Module 5:

Identifying Staffing Needs and Resources


•Identify the key questions (planning considerations) 
to ask during the initial planning phase of an event.
•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.


Text Box: Learning Objectives
Key Staffing 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?

Key Staffing Questions

•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 
jurisdictions?

Key Staffing Questions

•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…



Staff 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.)?

Staff Planning Considerations

•Have we contacted other agencies that have 
hosted a similar event (lessons learned)?
•How many jurisdictions are involved in the 
security plan?
•What resources are we, as the lead agency, 
actually responsible for providing? What 
resources are provided by the venue?

Partnerships

Planning in the Force Multiplier


This will generally result in three 
options for the overall security of 
the event…

Partnerships -Private SecurityThe 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.

Partnerships -Private Security

Option One:
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 needed.

Partnerships –Private Security

Option Two:
Private security handles the 
interior aspects of the event, and 
the local law enforcement 
agencies are responsible for all 
activities outside the venue (e.g., 
traffic, parking, gatherings outside 
event, etc.).

Option Three:

The local law enforcement 
agency has the primary 
jurisdiction and is 
supplemented by private 
security. This usually will be 
the case when the venue is 
owned by the local 
government and rented or 
leased by a private vendor 
for the event.

Partnerships -Private Security



One of the more critical relationships for law 
enforcement to cultivate is with hotel security.

Partnerships -Hotel Security

Spectators attending every major event stay in hotels.


Partnerships -Hotel Security Planning

•Obtain a current list of cell phones and pagers for 
hotel security personnel prior to event.
•Have law enforcement personnel conduct 
walk-throughs of the hotels and personally 
coordinate the event with hotel security.
•Download floor plans of critical hotel locations into 
the computer system in your command center.
•Make sure that establishments related to the event 
have been currently inspected to ensure that fire 
alarms and related security technology are in 
working order.

Hotel security professionals from Las Vegas were 
instrumental in providing event security training to law 
enforcement personnel after 9/11.

Las Vegas Security 


Volunteers are used to supplement security in many 
special events. Using volunteers to supplement security 
forces provides low-cost personnel resources and can 
demonstrate a healthy police-community collaboration.

Partnerships -Volunteers


Partnerships –Volunteers: Examples 

•The West Hollywood gay and lesbian parade and 
celebration draws very large crowds and uses about 
1,000volunteers from a local nonprofit organization. 
Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department credits them with 
the success of this event.
•The Tournament of Roses Parade and Rose Bowl 
game make use of approximately 1,200 volunteers 
from the Tournament of Roses Association.

The lead event security agency needs to determine the 
variety of specialty resources that might provide support 
to secure a major special event.

Specialty Security Services 



Specialty Security Services: Examples 

•Bomb detection canines 
and handlers•Mounted units•Bicycle units•Motorcycle units
•Gang units•Drug/vice units•Fraud units•SWAT and similar 
special operations units

Image Preview
Conclusion



Tabletop Exercise:

Continuation of Module 1 Tabletop Exercise, 
“Pre-Planning for Major Events”


BREAK