials at the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (NCS4) at The University of Southern Mississippi expect the ninth edition to be even better with the addition of several new highlights this year.

Presented by Johnson Controls, the 9th annual National Sports Safety and Security Conference and Exhibition is set for July 9-12 at the Downtown Marriott in Louisville, Ky. The theme this year is Enhancing Situational Awareness in the Sports Safety and Security Industry.

“Every sport and entertainment organization should be concerned with whether or not their security team possesses situation awareness,” said NCS4 Director Lou Marciani. As defined by the United States Coast Guard, situational awareness is the ability to identify, process, and comprehend the critical elements of information about what is happening to the team with regards to the mission.

Director of Security and Safety at Churchill Downs and Lieutenant Ray Carreira, Special Operations Division at Santa Clara Police Department.

In addition to a National Forum on Employee Retention and Development, there will be an awards luncheon and interactive panel discussions, as well as workshops, and breakout sessions on pertinent topics such as weather, behavorial analysis, crisis management, and cyber security.

A unique aspect of this year’s conference is a Sports Counter-Terrorism Simulation Exercise, led by experts from the International Institute for CounterTerrorism (ICT) of Israel. This presentation will offer a new perspective about how terrorist organizations function and translate their ideology or grievance into operational plans and decisive action.

Limited seating is available. For more information or to register, visit www.ncs4.com/conference.

“The focus of this conference is to build acquired skill in situational awareness,” said Marciani.

Keynote speaker Steve Haffner, professional speaker and mentalist, will speak on “Outsmarting Invisible Mind Blocks.” Haffner will explore how professionals can improve their decision skills, effectiveness, and relationships.

Other keynote speakers include Ray Pait, Senior

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G A ME DA Y S E C U R I T Y S U MM ER 2 0 1 8

PRESENTED BY:

2018 NCS4 CONFERENCE EXHIBITORS AND SPONSORS 24/7 Software DHS Office for Bombing Petrone Risk 3M Prevention Prevent Advisors AccuWeather Enterprise Solutions Evolv Technology PSAV All Traffic Solutions, Inc. FaceFirst, Inc. QuickSilver Analytics Ameristar Perimeter Security FARO Rapiscan Systems Andy Frain Services FLIR Systems Rasilient Systems Inc. Associated Agencies Garrett Metal Detectors Report it com Inc. AVI-SPL GeoComm RiskBand Axis Communications HID Global Ross Technology Babel Street HIKVISION Salient Cadmus Hoverfly Technologies Securitas JULY Bollards 9-12 | LOUISVILLE MARRIOTT DOWNTOWN KENTUCKY Calpipe Security Johnson Controls Security| Industry Association CEIA USA K2 Solutions, Inc. Southern Software, Inc. Christie Digital Systems Kromek Textron Systems CIC Technologies Landmark Event Staffing Services The Toledo Ticket Co. CLEAR Lumina Analytics TUSCO, INC. Cleveland Electric Labs Metrasens Tymetal Corp.

Concentric Security, LLC Morphix Technologies Unitex Direct, Inc Dallmeier Electronic USA, Ltd. MSA Security Visual Labs DC Rentals National Emergency Response & VIVOTEK Dedrone Rescue Training Center VWK9 Dell EMC NC4 Wanco Inc. Delta Scientific Corporation NEC Corporation of America Whelan Event Services Detex Corporation North American Rescue

CONFERENCE CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION & XIT 2018 NATIONAL SPORTS SAFETY AND SECURITY

CONFERENCE CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION & XIT

The ninth annual National Sports Safety and Security Conference and Exhibition will take NATIONAL SPORTS SAFETY AND Kentucky.

SECURITY 2018 place on July 9-12, 2018 at the Downtown Marriott in Louisville, The theme this year is Enhancing Situational Awareness in the Sports Safety and Security Industry.

The gathering of top professionals in the field will provide a wholesome environment JULY 9-12 | LOUISVILLE MARRIOTT DOWNTOWN | KENTUCKY dedicated to security/safety technologies, products, services and education for safeguarding the assets and spectators we are charged to protect.

Target Audience - Security directors and operators, facility and stadium managers, event planners/operators, law enforcement personnel, emergency managers, fire/hazmat, emergency medical/health services, athletic administrators, and governmental representatives These are individuals representing or supporting: professional sport leagues, intercollegiate athletics, interscholastic athletics, marathon/endurance events, and commercial sport entertainment facilities (concerts, festivals, motocross, wrestling, etc).

The ninth and annual National Sports Safety and Security Conference and Exhibition will take place on July 9-12, 2018 at the Downtown Marriott in Louisville, Kentucky. The theme this year is Enhancing Situational Awareness in the Sports Safety and Security Industry.

The gathering of top professionals in the field will provide a wholesome environment dedicated to security/safety technologies, products, services and education for REGISTER NOW AT WWW.NCS4.COM/CONFERENCE safeguarding the assets and spectators we are charged to protect.

AHEAD OF THE CURVE

RETENTION DEFICIT DISORDER How to improve employee retention within your organization One in four workers will quit this year.

It’s a statistic that hurts employers as much as being on the wrong end of a blind side safety blitz.

Okay, maybe it isn’t that painful, but it is the type of disheartening data that has sports teams and organizations constantly scrambling to fill positions as the definition of the “right” candidate rewrites itself over and over again.

Ensuring the highest retention rate possible requires organizations re-examine every part of the process, starting with candidate identification and communication, as well as taking great efforts to establish and maintain effective motivation and communication.

IDENTIFICATION AND VETTING The evolution of technology has created significant job pools that most employers are thrilled to be swimming in. Online job boards and platforms such as LinkedIn are creating a pre-screening process that has ensured that, through that extensive quantity, companies can lock in on those quality candidates that fit their needs.

