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By Helen Pitts
“When it comes to
crisis situations, Bernadette Strobel-Lopez, director of the Bren Events
Center at the University of California, Irvine, says it’s not a matter
of if one will occur, but when.
 “Now,
more than ever before, it is essential to learn and share best practices
for security and safety, so that when an incident does occur you can be
better prepared to take action," says Strobel-Lopez, whose approximately
6,000 seat multipurpose facility is the only enclosed venue in Southern
Orange County, Calif.
Being prepared is exactly why Strobel-Lopez decided to attend IAAM’s
Academy for Venue Safety & Security (AVSS), Aug. 20-24. She was one of
more than 100 facility management professionals from across the United
States, Canada and Puerto Rico who traveled to the American Airlines
Training Center in Fort Worth, Texas, near IAAM’s world headquarters.
“AVSS is an intensive, five-day program aimed at making sure those
responsible for venue safety and security are well trained in the event
of an emergency,” says Harold Hansen, AVSS coordinator. “Our goal is to
heighten their proficiency at preparedness, prevention, response and
recovery.”
Now in its third year, AVSS offers two courses of study. Year 1
curriculum teaches the fundamentals of safety and security practices,
while Year 2 builds upon previous lessons by putting theory into action.
At the end of the program all students are given a comprehensive exam to
test their knowledge, and are then recognized with a certificate of
completion.
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AVSS instructors proved eager to share their
wealth of knowledge with attendees. |
A
highlight of this year’s Academy was the keynote address by Milt
Ahlerich, vice president of security for the National Football League.
Ahlerich, who shared his playbook for safety and security in large
arenas, was one of several experts who led sessions ranging from crowd
management to operations planning for mega shelters.
Students, like Stan Benis, director of Qwest Center in Omaha, Neb., also
had the opportunity to complete the Vulnerability Identification
Self-Assessment Tool (ViSAT) in an onsite computer lab.
Benis says experience gained during the Academy’s war game exercise
proved beneficial during a recent visit by U.S. Vice President Dick
Cheney to the hotel connected to his venue. Security measures used to
admit guests to the venue were based on lessons learned during a similar
scenario at AVSS. “My experience at AVSS has had a direct impact on how
we approach security,” he says.
Strobel-Lopez agrees. “At the end of the week, I came away with a
three-page ‘to do’ list and a great network of peers whom I can call
anytime to exchange ideas.”
Since returning to her venue, Strobel-Lopez has been busy completing the
action items on her list. This includes meeting with the local police
department and fire marshal to review evacuation plans, hiring a
consultant to address external barrier issues, and adopting new measures
to train staff. “I’m really looking forward to coming back again next
year,” she says.
Paula Kirchman, vice president of human resources, PMI/Resch Center,
also has been busy. She, too, has developed training programs based on
Academy curriculum for the employees who work at her 10,000-seat arena
in Green Bay, Wisc. Kirchman also plans to participate in a community
forum on Pandemic Influenza — a topic addressed during AVSS by Captain
Lynn Slepski, a senior public health advisory for the U.S. Department of
Homeland Security.
“AVSS really heightened my awareness about the impact an outbreak of the
virus can have on public assembly facilities,” Kirchman says. “It also
opened my eyes about the potential for my facility being used as a
shelter during a large-scale emergency, and the need to have a plan in
place to interact with first responders.” She cites Bruce Harrison’s
personal account of onsite emergency response following Hurricane
Katrina. Harrison, an AVSS presenter and the assistant fire chief for
the City of DeKalb, Ill., spent six weeks in New Orleans.
 “The
exciting thing about AVSS is that it is a living, breathing Academy,”
says John A. Gordon, who serves on both the planning committee and the
faculty. As the Convocation Center director at Northern Illinois
University, Gordon frequently works with Harrison on emergency response
planning and management.
“As times change and there are different risks that threaten our
facilities, the Academy committee will adjust and formulate curriculum
to meet the evolving needs of facility management professionals,” he
says. “We’re already hard at work planning ahead for next year.”
Helen Pitts, a 2006 AVSS
faculty member, is the founder and principal of Helen Pitts & Associates
Communications. Based in Dallas, the strategic communications consulting
firm specializes in media relations, and crisis communications planning
and training. |
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