President's Message

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Safety, Security Take ProminenceThis Time Of Year

September 11, 2001, changed our way of life forever. As we remember that fateful day, we must note that we, as facility managers, must be ever diligent in our efforts to provide a safe environment for our guests.

We are many things to many people every time we open the doors to our facilities. We want our guests to marvel at the beauty and cleanliness of our buildings. We want our customer service to be excellent in every way so that our guests cannot wait to come back to see us again and again.

But before we can dazzle them with aesthetics or regale them like royalty, this time of year the calendar especially reminds us of what we positively must do: ensure their safety.

Just within the past few weeks we have witnessed the spectacle of the Summer Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, where security was at levels never before approached. Wary of possible terrorist attack, Olympic planners spent an unprecedented$1.5 billion on missiles, jet fighters, helicopters, warships, mobile scanners, a 200-foot “smart blimp,” rooftop snipers anymore than 100,000 security troops.

Despite this historic expenditure, the question going into the Games was simply, “Is that enough?” The answer, without feigning indifference, is," Who knows?”

The unfortunate reality of the world in which we live is that spending millions and even billions of dollars cannot guarantee complete safety to those who visit our venues. Still, it is our responsibility to do what we can within our means and resources to keep our guests safe. Just how do we do that?

Education and Training Is The AnswerI
I encourage you to review and practice all the emergency plans you have in place. Now may be the time to renew the relationships and friendships with all the entities that will be involved with your emergency plan. By doing so, everyone involved will be better informed, prepared and familiar with the operation. Practice your emergency plan!

IAAM has been a major advocate of safety and security and recently completed an overwhelmingly successful inaugural Academy for Venue Safety & Security (AVSS). The public assembly facility management industry’s thirst for education in the areas of safety and security was evident in the advance sellout of the AVSS. Four days of intensive training by some of the best and the brightest in the field armed attendees with plenty of information and knowledge to take back to their facilities.

Why All The Fuss?
Billions spent on security for an Olympic games. IAAM addressing a need by implementing a safety and security academy. Our own venues conducting additional training on emergency preparedness. The common thread for the above is largely the result of another incident that happened just more than three years ago: the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Since then, of course, many of the changes wrought by 9/11have been obvious at our facilities. We all take various security measures before admitting guests, vendors and staff into the buildings. Many facilities have restrictions on where vehicles maybe parked on the venue property. The design for new structures takes into account many built-in security features.

So whether we are talking about security at the Olympics, the AVSS, the memory of September 11 or the training conducted amour respective facilities, the fact remains that we must all be vigilant.

Out of Many, We Are One has special relevance in that wearer one body of people responsible for providing safe facilities during troubled times. The reminders over the past couple of months about safety and security again bring those issues to the forefront of our minds. Let us never lose focus that in addition tour fabulous venues and our first-class customer service, we are first and foremost a place where our guests can expect to enjoy themselves in a safe, clean, comfortable and secure environment. Are you doing enough?.

Jimmy Earl, CFE
IAAM President