Companies are even incorporating geofencing, a process where they can push notifications to potential candidates via smartphone once they are within a certain area, something that Laurie McIntosh, Field Services Director with the Society for Human Resource Management, sees evolving even further.

“We have gotten a lot more savvy leveraging technology, and it’s one of the biggest trends we’re seeing,” she says.

However, even with all of the front-end benefits of new technology, and the huge depth of potential candidate pools, McIntosh warns against falling in love with the sheer quantity of candidates and losing sight of how important it is to focus on those quality candidates. She points out that investing the time in

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G A ME DA Y S E C U R I T Y S U MM ER 2 0 1 8

interviewing in search of quality candidates is worth the effort. “Snap decisions often impact retention.”

“You have to invest as much time in understanding if this person is the right one for the role as you would in training them once they’re hired.”

– Laurie McIntosh, Field Services Director One of the most important steps in retaining employees starts very early in the process with identification. According to McIntosh, this includes being upfront with candidates on what the job is. “It’s all about the culture of the organization; don’t make something out to be this great, fabulous place to work for and then they get there and are totally dissatisfied,” she warns.

In the case of Paul Turner, Senior Director of Event Operations at AT&T Stadium, what that job is can vary greatly within his organization. Turner is responsible for approximately 2,500 game day personnel. He has 12 full-time event operations staff, which can include coordinators with at least three years of industry experience; managers with more than five years of experience; and directors with eight to ten years of experience.

Turner also utilizes 40 captains, part-time staff that report directly to Turner that, to Turner’s surprise, has represented the lowest turnover he has within his group. “These are our most senior part-time staff, but we noticed in our initial hirings that they had the right background and were really enthusiastic about being part of the new stadium.”

Turner notes that approximately two-thirds of those captains have been with Turner since AT&T Stadium first opened nearly a decade ago. Most of the other 2,500 are part-time employees that don’t report directly to Turner; rather, they come through a contracted

EMPLOYEE RETENTION service provider or come to Turner via a staffing company.

While Turner can’t control most of that 2,500, he is responsible for those directors, managers, supervisors and captains overseeing other game day staff, which means increased pressure on Turner and his staff to find the right candidates.

FIRST IMPRESSION IMPORTANCE The importance of making a good first impression is critical for both potential employee and employer.

For example, ensuring that the company website is adapted for mobile devices may seem like a no-brainer, but companies risk losing younger employees with this simple misstep.

“For younger candidates, it’s not going to be a positive experience and you’re going to lose out on good people,” says McIntosh, who also advises against putting a time limit on vetting candidates.

“People want to get in and out as fast as they can, but you can’t do that. You have to invest as much time in understanding if this person is the right one for the role as you would in training them once they’re hired.”

Turner, like most of his peers, have a distinct advantage over most employers – atmosphere. So many people want to work in sports and entertainment, and in his case, he can also leverage his brand to build excitement with potential staff. “We have something interesting and compelling, but it’s also brand affiliation, being part of the Cowboys, being connected with something that means quality and has this exciting element to it,” he says.

For many sports event leaders like Turner, that has to be the key selling point as the majority are part-time staff that aren’t expecting to make a lot of money – in many cases, it is supplemental income. While it may not cost a lot to employ these staff members, it can be very costly to mismanage and then ultimately lose them.

COSTLY MISTAKES When Turner has had issues with employees, more often than not, it has involved the employee experience not aligning with the Cowboys’ expectations.

“While it’s easy to focus on the fun part of working a professional football game, some employees can overlook that you have to park in a remote lot, take an employee shuttle, go through security screening, clock in, pick up your uniform, and then figure out where you have to report to and get debriefed,” Turner says.

“And I think that’s where we miss things, I don’t think we pay enough attention to what the process is like for our staff. It can really drain them before they even start actually working.”

Both Turner and McIntosh agree that oversights or missteps can be costly for an employer.

“Losing people is expensive; it can cost more than two times a person’s annual salary to replace them,” says McIntosh.

“Losing people is expensive.”

– Laurie McIntosh, Field Services Director But sometimes losing people is inevitable and expectations have to be managed accordingly.

For example, hiring Millennial employees versus an employee from the Baby Boomer generation.

“Millennials are not going to stay in a job for 15, 20 or 30 years,” notes McIntosh. “They’re going to move around and that’s valid because everything is moving faster now and that’s what they’ve grown up with.”

Turner has a Millennial aged employee that has given him better insight into the “work to live” generation versus the older “live to work” generation. “(Millennials are) a different generation with different priorities. They don’t necessarily think of work as being a place but a mindset and activity. While they are inclined to be on their mobile device returning emails at all hours, the older generation leave it at the office, so to speak.

“Millennials just have a very different sense of place and time and productivity, and it’s not a bad thing, it’s just different and we need to understand that because it’s the future,” says Turner.

McIntosh implores companies to recognize that, for Millennials, it’s not about salary. It is more about the intangibles and what makes them feel valued and part of an organization. “The environment has changed, and the older generation has had to get used to it, but this is what Millennials have grown up with, and employers need to recognize that,” she shares.

STAY THE COURSE Once the new hire is in place, and an employer has taken the necessary onboarding steps to make themselves and the new employee comfortable with expectations, keeping them engaged and involved as part of the team is imperative.

Attaining this level of two-way communication starts and ends with one thing – trust.

“It’s all about trust with employees; they no longer just want good healthcare benefits and a good salary, they’re looking for other benefits like a flexible workplace or free coffee,” McIntosh says. “To keep people happy, you’ve got to engage with them and maybe offer those things that you didn’t have to in the past. You’ve got to keep them happy or they’re going to look somewhere else.”

“Low- or no-cost benefits like access to a fitness or weight room is great,” McIntosh says. “But in the end it all comes down to managers talking to employees and understanding what keeps them there.”

