Why is planning a key part of special event security

Hosting a special event brings lots of responsibilities. From making sure your attendees have a good time, managing entertainment to ensuring everyone’s safety – it can seem like a daunting task. Whether you’re hosting a minor private party or a much more significant sporting event, the security of your guests should be your top priority. However, it’s entirely reasonable that people worry more about everyone’s entertainment, catering services, etc. than the actual safety. Therefore, if you’re looking to focus more on these things, it’s recommended you leave the safety part in the hands of experienced professionals who offer security guards patrol services. 

Special event security planning can save you a lot of time, money, and nerves. By going through all the essential safety aspects of your event ahead of time, you’ll be able to turn to the other tasks on your checklist without compromising anyone’s safety. With that in mind, here’s what needs to be covered during special event security planning.

The type of venue

Every venue brings unique risks. Therefore, you’ll need to consider all the different ways the venue can impact attendees’ safety. This means taking some time before the actual event to map out all the emergency exits and remove any potential hazards (for example, an old carpet that may cause people to trip, unmonitored back doors, etc.). 

Types of risks associated with the event

Depending on the event you’re hosting, the risks that may occur can vary significantly. For instance, if there will be some controversial speakers, or people discussing controversial topics, you’ll need to think about whether or not these speakers may attract certain types of disturbances. You may want to ask around the area and find out if similar events have been hosted in the past and whether or not they’ve had an experience with people causing disturbances. That way, you’ll know how to prevent them and get prepared in case you need to have an armed security patrol.

Working with an experienced social event security team

If hosting special events is your occupation, you’re most likely well educated in your field and know exactly what your attendees want to experience and see at your events. Accordingly, companies that offer security guard patrol services are skilled in overseeing your events’ security aspects. Of course, not all security guard services are made the same, which means you should do some research before hiring the right one. However, experienced security officers have gone through security guard training and can notice any potential threats and act quickly and accordingly. 

Establishing a transparent chain of command

It’s vital to have a transparent chain of command before the event starts. The information about it needs to be transferred to everyone involved with the event, including your event staff and the security team. Simply put, everyone needs to be aware of their responsibilities during the event.

Making communication a priority

Following the previous tip, everyone involved in the event organizing should communicate with the staff and the security team. It’s often that problems arise when you least expect them. To fix those problems as soon as possible, you need to establish good communication between everyone involved in the event organization. For example, two-way radios or headsets can be used to facilitate communication and enable everyone to ask questions as soon as a problem arises. By making communication a priority, you’re also enabling security officers to operate more efficiently, as they can report every issue the moment they notice it. 

Walking the venue before the event starts

Knowing the venue inside and out goes a long way in ensuring everyone’s safety. To achieve it, you’ll need to map out all the entrances and exits and share the information with your staff. That way, you’ll also be able to position security officers at the right places.

Printing and displaying the rules for the venue (or the event)

Keep in mind that you can’t expect people to respect your rules if they don’t know about them. And, instead of telling every single attendee or an employee how to behave, you should print the directions and display them. If, for example, you’re not allowing people to bring certain items to the event, letting them know that in advance will make the situation much more pleasant for everyone. 

Being ready for medical issues

It’s pretty uncomfortable to think about the medical emergencies that may arise at your event. However, it’s mandatory. Medical issues can occur anywhere, and many of them are not even predictable. You may not expect them, but you do need to be prepared. It would help if you had an on-site medical team that can quickly address any injuries or emergencies. However, if that’s not possible, you should at least put someone in charge of medical emergencies. This person should be someone with an accurate CPR certificate and should be able to administer first aid. 

Final thoughts

Although hosting a special event can be pretty exciting, it can quickly turn into a stressful experience if all its features (especially the security ones) are not planned ahead of time. It may seem as if there are too many things that need to be covered and many personnel covering it. If you’re looking to lift that weight of special event security planning off your shoulders and be able to focus more on the entertainment part of your special event, feel free to contact Alert Patrol to hire professional security guard services.