Planning and Managing Security for Major Special Events: Guidelines for Law Enforcement LESSON PLAN FOR MODULE 5: IDENTIFYING STAFFING NEEDS AND RESOURCES LESSON PLAN Unit: Module 5: Identifying Staffing Needs and Resources Slide 1: Title Slide Number of Hours: 1 Goals: This module provides law enforcement leaders with an awareness-level overview of the staff resources that need to be considered when planning for a major special event. Such events include fairs, parades, demonstrations, sporting events, concerts, political conventions, cultural exhibitions, and many other large-scale gatherings. Participants will be presented with several key questions that need to be assessed as they plan for a special event. Learning Objectives: The student will: * Identify the key questions (planning considerations) to ask during the initial planning phase of an event pertaining to staff resources. * Identify some critical considerations that an event planner must consider when determining the staffing requirements for an event. * List several resources that an agency can use to enhance its security posture at an event as it pertains to personnel staffing. Slide 2: Learning Objectives ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [BEGINNING OF CONTENT] I. Key Staffing Questions Slides 3, 4, and 5: Key Staffing Questions The first issue addressed by all agencies in the initial security planning stages for a major event is the need for personnel resources. Planning groups need to think about personnel resource needs in different ways as demonstrated in these key questions: * Can we identify all the security assignments/posts that require staffing? * How many personnel will be needed for each assignment/post? * How many supervisors will be needed to oversee the personnel at each assignment/post? * How long will shifts last (8 hours, 12 hours)? * How much relief will be needed? * Are we paying overtime to our own officers? * Are we paying overtime to officers from outside agencies/other jurisdictions? * What different types of skills do we need (e.g., information technology specialists, administrative support, dispatchers, canine handlers, bike patrol, horse mounted, etc.)? * What different types of authority do we need (e.g., prosecutors, civil attorneys, etc.)? In estimating the number of security personnel needed for a special event, it is always best to err on the side of having too many rather than not enough. Slide 6: Too Many vs. Not Enough II. Planning Considerations Pertaining to Staff Resources Slides 7 and 8: Planning Considerations * What is the specific venue type (e.g., outside, inside, urban, rural, etc.)? * Can we expect crowds in the vicinity of the event that are not actually event participants? * Are there any generalities that can be defined based on prior events of this type (e.g., IMF/WMF events, certain musical bands, etc.)? * Have we contacted other agencies that have hosted a similar event (lessons learned)? * How many jurisdictions are involved in the event? * What resources are we actually responsible for providing? What resources are provided by the venue? III. Partnerships to Enhance Coverage and Reduce Costs Slide 9: Partnerships After the number of personnel needed for security is estimated, planning groups can begin to determine how the resources will be acquired. In this stage, the lead agency needs to identify all the other necessary agencies and groups to partner with to effectively secure the event. While most planners will initially think of other law enforcement agencies, we need to discuss some other potential partners that can serve to enhance our coverage. A. Private Security Sector Slide 10: Private Security The private sector owns the organizations, and often the facilities, involved in many major events. In many of these events, the owners are responsible for hiring their own private security to work with law enforcement to provide security for the event. This will generally result in three options for the overall security of the event. Slides 11, 12, and 13: Security Options for Private Venues * Private security handles all of the security for the event/venue, and the local law enforcement agencies are only responsible for responding if a police action is required. * Private security handles the interior aspects of the event, and the local law enforcement agencies are responsible for all activities outside of the venue (e.g., traffic, parking, gatherings outside, etc.). * The local law enforcement agency has the primary jurisdiction and is supplemented by private security personnel. This will often be the case when the venue is owned by the local government and is rented or leased by a private vendor for an event. B. Hotel Security Slide 14:Hotel Security One of the more critical relationships for law enforcement to cultivate is with hotel security. Spectators attending every major event stay in hotels. The hotel security staff can act as a force multiplier for security at special events. Slide 15: Hotel Security Planning * Obtain a current contact list of cell phones and pagers for hotel security personnel prior to an event. * Have law enforcement personnel conduct walk-throughs of the hotels and personally coordinate event with hotel security. * Download floor plans of critical hotel locations into the computer system in your command center. * Make sure establishments related to the event have been currently inspected to ensure that fire alarms and related security technology are in working order. Slide 16: Las Vegas Security Professionals Hotel security professionals from Las Vegas were instrumental in providing event security training to law enforcement personnel after 9/11. C. Volunteers Slide 17: Volunteers Volunteers are used to supplement security in many special events. Using volunteers to supplement security forces provides low-cost personnel resources and can demonstrate healthy police-community collaboration. Examples: Slide 18: Examples * The annual gay and lesbian parade and celebration hosted by the city of West Hollywood makes use of about 1,000 volunteers from the Christopher Street West Association. The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department attributes much of the event’s success to that cooperation. * Security for the Tournament of Roses Parade and Rose Bowl football game makes use of approximately 1,200 volunteers from the Tournament of Roses Association. D. Specialty Security Services Slide 19: Specialty Security Services The lead event security agency needs to determine the variety of specialty resources that might provide support to secure a major special event. Some examples of specialty services commonly deployed at special events are: * Bomb detection canines and handlers * Mounted units * Bicycle units * Motorcycle units * Gang units * Drug/vice units * Fraud units * SWAT and similar special operations units. Slide 20: Examples IV. Conclusion Slide 21: Conclusion In sum, the security planning group for a major special event needs to understand that the optimal staffing level for an event may simply not be in the budget and the use of private security staff and volunteers may be the force multiplier that you need to cover an event. Well-established relationships with other groups and organizations can go a long way to help cover the immense staff resources required for a major special event. V. Tabletop Exercise and Student Worksheets Slide 22: Tabletop Exercise and Student Worksheets 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. 1