GA MED A Y SE C U R ITY SU MME R 2018

9

EMPLOYEE RETENTION Employers also need to provide guidance employees can rely on. According to Turner, any enhancement or value-added benefit can be meaningless if they don’t receive quality supervision.

“They have to have a good leader who’s going to look out for them and make sure they get their break, they understand what their job is and give them the encouragement and motivation they need,” he says.

This relationship can make or break an employee, as the level of loyalty an employee feels toward their supervisor can supersede everything else.

McIntosh also recommends conducting stay interviews. This is a process where the supervisor would conduct a one-on-one sit-down meeting with their employee, asking them simple questions and then, perhaps most important, actually taking that feedback and acting on it.

“It sounds so simple, and it just takes a little bit of time, but by doing this and adjusting a few things here and there, it can have a big impact on retention and engagement of employees,” says McIntosh. “Not a lot of organizations do stay interviews, but they are key. And remember, you are always recruiting your employees.”

“You are always recruiting your employees.” – Laurie McIntosh, Field Services Director Turner believes too many teams and organizations focus solely on providing a great experience for the fans that they forget to provide a great experience for their employees as well. And beyond that, employers should ask themselves if they are taking care of those employees, providing the appropriate training, giving them an organized workplace and making good use of their time.

“I believe that if everything around them is high quality, then that will help elevate their level of engagement and the quality of their work,” Turner says.

In the end, it could ultimately be as simple as making them feel valued and thanking them for a job well done. Failure to do so could lead an employer back to where it all started – back to the Job Board.

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MITIGATION VENUE

A MODEL FOR

MITIGATING SPORT SECURITY RISKS

CROWD STAFF

EVENT

How can today’s event planners, first responders and other key stakeholders learn from the past as they prepare for major events and develop treatment strategies that mitigate risk?

Sports and entertainment events are an important part of world culture and national pride - they also generate enormous revenue. According to Price Waterhouse Cooper, total gate revenues earned from sports totaled $44.75 billion (USD)1. Globally, professional sports alone generated $90.9 billion (USD) in revenues in 2017, with revenues potentially growing by as much as 3.7% in 20182.

Large crowds at high profile sports and entertainment events, as well as the iconic value of these venues, mean planners must address a host of potential risks and threats to ensure safety and security at every event. A failure to properly assess risks and implement effective treatment strategies can create conditions for crowd violence, crises, crime, and terrorism.

The complexities of sports and entertainment events require planners to think systematically about the venue and event, the crowds a particular event attracts, as well as the staff for the event including venue staff, law enforcement, public safety, emergency management, fire and medical services, and other key stakeholders.

A NEW SPORTS SECURITY RISK MODEL Sports and entertainment events are highly visible spectacles, even more so in the social media age, that inspire legions of fans. They are filled with risks that may become brand altering incidents and front-page news.

How can today’s event planners, first responders and other key stakeholders learn from the past as they prepare for major events and develop treatment strategies that mitigate risk?

The challenges during a sporting event require that all planners and key stakeholders must collectively understand the context of four interrelated areas – Crowd, Venue, Event and Staff – and how they interact and influence each other during major sporting and entertainment events. The Sport Security Risk Model (SSRM) developed by the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (NCS4) illustrates this relationship. This new model was unveiled during the INTERPOL Risk Management Challenges for Major International Sporting Events training course, which was held April 17-20, 2018. Though simple in construct, the SSRM helps planners think through the dynamic interaction of crowds, venue, event, and staff for any sports and entertainment event. The resulting event management and emergency plans will provide better treatment strategies to mitigate risks, improve resource allocation, and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of venue staff and first responders.

A HISTORY OF SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT DISASTERS Why do we do risk management and develop event and emergency plans for each event? To lower the risk of planned events becoming incidents and worse - unmitigated disasters. The list of sports and entertainment disasters around the world is long and deadly. Some of the more notable examples of these disasters are found below: 1

STATISTA: HTTPS://WWW.STATISTA.COM/STATISTICS/269791/SPORTS-GATE-REVENUE-WORLDWIDE-BY-REGION/

2

STATISTA: THE STATISTICS PORTAL. (2017). GLOBAL SPORTS MARKET - TOTAL REVENUE FROM 2005 - 2017.

RETRIEVED FROM HTTPS://WWW.STATISTA.COM/STATISTICS/370560/WORLDWIDE-SPORTS-MARKET-REVENUE/

592 – THE NIKA RIOTS AT THE CONSTANTINOPLE HIPPODROME – MORE THAN 30,000 DEAD 1964 – EASTADIO NACIONAL DISASTER IN PERU – 318 DEAD, 500 WOUNDED. 1971 – IBROX STADIUM DISASTER IN SCOTLAND – 66 DEAD, 140 INJURED. 1982 – LUZHNIKI DISASTER IN THE FORMER SOVIET UNION – 340 DEAD, HUNDREDS INJURED. 1985 – HEYSEL STADIUM DISASTER IN BELGIUM – 39 DEAD, 500+ INJURED. 1989 – HILLSBOROUGH STADIUM DISASTER IN UNITED KINGDOM – 96 DEAD, 766 INJURED. 2003 – STATION NIGHTCLUB FIRE IN RHODE ISLAND – 100 DEAD, 230 INJURED. 2010 – LOVE PARADE DISASTER IN GERMANY – 21 DEAD, 500+ INJURED.

MITIGATION The sports and entertainment events (found on previous page) are stark reminders of what happens when event managers and key stakeholders fail to develop and implement effective treatment strategies to reduce the risks posed by crisis, crowd management, crowd violence, crime, and terrorism, among other hazards and threats.

ONE VENUE – DIFFERENT EVENTS, CROWDS, AND STAFF The Sports Security Risk Model applies to modern venues that host multiple kinds of sports and entertainment events. Consider the differences between the crowd for Super Bowl LIII in February 2019, versus the crowd’s for an Atlanta United Football Club match in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. The crowds actions are influenced by people within the crowd, the design and attributes of the stateof-the art venue, the crowd’s interaction with trained venue staff and personnel working the event, and the nature of the event itself.

