G4S TO TRAIN LOCALS AS OLYMPIC PARK SECURITY GUARDS

By Anthony Hildebrand

The Olympic Delivery Authority says recently appointed security guarding contractor G4S Security Services UK will work with the ODA and five host Boroughs to help local residents access the new jobs created by plans to increase the security of the Olympic Park.
As part of a strategy to enhance the security and safety of the Olympic Park site as work accelerates, G4S Security Services UK has been appointed to provide security guarding. The company aims to train and employ local residents to help it fulfil the contract, which runs up to the start of the 2012 Games, and to provide long term career opportunities after 2012.
All security guarding opportunities will be advertised in the local media around the Olympic Park and through the local Job Centre plus network and host borough job brokerage services. All Olympic Park security guards will then be trained to achieve Security Industry Authority accreditation and the Construction Skills Certification as well as further specialised security training.
The ODA says the new security guarding service will help ensure that the Olympic Park is safe and secure for the workforce and local people from this autumn as construction work increases on the Olympic Stadium, Aquatics Centre, Olympic Village and infrastructure projects. Over 2500 workers are on site at present, building to 4000 at the end of the year.
Additional measuresFurther measures to increase the security and safety of the Olympic Park, which will be phased in during the course of this year, include the replacement of the temporary hoardings that currently surround the Olympic Park with a more substantial perimeter fence starting later this year; and procurement is underway of both a vehicle and people screening contractor, access control systems and a package of perimeter security systems and functions.
ODA Chief Executive David Higgins said: “As we enter the Big Build phase it is essential that we phase in robust and effective plans to ensure the security and safety of both the Olympic Park workforce – which will number around 9,000 at peak – and the surrounding communities.
“A professional and appropriate security service is a crucial component of these plans but will also contribute to the London 2012 legacy by creating opportunities for local people to gain training, jobs and long term career development.”
More appointmentsThe ODA hopes to appoint an access control systems contractor by the autumn with the systems up and running by early 2009, a vehicle and people screening contractor next year ready to start work on site, and a provider of perimeter security systems and functions by early 2009.
During the cleaning and clearing of the Olympic Park an interim security guarding service has been provided by contractors and overseen by the ODA.

HOW DO OUTDOOR EVENTS SECURE THEMSELVES?

Securing Glasto, 09/09/2008

What can make securing a music festival quite galling for a security person trying to do a job may be the rebellious attitude of some of the musicians. For instance veteran rocker Iggy Pop sang 'No Fun' into the face of one steward, and tried to crowd-surf at Isle of Wight pop festival in the summer.Can they keep within the Private Security Industry Act regarding contract security officers, and protect themselves and the thousands of customers from threats from theft to ticket-touting to drug dealing and (as has harmed Glastonbury before) mass intrusion by people without tickets breaching the perimeter?! Let alone safeguarding people out to have a good time who may resent any staff trying to enforce rules against crowd surfers or about drinking or camp-fires or VIP-access only areas. There’s a link here with the regulator because SIA director Andy Drane, as a former Avon and Somerset assistant chief constable, took charge of policing a Glastonbury among other things for the force. At arguably the biggest and most famous open-air summer event, Glastonbury, the answer seems to have been a careful division of (SIA-licensable) security activities and other actions that stewards can do without needing security skills. GFL (Glastonbury Festivals Limited) has hundreds of volunteer stewards - provided for years by charity Oxfam, wearing flourescent bibs - to ‘support’ the security set-up. According to GFL, the stewarding duties include: Crowd management in venues Parking and marshalling traffic Stewarding entrances and exits Fire stewarding in venues Campsite stewarding operating security lock-ups staffing information points and generally assisting members of the public. The stewards when they are not working a shift can enjoy the rest of the festival for free, and hence attracts students. Specialist security staff do all what GFL term the higher-risk activities, such as dealing with confrontation, village security - that is, the temporary home for the tens of thousands of tented visitors - and staffing the pits of the main stages. GFL adds: “One area where it is specifically important to clarify the respective roles of security and stewards is at the gates. The role of the Glastonbury gate stewards includes: checking for valid tickets and passes; providing directions as requested by the public; operating the pass-out system Carrying out vehicle accreditation Checking for valid vehicle passes Providing information – such as camping availability Directing traffic on site Directing public, both to the gates and from the Bus Station The role of the contract security companies, working on gates, may include some aspects of the above, but is more likely to include: protecting gate staff and securing pass-out tickets (which might be a source of conflict and / or people trying to get in without paying); dealing with any confrontation; searching vehicles and seizing any contraband goods; liaising with other security personnel over ticket touts and organised crime. Summer 2008 was the first full season for the deployment of digital wireless equipment for events from CCTV installer Spindlewood.The Wakefield-based company was awarded the 14 camera system by Live Nation for the Download Festival at Donnington, after we had demonstrated how our new technology, with USP battery backup, could overcome the problems of terrain, interruption of power supply and wireless interference from the East Midlands Airport.The company was asked to provide the same coverage in Hyde Park for the O2 Wireless Festival and the Mandela Birthday Concert. Donnington Park itself then contracted the firm to cover their Motor Cycle Grand Prix.At both Events at Donnington and Hyde Park, deployed was a body mounted digital video system, the Ranger, to provide a roving and immediately available unit to attend on site for transmissions back to the operations centre. Called to over 50 incidents, it tracked and led to the arrest of drug dealers and pick-pockets, aided immediate interventions in crowd control and helped on the spot decisions for medical treatments for cases ranging from exhaustion to over-indulgence. Recently Spindlewood won contracts at two more hotels in the Holiday Inn Express chain, at Watford and Burnley. Both hotels require a 12 camera system integrated with intruder and panic alarms linked to local police. And the new Hard Days Night Hotel in Liverpool has a 25 WDR Vista Mini dome camera system installed by Spindlewood. A further five vandal resistant Vista domes have been installed externally for coverage access points to the hotel. Footage is fed back to the security manager’s office where it can be viewed on two Vista monitors and two 16 way DVRs.