Planning and Managing Security for Major Special Events: 
Guidelines for Law Enforcement

LESSON PLAN FOR 

MODULE 3: CONDUCTING THE THREAT/RISK ASSESSMENT

LESSON PLAN						
Unit: Module 3: Conducting the Threat/Risk Assessment

Slide 1: Title Slide


Number of Hours: 1 

Goals: This module introduces participants to the concept of 
special event threat and risk assessment, demonstrates how the 
assessments are done, and has participants examine local threats 
and risks to special events.  Risk assessment precedes and 
contributes to risk management.  Good risk assessment feeds into 
special event security planning (what to plan for) and special 
event security management (implementing plans and responding 
to developments).  Risk assessment identifies the threats that 
need to be countered, the vulnerabilities that need to be 
strengthened and protected, and the adverse effects that need to 
be avoided.



Learning Objectives: 

Slide 2: Learning Objectives


Students will be able to:

*Identify key areas associated with risk as it pertains to 
special events.
*Recognize that risk assessment is a precursor to risk 
management.
*Relate the module material to events in their home 
jurisdiction.

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[BEGINNING OF CONTENT]

Slide 3: Why Assess Risk?

Quote from Dep. Comm. Philadelphia PD

Use to show perspective of experienced local law enforcement

Defining Terms

Slide 4: Defining Terms

Explain that risk is the overall danger associated with an event 
and that risk is a function of three factors: threat, vulnerability, 
and impact.

Examples of Threats

Slide 5: Examples of Threats

Threat is the likelihood of something bad happening–an 
intentional, natural, or accidental occurrence that would harm the 
event.  Discuss the list of examples with the class, solicit other 
categories of threats, and discuss the relative likelihood of these 
threats to events in the students’ jurisdictions.

Question for class:  Ask class for other examples.

Question for class:  Ask class about likelihood of these 
occurring at special event in their areas.

Examples of Vulnerabilities

Slide 6: Examples of Vulnerabilities

Vulnerability is weakness in protection against a threat.  It can be 
a general vulnerability, such as an event in an isolated location 
far from emergency services.  Or it can be a vulnerability 
specific to a threat, such as a venue that does not have sufficient 
water supply for fire suppression.  Discuss the list of examples 
with the class, solicit other categories of vulnerabilities, and 
discuss the relative vulnerabilities of events in the students’ 
jurisdictions.

Question for class:  Ask class for other examples.
Question for class:  Ask class what are most likely 
vulnerabilities of special event in their areas.

Examples of Impact

Slide 7: Examples of Impact

Impact refers to the effects or consequences of bad things if they 
happen – the key issue is how big the impact will be if the threat 
materializes.  Discuss the list of examples with the class, solicit 
other categories of impact, and discuss the impacts in relation to 
events in the students’ jurisdictions.

Question for class:  Ask class for other examples.

Making Assessments

Slide 8: Making Assessments

These general guidelines for making assessments of event risk 
are drawn from “Planning and Managing Security for Major 
Special Events: Guidelines for Law Enforcement,” pages 17 to 
19.  Ask the students if they can think of any other important 
guidelines.

Calculating Risk

Slide 9: Calculating Risk

Explain that before introducing the formula for calculating event 
security risk, it might be helpful to think about some examples of 
high and low threat, high and low vulnerability, and high and 
low impact as they relate to special events.  Examples of realistic 
threats facing national events could include severe winter 
weather or terrorism at an Olympics, for example.  You should 
prompt the students for examples that are realistic to the types of 
special events they have in their jurisdictions, and then engage 
them in a reality-check discussion about high and low, making 
the point that most local events do not face a very high 
probability of critical threats or devastating impact.  This is an 
important discussion because, otherwise, students have a 
tendency to over-rate the risks facing events in their 
jurisdictions.

Next introduce the students to the actual formula.  The 
components–threat, vulnerability, impact–should be familiar by 
now.  All the formula requires is to multiply the numerical 
ratings for each of these factors to calculate a risk score for the 
event.

Slide 10: Using the Risk Calculation

The handout “Risk Assessment for Special Events” shows how 
to rate each component–threat, vulnerability, impact–from low to 
critical.  Point out to the students how the rating scales work for 
each component.  Point out that rating each component for an 
event is a judgment call.

Slide 11: Using the Information

Show the students how using the formula will result in a risk 
score of 1 to 64.  If an event is rated as low on all three 
components, its score will be 1 (1x1x1=1).  At the other extreme, 
if an event is rated as critical on all three components, then 
4x4x4=64.  The handout “Risk Levels for Special Events” 
suggests how to take risk scores and translate them into five 
categories of special event security risk.

Slide 12: Conclusion

It is important to emphasize at this point that risk assessment is 
designed to do more than just result in a score.  Each aspect of 
the risk assessment provides useful and practical information for 
risk management.  In other words, the threat assessment 
identifies the most serious threats facing the event; naturally, 
attention can then be focused on threat reduction. Similarly, 
vulnerability assessment identifies the most serious weaknesses 
in event protection and logically suggests infrastructure and 
systems in need of improvement.  If serious impacts are 
anticipated, this provides the justification for higher-priority 
planning, preparation, and resources.  So risk assessment is about 
much more than assigning an overall risk score.

Tabletop Exercise and Student Worksheets

Slide 13: Tabletop Exercise

A tabletop exercise was introduced in Module 1 and is used to 
demonstrate the need for pre-planning for major special events.  
The instructor should refer the class back to the tabletop 
exercise, anchoring teaching points to a common theme 
throughout the course. 

Students should also work on the “Lessons to Learn” worksheet.  
The instructor should ask students to spend a few minutes 
completing this document, which will help them research and 
gain deeper knowledge about this particular topic.

Students should also work on the “Personal Action Plan” 
worksheet.  This worksheet is designed to help students develop 
specific steps, actions, or contacts and will help them relate the 
material to events they are responsible for in their own 
jurisdictions.

Slide 14: Break