Venue: Though the venue is essentially the same for each event, the inner perimeter of Mercedes-Benz Stadium may be configured differently for an American Football game and a soccer match.

Different configurations can affect crowd management procedures for ingress, crowd circulation inside the venue and through various security

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February 21, 2018. Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The Mercedes-Benz Stadium is a multi-purpose retractable roof stadium located in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Editorial credit: alisafarov / Shutterstock.com

perimeters, and egress as the crowd leaves the arena. Venue characteristics can affect the speed of evacuation during emergencies and other protective measures. Some venue related questions to ask during planning include: 1. What kinds of facilities are located near the venue?

2. Where are the security perimeters (inner, middle, etc.)?

3. Where are the choke points that may cause a rapid increase in crowd density?

4. What features can be used to manage crowd flow?

5. Where are the vulnerabilities (doors, loading docks, etc.)?

6. Are there other event venues in close proximity to venue?

Event: Each event is different because of the variability posed by the crowd/supporters, staff, players and talent, stakeholders, vendors, and a myriad of other event-related and support factors. Major sports and entertainment events often have a history, that may include violence, associated with them that managers and planners must consider. The high profile nature of the Super Bowl may attract organized crowds protesting perceived injustices. Some event related questions to ask during risk management and emergency planning include: 1. What is the significance of the event?

2. Is there a history of violence associated with event?

3. What is the nature of the rivalry between the teams?

4. What kinds of crowds normally show for this event?

5. Does event attract people that may increase risks?

6. What internal/external factors may impact event?

7. Will alcohol be available and will it be controlled?

Staff: The venue staff, law enforcement, public safety, fire and medical services, emergency management, incident management, and other key staff must be trained and have practiced or exercised the emergency plan together before the event. Staff should be trained to identify and respond to hazards and threats. Required actions for evacuation, shelterin-place, and other protective measures should subjected to table top and practical exercises. Some staff related questions to ask during risk management and emergency planning include: 1. Is there a command and control structure in place? Are staff trained to follow it?

2. Is the staff equipped with necessary tools and training?

3. Do we have enough trained staff to comply with the National

MITIGATION

Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) requirement for trained crowd facilitators (1:250)?

4. Has the staff been trained to: - Implement/enforce safety/security policies?

- Spot, report, resolve impediments to crowd movement?

- Direct crowds during an evacuation or shelter-in-place?

- Manage conflict and resolve customer issues?

- Communicate across multiple modes of communication?

Crowd: Crowd behavior is influenced by the same factors that influence individuals. The crowd types can vary for each event. Spectator Crowds focus on a central event, have a collective identity, and for a sporting event, normally have an affinity for one of the teams.

The goal is to prevent spectator crowds from becoming an organized, participatory, or expressive crowd, one driven by a grievance. Leaders within their group, or the actions of law enforcement or an opposing group can provoke a participatory crowd. A greater danger is posed when a more organized anarchist crowd is hiding within its ranks. They can lead a participatory crowd to violence.

Some crowd related planning questions to ask include:

associated with this event?

3. Is there an established Code of Conduct?

- Has it been advertised?

- How is it communicated during the event?

- How will crowd respond if evacuation or shelter-in-place occurs?

The challenges posed by risk during a sporting event are complex and require planners, police, emergency managers, fire and medical services, and other key stakeholders to work together and understand the context of four interrelated areas – Crowd, Venue, Event and Staff – and how they interact and influence each other during major sporting and entertainment events. The NCS4 Sport Security Risk Model can help planners develop effective event management and emergency plans to manage risks stemming from the dynamic interaction of crowds, venue, event, and staff for any sports and entertainment event.

Additional information about the Sports Security Risk Model, INTERPOL training courses, and NCS4 training courses are available at www.NCS4.com/trainingportal.

1. What kind of crowd is expected?

- Organized (Protestors), Spectator (Supporters), Anarchist (Violent), Static (Queues and other collecting areas), or Ambulatory (constant motion through various areas and venues) 2. Is there a history of disorderly crowds or crowd violence

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2018 TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT NEEDS ASSESSMENT The role of training and the perceived value of employee learning are changing. There has been a tremendous surge in training deliveries in the sport and event security management industry over the past 10 years. The U.S. government has made substantial investments in DHS and FEMA training curriculums aimed at enhancing emergency preparedness, crisis readiness, incident management, and risk and threat assessment capabilities. Coinciding with the rapid expansion of federally-funded training is the growth of organizational-based training. Today, organizations are investing more heavily into employee training and development to ensure their workers possess the knowledge and skills to perform their job successfully.

The rapid growth and professionalization of the sport and event security management profession has led to some discussion about the ability of current learning programs to address the needs of the evolving security environment. In 2018, the NCS4 conducted a training needs assessment to determine the most important training areas for future training program development.

One hundred eight-six (N = 186) individuals responded

to the survey indicating the areas which they perceive as the most needed and important. The survey population represented over 14 industry segments supporting the sport and event security industry, including the predominant groups of Law Enforcement, Venue Security, Emergency Management, and Facilities and Operations (Figure 1).

Survey respondents were asked to rate the importance of eight topical areas. Figure 2 presents the average response score on an 8-point scale. The chart (Figure 2) shows Crisis Management was perceived as the most important topical area, followed by Crowd Behavior and Crowd Management. The topics of Enhanced Risk Assessment/Mitigation and Physical Security for Large Venues received nearly identical response scores. The topical areas receiving the lowest importance ratings included Executive and Senior Leadership Security Training, Structural Design for Physical Security, and Explosive Ordinance Recognition.

