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By Rich Powers
Over the past several years, venue managers have been challenged with
the daunting task of operating their venues while facing increased
threats of terrorism, growing trends of fan violence and our society’s
increasing desire to pursue litigation regardless of fault or blame. As
a result, venue managers have been forced to increase their knowledge
and awareness in the areas of safety, security and litigation- reduction
strategies.
Today, the challenge at hand is how to effectively impart this knowledge
to those employees working in the trenches so they can make a positive
impact on the overall safety program at their venue.
In the not-too-distant past, training for ushers at many venues
consisted of little more than a tour of the facility and a review of the
facility’s policies and procedures. Today, many venue managers realize
that a much more sophisticated approach in training ushers is needed.
Since the number of ushers can encompass such a large number of
individuals, developing and implementing quality training programs can
be a challenge. However, the benefits from having a well-trained usher
staff will more than make up for the added time and expense incurred.
Ushers can make a tremendous, positive impact on a venue’s overall crowd
management plan. In fact, arguably the single most important element of
a venue’s crowd management plan is having a well-trained usher and event
staff in place. By providing the proper training for ushers, you’ll see
both direct and indirect benefits which may include, but are not limited
to increased security awareness, decreased response time to incidents,
enhanced emergency response, and decrease in liability claims — all of
which will better protect the organization’s assets and reputation, and
enhance your bottom line.
The following are key training topics that venue managers should
consider when developing a training program for their ushers:
• Proactive ushering
• Emergency response
• Report writing
• Safety inspections
Proactive Ushering
Training for ushers should focus on improving their awareness of unsafe
conditions and also to recognize the subtle, and not-so-subtle, clues
that patrons may exhibit while at the facility, which could lead to
unsafe or unfavorable behavior. This is called “proactive ushering.” The
goal of proactive ushering is to quickly identify any potentially unsafe
condition or situation and immediately take the necessary actions to
properly diffuse it before it escalates into a serious condition. The
three important elements to proactive ushering are understanding crowd
dynamics, vigilance and recognition/ response.
Understanding crowd dynamics.
The term “crowd dynamics” refers to the possible negative outcomes that
may occur when a large group of people interact. The first step in
training proactive ushers is to ensure that they understand the basic
concepts of crowd dynamics and the contributing factors, such as crowd
demographics, rivalries, special events and marketing promotions.
Vigilance.
To be vigilant, ushers must be taught the skill of scanning when working
their specific area of responsibility, commonly referred to as their
“zone.” One training method used to improve an usher’s scanning skills
is called the “20/20 rule.” The 20/20 rule refers to when an usher
surveys his zone within 20 seconds, and is then able to respond to a
situation in his zone within 20 seconds. This ensures that the usher is
capable of responding to a situation within 40 seconds.
Recognition/response.
Once ushers have an understanding of crowd dynamics and have learned how
to properly scan their zones, their recognition skills will improve, and
their response time to handle situations will decrease. These skills are
the very essence of proactive ushering. Ultimately, proactive ushers
will be able to quickly identify potentially unsafe conditions and
respond in a timely, appropriate manner.
Emergency Response
It is mandatory that all ushers need to be highly trained in the
facility’s emergency response procedures. The degree of training that
ushers will need to undergo depends on numerous factors, many of which
may be unique to each venue. At a minimum, ushers should be trained to
provide assistance in the event an emergency evacuation is warranted;
when necessary, to direct patrons to the venue’s designated shelter
area; and in the event of an emergency, to quickly summon the proper
assistance.
Emergency evacuation.
Ushers should have a thorough understanding of the layout of the
facility and, at all times, be aware of at least two exit locations from
any location within the facility (primary and secondary exit routes) so
that they can effectively direct patrons to the nearest and most
practical exit.
Additionally, ushers should be trained to provide assistance to
individuals with disabilities. Ushers must have a clear understanding of
the venue’s Disability Evacuation Plan, or DEP. A venue’s DEP should
include the primary and secondary paths of exit; locations for areas of
rescue, if there are no accessible egress routes available for disabled
individuals to use; and use of special evacuation equipment.
Shelter in place.
Upon notice, ushers must be trained to quickly direct guests to the
appropriate shelter location. This is extremely important for outdoor
venues located in areas of the country where severe weather is
prevalent.
Communication.
The facility’s communication system should be organized efficiently and
be positioned conveniently for an usher to access so that can quickly
summon assistance and activate the facility’s emergency response system
without having to leave his zone. This can be accomplished by using hand
signals, cards or even pagers. Ushers should never be forced to leave
their zone or the location of an incident to search for assistance.
Report writing.
All ushers may not be responsible for completing Incident Response
forms. However, if an usher observes an incident involving an injury,
property damage or security, it’s a prudent exercise to have him
complete a
Witness Statement, which summarizes his observations before, during and
after the incident. Witness Statement forms can play a critical role in
the defense of a liability claim, so it’s essential that the form be
filled out in its entirety in a clear, concise and accurate manner — and
as soon as is reasonably possible following the incident. A poorly
written account of an incident can result in an organization having to
pay unnecessary additional defense costs, as well as have a negative
affect in the outcome of a settlement.
When completing a Witness Statement, it’s very important that ushers
realize that the information they’re providing on the statement could
likely be used in a court of law. It’s possible they may later be
questioned on the information provided on the Witness Statement at the
time of the incident, as compared to what they may remember at the time
of the court proceedings. The following is a list of general guidelines
that should be followed when completing a narrative report of this
nature:
• Write down the facts as they occurred in chronological order.
• Include only the pertinent facts and observations.
• Use clear, concise language.
• Use ordinary words and short sentences; avoid being wordy.
• Avoid being dramatic or emotional.
• Don’t speculate or offer opinions.
• Don’t offer any conclusions.
• Appropriately include statements made by other parties during the
incident.
Safety Inspections
Safety inspections are a critical part of a facility’s overall safety
program. No facility, no matter how new or state-of-the art, is without
imperfections. Pre-event inspections are especially important to
conduct, as they represent one last opportunity to ensure the facility
is as free from obvious hazards as possible before the public is allowed
to enter the premises.
Ushers are a tremendous help in performing pre-event safety inspections.
For example, ushers can easily be trained to inspect the stairs,
walkways, seats, and railings prior to the patrons entering the
facility. It’s also important to note that ushers are required to
properly document these inspections as they are performed.
Documentation of all safety inspections, as well as the corrective
actions taken, are critical as this information provides proof that
areas were inspected prior to the event, any unsafe conditions were
noted, and unsafe conditions were corrected and/or handled appropriately
as necessary. It also demonstrates that the venue operator is
safety-conscious and has exercised reasonable care to ensure that the
venue is properly maintained.
Venue managers can no longer spend minimal time and resources in
training their usher staff. A more comprehensive, proactive approach to
your usher training program is essential and must focus on task
performance techniques; emergency response procedures; report writing
instruction; and safety inspection education. Improving your usher
training program will enhance your facility’s overall safety program,
providing a sound investment to protect your venue’s assets and
reputation, and enhance your bottom line. fm
Rich Powers is the vice president of risk services for American
Specialty Insurance & Risk Services Inc. Rich annually performs 15 to 20
on-site risk and security assessments at stadiums and arenas across the
country. |
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