Event
Security
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security professionals
for over 25 years.
Ensure your event is adequately protected with our range of event security professionals, backed by our industry-leading service team.
EVENT
SECURITY
Event security describes the measures undertaken, usually in the form of security guards and other security-related personnel, to ensure the safety of visitors and staff at any large-scale event.
Event security is put in place to deal with all manner of potential incidents. From planned attacks to crowd trouble, damage to property, intoxicated guests, gate crashing, theft, injuries, and much more. An experienced event security officer from a quality provider will have undergone various specialist training courses, including crowd management, conflict resolution, and first aid.Planning your event security
No matter the size of an event, many things must be considered when planning an event. Security should be a major priority at all stages of the planning. The security and safety of event attendees should always be more important than anything else. Some smaller events attempt to hold events without any security provision. In our experience, this usually leads to problems with health & safety, access, or crowd control, not to mention falling foul of licensing regulations. Prime Secure can provide a consultative assessment of your event, but we advise you not to leave organising your security to the last minute. There are myriad rules, regulations, and factors to be considered when preparing an effective event security plan. Failure to account for these in the early stages of planning often leads to insufficient budget being left for adequate security coverage, resulting in inadequate security measures or the hast cutting back of the planned event to cater for these previously unconsidered security concerns.Things to consider when planning an event
Event planning should incorporate security from the outset, and here are some of the things you should consider. Prime Secure’s consultative security service can help you do this and ensure you don’t miss anything. Planned Attacks Planned attacks, whether by terrorists or unsound individuals, are sadly an increasingly common occurrence. Recent years have seen attacks on religious venues, concertgoers, pedestrians, airports, trains, buses, transport hubs, and more. Anywhere with more than a few people can be a target these days. More significant events are often more attractive targets to perpetrators, thanks to the potential for higher casualty rates.- Should event attendees have bags and coats searched for weapons?
- Who will conduct any searches that will be carried out?
- Which items will you allow to be taken into the event?
- Should body scanners be used?
- Who will operate body scanners if deployed?
- How many staff are required to guard the perimeter?
- How many staff will monitor the crowds for suspicious behaviour?
- What training will each role deployed require?
- How far from the site entrance should your security extend?
- Does your event location require a crime analysis of the area?
- Are the venue surroundings suitable?
- Can the location be adequately secured?
- Are there sufficient escape routes, especially for VIPs?
- Are there sufficient toilets to limit queuing and potential trouble?
- Are refreshments stalls sufficiently spaced to prevent overcrowding?
- Could a safe evacuation be undertaken if required?
- Event Overview
- Venue / Site Details
- Health & Safety
- Infrastructure
- Waste Management
- Crew Management
- Stewarding
- Traffic Management
- Emergency Action Plan
- Major Incident Plan
- One Page Summary
Types of Event Security
Event security staff come in all shapes and sizes and are referred to by many names. Whatever you call them and whatever you want them to do, Prime Secure can deliver all of these and manage your security deployment as the event takes place.
Physical access control and the searching of event attendees to ensure only authorised individuals with no prohibited items gain access to your event is essential to the smooth running of any event.
Door Stewards, are used to control access to and behaviour within an event. Door Stewards can be hired for regular events or one-off occasions like private and corporate parties.
Some locations will have access to a CCTV system, whether as standard or temporarily installed. CCTV Operators are skilled at monitoring all the cameras that the system operates from a control room. CCTV Operators allow operational overview and the ability to cover large areas at once while liaising with boots on the ground to more effectively address potential issues before they escalate.
A Close Protection Officers (CPO), also referred to as a bodyguard, is deployed to provide personal protection to an individual or a family, often responsible for more than just physical safety.
A Crowd Security Officer, or Crowd Steward, will work as part of a team and be familiar with the venue’s layout and facilities. They will help carry out pre-set checks, advise event guests and monitor crowds for any signs of distress or problems in the making.
Concert and gig crowds are more likely to be boisterous than other event guests. Concert stewards are specifically trained to prevent overcrowding, manage crowds, spot potential hazards. They are also trained in first aid and know all escape routes intimately.
Conferences should be less rowdy than a gig, so conference security officers are, in addition to the usual tasks of an event steward, will be well versed in the activities and events on offer at the conference, making them better able to help advise attendees.
Door supervisors oversee door security officers. Together, they will manage access to an event, check guests for contraband items, take tickets, ensure any dress code is adhered to, respond to any incidents, and remain alert to any potential hazards or incidents.
This is the generic term, and, as you can see from the other descriptions of event security roles, there can be many specialist types of event security officers. In general terms, though, an event steward will be responsible for the security and safety of people and property at an event. Event security officers will patrol, manage crowds, advise guests on facilities, and more.
Female security officers typically adopt a negotiation style that is more diplomatic and can search female guests without issue. Male event security officers cannot check female bathrooms or toilets and so will be required at most events.
Football stewards will help crowds find their seats, prevent overcrowding, and ensure match goers behave appropriately. To most matchday fans, football stewards tend to be the public face of the football club, so professional and experienced football stewards are essential to effectively controlling a football crowd.
All of our security guards are trained in first aid, and we can arrange specialist security personnel with health and safety training and medical training. Both health and safety and first aid are moral and legal requirements for any event.
A level two security guard is essentially another name for an event steward. Level two security officers do not hold an SIA license but will be trained in first aid.
In military terms, a command and control officer is responsible for overseeing a security team and managing communications to allow the smooth operation of the security plan.
Security management is the organisation of all of the assets contained in a security plan. These can include personal, buildings, machines, policies, and procedures.
A show steward or show security officer will be responsible for the security and safety of people and property at an event. Event security officers will patrol, manage crowds, advise guests on facilities, and more.
The SIA is the Security Industry Authority, and its accreditation is the industry benchmark. SIA licensed door supervisors are trained in many skills, covering everything from drug awareness to understanding the powers of arrest, emergency procedures, queue management, conflict resolution, and more.
SIA (Security Industry Authority) qualified security guards/officers are trained to higher than non-SIA Stewards. Regular, or tier two, stewards manage crowds and the event itself. SIA Stewards can control access and egress at an event. They are trained in crowd control from a security point of view, crisis management, and conflict management, and they can perform searches.
Sporting events, often at stadiums but also the at likes of racecourses and regattas, tend to have excitable and passionate crowds. As well as possessing an intimate knowledge of the venue’s facilities and emergency exits, as well as being trained in first aid and CPR so that they can assist guests in need until the emergency services can arrive. They also play a vital role in facilitating emergency exit protocols.
Usually only required for high value or celebrity weddings, wedding security officers. Their responsibilities are to monitor, report, and defend against any unwanted behaviour and prevent unwanted intrusion attempts.
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