Figure 1. Survey Population by Discipline

Law Enforcement

Customer Service Emergency Planning Government Fire Services EMS Event Planning Risk Management Venue Management

Event Management

Venue Security Other

Emergency Management

14

G A M E D A Y S E C U R I T Y SUM M ER 2 0 1 8

Facilities and Operations

TRAINING

Training Needs Assessment 6.22

Crisis Management 5.64

Crowd Management

5.39

Crowd Behavior Enhanced Risk Assessment Mitigation

4.56

Physical Security for Large Venues

4.55

Executive and Senior Leadership Security Training

4

Structural Design for Physical Security

3.69 2.28

Explosive Ordinance Recognition 0

1

2

3

4

5

Explosive Ordinance Recognition

Structural Design for Physical Security

Executive and Senior Leadership Security Training

Physical Security for Large Venues

6

7

Figure 2. Training Needs Crowd Behavior Assessment Survey Responses Enhanced Risk Assessment Mitigation Crowd Management

Crisis Management

The purpose of conducting a training needs assessment is to identify gaps in the current education and training programs being offered. By understanding the needs of the sport and event security management profession, NCS4 is best positioned to design and develop new training curriculums to address the current and future needs of the sports and entertainment industry.

To achieve effective security, long-term safety and security training programs must be developed for the various roles and levels of leadership. Many times, individuals hired into sport and event security management have received prior training from the military, law enforcement, fire services, etc.

Having completed extensive training in their profession, these individuals are adequately prepared to deal with many types of emergency and non-emergency incidents. However, there are certain skills, procedures, and protective measures that are unique and essential to the sport event security management profession.

To develop special expertise among individuals who support security operations at sports and events, training and development programs that focus on the nuanced differences in risk management, emergency planning, and venue and event protection are needed. These programs provide focus on the elements that distinguish sports and events from other commercial facilities, such as the “fan experience.� New programs must also account for recent changes in the threat environment to keep abreast of trending methods of attack, such as cyber intrusion.

The results of the needs assessment provide valuable guidance on the design and development of new training programs, and in forecasting future knowledge and skill needs for the sport and event security management workforce.

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NCS4 TRAINING PROGRAMS The NCS4, in partnership with Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service, has trained over 8,000 individuals representing over 1,000 organizations.

Currently, the partnership delivers 128 DHS/FEMA grant funded courses across the United States per year; with the capacity to train over 5,000 professionals annually.

The NCS4 maintains a robust schedule of events, research, and connects with industry professionals on a continual basis in an effort to maintain high quality training and education programs. The sport and special event series includes the following courses: AWR-167: Sport Event Risk Management The Sport Event Risk Management course is designed to build sport and special event risk management capabilities for community-wide collaboration and mitigation. Through activity-based training modules, safety and security teams will increase their knowledge of planning, risk assessment, training, and continuous improvement practices.

The expectation is for participants to return to their respective venues and coordinate the development or enhancement of an event security management team.

MGT-412: Sport and Special Event Evacuation Training and Exercise The Sport and Special Event Evacuation Training and Exercise course will prepare sport venue managers to enhance evacuation planning capabilities and assist emergency responders in implementing flexible and scalable evacuation activities. The highlyinnovative course builds multi-agency collaboration by delivering critical evacuation planning information.

Participants will have the opportunity to conduct evacuation analysis of a sport venue under a wide

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range of conditions. This course is applicable to all venues, regardless of venue capacity.

MGT-404: Sports and Special Events Incident Management The Sports and Special Events Incident Management course emphasizes the unique aspects of response to an incident occurring during sports and special events, including considerations for business continuity and after-action activities. Participants learn the skills necessary to effectively manage an incident by applying and implementing a multi-disciplinary management team approach as described in the National Incident Management System (NIMS). At the end of the course a practical application exercise can be customized to the facility where the course is held.

MGT-440: Enhanced Sports and Special Events Incident Management The Enhanced Sports and Special Events Incident Management course is scenario based, focusing on event planning, incident management, and policy level decision making. The course is intended to prepare participants for the response to a large-scale incident during sporting or special events. Participants will engage in three all-hazard, simulation supported (Biological, Mass Casualty, Active Shooter, Improvised Explosive Device (IED), Hazmat, or Natural Disaster) emergency response exercises to enhance individual and team decision-making skills from a Policy Group, Emergency Operations Center (EOC), and Incident Command Post perspective.

If you are interested in learning more or hosting a DHS/FEMA grant-funded delivery, please contact NCS4 at NCS4Train@usm.edu.

TRAINING

ADDRESSING TRAINING NEEDS NCS4 regularly assesses training needs to identify performance requirements and the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to be successful in the sports and entertainment industry. In response to the 2018 Training and Development Needs Assessment (page 14), NCS4 has begun to examine existing curriculum for improvement and new course requirements.

REVISING EXISTING CURRICULUM The Sport and Special Event Evacuation Training and Exercise course is currently being revised to include several needs identified through student feedback and the 2018 Training Needs Assessment. The MGT-412: Sport Venue Evacuation and Protective Actions course will be made available later this year.

HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM A needs assessment was conducted to address a gap identified by more than 250 subject matter experts from various public safety agencies, school resource officers (SRO) and high school athletic administrations during two annual National Interscholastic Athletics & After-School Events Safety and Security summits. Specifically, these SMEs responded to three surveys and determined there is a critical need to create a national course (or series of courses) to build whole community awareness about multiagency collaboration in risk management planning for high schools hosting interscholastic athletics and events, as well as activities before and after school. The NCS4 is proud to announce that an online Risk Management for After School Activities and Interscholastic Athletics course will be available to administrators, school resource officers, athletic directors, facility directors, and faculty and staff later this year.

INTERNATIONAL TRAINING NCS4 and INTERPOL are developing six international training courses built on a common interest of contributing to police cooperation through strengthening training activities for police officers serving sport security functions. Beginning in the fall of 2020, Police Executives and Incident Management Team members who complete all six courses may be eligible to earn the International Sport Safety and Security Professional Certificate.

To learn more about NCS4 Training programs,visit www.ncs4.com/trainingportal.

Monitor. Collaborate. Repeat.

HOTEL COURSE Prompted by the shooting at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, a new hotel safety and security awareness course has been developed by NCS4. The online course is entitled Your Role in Identifying Suspicious Behavior and it targets an audience comprised of hotel support staff, such as housekeepers, porters, parking attendants, etc.

The course focuses on actions constituting suspicious behavior, how suspicious behavior is properly identified, and how suspicious behavior should be reported to the proper authorities. The training will be offered online soon.

© 2017 Christie Digital Systems USA, Inc. All rights reserved.

NEW CURRICULUM In 2018, NCS4 will be developing two new courses to address training and education gaps. Additional needs assessments will be conducted in the coming months to identify focus areas for the top needs identified during the most recent surveys.

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ON THE FLY

Are sports security professionals truly prepared for the enormous threat unmanned aerial vehicles pose to all sporting events?

The era of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has arrived. Today, more than one million UAVs are active in the U.S. alone, and by 2022, the Federal Aviation Administration is predicting there will be more than three million hovering over U.S. neighborhoods, highways and yes, even sporting events.

From recreational youth soccer games to the Super Bowl, no sporting event is immune to this increasing threat that some sports security professionals believe trails only active shooters and vehicular ramming as the top threats to sports security today.

David Waldman, a principal with strategic and technical consultancy firm, Cadmus, is an expert in incident management and emergency preparedness. Having worked for both the Bush and Obama administrations, Waldman provides counsel on everything from hurricanes and earthquakes to counterterrorism and active shooters.

And yes, even UAVs. “UAVs are definitely top threat that stadium and venue security operators need to worry about,” he says. “I think with other threats and issues, such as improvised explosive devices or vehicle ramming, we have really good plans and policies in place. But with UAVs, there doesn’t seem to be a unified answer on how to address this new threat.”

UNDERSTANDING THE UNKNOWN The lack of a clear policy or direction can be partially attributed to legislators, law enforcement and security professionals failing to come to an agreement on that direction, but another reason might be the lack of visibility around this threat. In the security industry, tragedy tends to drive transformation. The Mandalay Bay outdoor music festival shooting in Las Vegas on October 1, 2017, reiterated this fact. In the wake of the shooting, President Trump directed the Department of Justice to ban bump

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stocks, which enabled the active shooter to use rifles as machine guns.

“Vegas-style incidents always raise the gun issue, but with UAVs, there have been some incidents in and around sporting stadiums and venues, but there’s been nothing major, no payloads being dropped and no deaths,” Waldman shares. “For the most part, we’ve mostly had hobbyists, but should we have a serious incident at a stadium or venue that’s highly publicized, then you’ll see a heightened focus and more dramatic action being taken.”

One of the most notable recent incidents occurred at a prominent venue in November 2017 at Levi’s Stadium, home to the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers. A UAV not only successfully penetrated the air space above the stadium, but dropped a payload on the more than 65,000 fans in attendance. Fortunately, the drone only dropped fliers.

“To me, that was the scariest incident we’ve had involving drones and sporting events as we know there are organizations that have figured out how to weaponize UAVs,” admits Waldman.

University of Kentucky Police Chief Joe Monroe has first-hand experience with a UAV threat. On September 5, 2015, a UAV entered Kroger Stadium at kickoff and crashed into the side of the stadium as it was exiting, nearly injuring a dozen spectators.

“The first thing we tried to do was identify where the operator could be, so we dispatched assets to that area of the parking lot to locate the individual responsible,” he says. Ultimately, it was discovered that it was a young college student simply trying to take pictures.

For Monroe, the moment that truly accentuated how impactful UAVs could be on sports security came when he viewed a YouTube video where a person placed a Glock handgun on a UAV and demonstrated how to remotely fire it.

UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES PLAN OF ATTACK Industry best practices around UAVs remain a work in progress. Security measures can vary from state to state, with distance and timing being two of the core areas for discussion. Waldman acknowledges that there is no “one size fits all” solution, but there is one key area that all stadiums and operators can focus on to ensure its fans, athletes and staff are protected from UAVs – training.

“There’s a number of things you can do in terms of planning, training and running crisis simulations or exercises,” says Waldman. “Across the full preparedness spectrum, I see a lot of organizations investing in new technologies and hiring more staff, which is great, but there needs to be that same commitment to training that staff on what they would do if they actually saw a UAV, for example. Would they know what to do and then actually exercise that? Everyone has to know their roles and responsibilities in an event such as this.”

Monroe has also noticed an increasing number of technology options available to sports security professionals to combat this threat.

“Not only are these vendors pushing technology that detects these UAVs, but there are some that claim they can actually take control and safely land the UAV,” Monroe says. “The problem with that is that the United States government does not allow you to take control of an aircraft, so until some legislative changes are made in Washington, we can’t even use it.”

While technology has played a key role in detection and protection, it has also made security even more challenging. UAVs are getting cheaper and smaller, and they can fly faster for longer distances. As Waldman notes, stadiums could have a great detection system in place with a perimeter that can detect UAVs up to three miles away. But given the speed at which UAVs can move, the time to assess and address that threat over that three-mile window is rapidly decreasing.

“There’s a lot of things that need to happen in a short period of time. You have to decide quickly, is this just a hobbyist flying around or is there something more, such as a chemical or biological weapon that it is carrying, and if it is that larger threat, how are you going to stop it?”

Waldman asks.

Monroe recognizes that UAV detection technology cannot keep up with UAV technology itself, and he wonders if creating an invisible mesh around a venue could ultimately prevent a UAV incident. “I think that’s the ideal situation, if you could create an invisible bubble over your venue using some kind of technology,” he shares.

But, Monroe acknowledges that this may not be an option at other sporting events that are also outdoors, such as golf or cross country.

Nonetheless, that type of thinking is exactly what the industry needs as it thinks outside the box in its UAV safety preparation. Part of thinking outside the box means also looking inward.

“I think most venue operators tend to think drones or

UAVs are for outdoor events, but we limit ourselves if we don’t think this could also be an indoor event issue as well,” shares Waldman. “We know the technology is getting smaller and it’s getting more agile, and it has the ability to be taken apart into smaller pieces.”

Fans also face the same threat entering an arena as they do a stadium. While tailgating isn’t the same concern with indoor sporting events – fans typically just want to head into the venue – there can be lengthy distances to walk from parking to the venue, as well as long lines to enter that venue. But the threat may not go away once fans enter the arena.

Waldman continues, “When you get a large number of people and you constrict them into a very constrained environment, and then whittle them down to security lines that can take some time, that’s a vulnerable time where someone looking to do harm could do a lot of damage if the proper security measures aren’t in place,” Waldman continues. “I don’t think this threat can be overlooked or dismissed.”

A TEAM EFFORT Looking ahead, the priority must be on properly preparing those responsible for stopping a UAV incident.

“I see a lot of funding going toward technology, but what is most consistently overlooked across the national preparedness spectrum is the failure to train your staff, and failure to test and validate your plans,” Waldman says.

“I see a lot of funding going toward technology, but what is most consistently overlooked across the national preparedness spectrum is the failure to train your staff, and failure to test and validate your plans.” - David Waldman, Principal

Waldman also advocates for more involvement from team owners and each respective league in supporting sports venue operators in their UAV preparedness efforts.

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“It really takes an integrated whole community approach to ensure that each venue is prepared to respond to an incident. Sports venue operators must be coordinated with local, state and federal officials, as well as law enforcement, first responders – as well as engaging private sector organizations.”

Monroe agrees, “There has to be a partnership between the venue manager and public safety. They both have to recognize the potential threat and then work with officials to develop policy and procedures on how they’re going to respond to one. And then, it’s critical to have a good working relationship with the FAA.” Monroe also takes it one step further, encourage venues to engage fans and educating them on saying something if they see something.

“That’s one of the things we learned from that 2015 incident; after the fact, there were a lot of people sending us pictures and video of the UAV flying around the stadium,” he says. “People knew it was there, they just didn’t know to report it.”

Today, UAVs have become more commonplace, with both hobbyist and terrorist posing a threat to sporting events.

“When you talk about a drone incident at one of these events, it’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when.” - David Waldman, Principal

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EVENT MANAGEMENT

CORPORATE SPOTLIGHT: UNITEX DIRECT

A Direct Approach How Unitex Direct became a preferred security uniform provider in the sports world.

For 25 years, Dan Mendelson has lived by three simple

words: Quality. Service. Price. The founder of Unitex Direct, a quality uniform and equipment provider, has been working with security and event service organizations across the U.S., and in his extensive experience, he has encountered a common problem in the industry – poor service.

“I would call an organization in August, about their winter outerwear needs and they would tell me they had it covered,” Mendelson says.

“And then come January, they would frantically call to tell me their order never showed up from their supplier, and that they never bothered to tell them they were out of stock. So early on I recognized that communication was critical to developing a positive experience for the customer.”

Properly outfitting sports security personnel requires a different approach than other uniform programs due to the unique needs of the sports security professional.

Your typical promotional products company also won’t have the depth of knowledge or product access required to complete some stadium apparel objectives.

Mendelson explains, “While jackets and polo shirts are most common, there’s a whole host of accessories that people also want, from badges to boots.

But while many other outfitters may stop at the standard apparel, Unitex Direct addresses the specific needs of the venue and event staff. This includes hand warmers, gloves, knit hats and parkas, critical accessories for staff working in Minnesota in the month of January, for example.

“Bottom line is that you have to have all the things that are necessary to keep a human being functional because everyone knows that if you’re not dressed for the job, you can’t do the job,” Mendelson adds.

While function is first and foremost, all teams and organizations have specific branding and colors that they must adhere to, something Unitex Direct has extensive experience with, including at the highest level.

“A couple years ago, we did work for an event service organization where the owner of an NFL team wanted a very specific custom colored jacket,” shares Mendelson.

“We went and had a jacket produced overseas and we were able to meet his color requirements.”

Where Unitex Direct really shines is in fast turnaround of orders. In working with three NFL stadiums in the Midwest, Unitex Direct was presented with unique delivery problems and they solved them all on time. At one stadium, the laundry ruined 300 polo shirts and replacements were needed by the next game — 5 days away; at another stadium a turnover to a new event service company required 3,000 garments with 3 logos each with 3 colors — to be delivered also in 5 days; and most recently a new stadium contract required the delivery of 600 shirts — with 3 logos on each garment — one logo had 5 colors — to be delivered in 6 days. Everything arrived on time and met the satisfaction of stadium management and the event service team.

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“You have to get the logo exactly right because you’re applying that to hundreds of garments, and the customer could reject them and tell you that’s not the correct logo or color,” says Mendelson, whose acute attention to detail can be attributed to his engineering degree from the University of Illinois. “I apply a mindset that an engineer has in solving problems, and that really resonates with customers.”

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This same attention to detail and passion to deliver the highest customer service possible extends to Mendelson’s employees as well. The 16-person team has a few hundred years of combined experience, many averaging at least 15 years with Unitex Direct.

Mendelson concludes, “They really know how things work and what the expectations are, and they give newer employees the skills they need to get the job done, ensuring that we’re all marching together to deliver for the customer.”

For more information on Unitex Direct, go to www.unitexdirect.com/game-on or stop by the Unitex Direct booth #206 at the NCS4 Conference.

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The issue of security at high-profile sport and entertainment events is more significant than in previous decades. In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001, the United States Department of Homeland Security identified sport venues as soft targets for terrorism. The term soft targets refers to venues vulnerable to adversarial attacks with a potential for high casualties and a delayed or limited security response.

Due to the large numbers of attendees, as well as the public nature of spectator sports, a host of potential risks and threats are associated with sport and entertainment venues. Since 2006, NCS4 has worked diligently with subject matter experts in the sports safety and security industry to provide innovative solutions and documented best practices to enhance the safety and security efforts at sport related critical infrastructures across the country.

The challenge of protecting people, property, and infrastructure begins with who organizations hire.

Commercial sport and entertainment facilities employ and contract work with hundreds of people who gain access to controlled areas within the venue and are responsible for providing quality safety and guest services. It is essential that all employees (full-time, part-time, and/or contracted staff) are properly vetted and qualified to perform key safety and security functions.

Developed with funding from the Mississippi Department of Homeland Security, and delivered via the REDTAIL Security and Screening Program, the Certified Sport Venue Staff (CSVS) certification is the nation’s first comprehensive sport and special event security credential for front line venue and event staff (i.e. security, ticket takers/ushers, guest service representatives, etc.)

IL

APPLICANTS ENROLLED IN THE CSVS PROGRAM RECEIVE: • A comprehensive commercial background check vetted against a list of criminal disqualifiers created by subject matter experts in the sports safety and security industry • Perpetual monthly monitoring of commercial criminal data • Standardized online role-specific training with a comprehensive test The CSVS certification is designed to enhance safety and security efforts for sports and entertainment venues by increasing security awareness and improving capabilities for planning, reporting, emergency response, and evacuations. The CSVS training provides a baseline understanding of safety and security functions for organizations to build upon. All commercial background checks follow the rules and regulations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) for pre-employment screening.

Since the program launched in 2014, over 17,000 front line venue and event staff have participated in the CSVS certification. The CSVS program is currently being implemented by numerous NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL venues as well as several NCAA participating schools representing the SEC, Big 10, Big 12, and Conference USA. The CSVS certification provides organizations and venues the opportunity to enhance existing safety and security efforts by taking a more comprehensive approach to site security, access control, and training.

To take ownership and increase accountability of who is gaining access to work in your venue, visit www.NCS4.com/CSVS to learn more. Should you have any questions about the CSVS program, contact Kyle Hopkins (kyle.hopkins@datamaxx.com, 601-520-0124) or Elizabeth Voorhees (Elizabeth.Voorhees@usm.edu, 601-266-6099) for additional information.

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REDTAIL CASE STUDY Tiger Stadium - Louisiana State University Tiger Stadium, popularly known as Death Valley, is located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on the campus of Louisiana State University. With an official seating capacity of over 100,000 people, Tiger Stadium is the ninth-largest stadium in the world by capacity, the sixth largest stadium in the NCAA and the third largest in the Southeastern Conference. Ensuring the protection and safety of a stadium of this size can be a daunting task. One of the major security concerns is screening the roughly 15,000 event staff personnel that enter the stadium during the football season.

In 2011, LSU partnered with the local FBI Special Events Coordinator to perform criminal background screening for Tiger Stadium events. LSU would be responsible for collecting the game day applicant data, share the data with the FBI, who would then perform inquiries and report disqualifying information back to an LSU established disqualification matrix. Unfortunately, with transient staff issues being the norm in the event staffing industry, there were upwards of 200 new applicant entries during a typical event week. The process being used would not allow LSU to efficiently complete the screening process of this many individuals over a period of only two to three days.

Event staffing companies that service Tiger Stadium are responsible for background screening of their own employees prior to arrival at the event. In addition, the level of screening being performed and the quality of the check itself are also the responsibility of the contractor and a third-party service provider, and the results are not always consistent.

LSU worked with Datamaxx to deploy the REDTAIL Secure Visitor Screening (SVS) Program with Instant Checks at Tiger Stadium. The REDTAIL SVS Program with Instant Checks is an onsite visitor check-in and automated screening platform to instantly screen personnel against FBI National Crime Information Center (NCIC) data sources and provides results back within seconds. REDTAIL Instant Checks for LSU was integrated with the patented GREENLIGHT® technology allowing non-NCIC operators to screen individuals against restricted FBI NCIC data. This screening results in a Green or Red response: Green when no records exist and Red when a “HIT” is present. Red HITS instantly alert on-site law enforcement and security staff to process the HIT accordingly.

LSU Police Chief, Bart Thompson stated, “The LSU Police Department is primarily responsible for the safety of our students and guests. In close coordination with the LSU Athletic Department, we continually assess security protocols for campus events.”

“The Datamaxx REDTAIL SVS Program is an important resource to screen eventday staff in real-time and aligns with LSU safety and security objectives.” - Taylor Assistant Athletic Director David Taylor has now expanded the deployment of REDTAIL at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center where LSU Basketball and Gymnastics events are held along with Alex Box Stadium where LSU Baseball takes place. “REDTAIL SVS enables LSU to provide a secure working environment through advanced screening of employees who are assigned to work in restricted areas and trusted positions,” stated Taylor.

BY THE NUMBERS:

Home Games

Active Felony Warrants

Persons Screened

On-Site Arrests

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XXXXXX Dek. Dek.

BY PAUL STEINBACH

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magine that you’ve just tested your pool water and found it to be — the actual numbers are irrelevant to the story — just fine. A member approaches you 10 minutes later, still in her bathing suit, dripping water on your shoes, and says, “The pH in the pool is high.” You say, “I just checked it and it seemed fine, but I’m happy to look into it,” even though you’d rather say, “Really? You must be a human chemical testing kit, because the water is actually perfect!” At that moment, would you rather be in the fitness business, or on a beach someplace?

Paul Steinbach (paul@athleticbusiness.com, @ SteinbachPaul) is senior editor of Gameday Security.

PHOTO CREDIT

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