Post Pandemic: Seeing Sport Venue Risk Management Through An Holistic Lens

As the world's confidence increases with the emergence of several FDA approved Covid-19 vaccines, the demand for live in person events will skyrocket. There is no question that this horrible pandemic, the worst infectious disease outbreak since 1918, has turned the globe upside down. Many have described this era as the fourth industrial revolution. That being said, with uncertainty comes opportunity. With the emergence of AI, IoT and other fascinating technologies, these are indeed most interesting times.

Furthermore, in terms of safeguarding today's special events, the bad actors have been sitting on the sidelines, studying our pandemic, safety, security, health, cyber and counter terrorism playbooks, waiting for the opportune time to strike. The threat continuum is contentious, ongoing and ever-evolving. With respect to safeguarding stadiums, venues, and arenas both here and aboard, now is the right time for venue ownership groups to team with highly trained SME's-subject matter experts to assist their organization in the following areas:

terrorism-domestic, international, lone wolf

mass casualty incidents, active shooter, aerial assailant-black swan events

pandemic planning, infectious disease outbreaks

venue risk assessments: threats, gaps and vulnerabilities

event staff training for way finders-Europe and guest services-U.S.

drone technology-utilized for reconnaissance and venue sanitation purposes

integration of technologies within the space, i.e. virtual queuing-fast pass lanes, biometrics, iris scans

fire drills, dry runs, computer simulations and table top exercises, after action reports, lessons learned, sharing of best practices, duty of care, OSHA, ADA

coordination of efforts with key governmental stakeholders, fusion centers, Joint Terrorism Task Force-JTTF, U.S. Marshals, F.B.I. U.S. Secret Service, Border Patrol, FEMA/ICS

untreated mental health, depression, social anxiety challenges

verbal de escalation, intoxicated, belligerent fans, ABC programs

license plate readers-LPR

risk mitigation, CPTED-Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design-pre stadia design and build and ERM-enterprise risk management

vehicles used as weapons-bollards

CCTV, access controls, command center duties, responsibilities, incident tracking-EMS, paramedics, fire dept., assigned law enforcement to venue

responsible social media monitoring-what's being posted on the web in real time

threat and behavioral analysis

domestic extremism, copycat contagion effect

inclement, severe weather preparedness-hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, earthquakes, forest fires, blizzards

workplace violence, insider threats, bad actors

phishing, ransomware. malware, bitcoin, cryptocurrency, data privacy, IT/facilities, cyber ecosystem, blackout/power grid outages

ingress/egress-fan screening measures, potential bottlenecks, chokepoints, crowd crush, demographics, crowd control, crowd science

exterior perimeters that flow into entertainment zones, mass transit hubs, IED bombs

pandemic planning-temperature checks, physical/social distancing, face shields, masks, handwashing

business continuity, resilence and disaster recovery safeguards

protests, civil unrest, geo-political divisiveness

proper vetting, credentialing of inhouse staff, 3rd party contract security, risk transfer, risk mitigation

employee empowerment, leadership/emotional intelligence, reduced staff turnover

In summary, the aforementioned security, health, safety, pandemic and cyber/IT related challenges adhering to duty of care and OSHA safeguards for today's multi-billion dollar juggernaut sports and entertainment cannot be underscored. There are many highly trained, properly vetted SME's-subject matter experts waiting to create intrinsic value for today's fans, athletes, and venue ownership groups. It really about being out in front of today's numerous challenges. Why wait for something really bad to happen? It's really that simple.

Thank you.

The writer of this article. James A. DeMeo, M.S. brings over three decades of security, law enforcement and consulting experience to both the public and private sectors. Mr. DeMeo is the founder, president and CEO of Unified Sports and Entertainment Security Consulting, LLC., (USESC) based in Raleigh, NC. Mr. DeMeo earned his Master's degree in Sport Management from Adelphi University in 2012. Mr. DeMeo was recognized by Security Magazine as The Most Influential People in Security 2017. Mr. DeMeo currently serves as a remote learning Adjunct Instructor with Tulane University-School of Professional Advancement. Mr. DeMeo has presented at several leading national security conferences as well as colleges and universities around the U.S both in person and remote. Mr. DeMeo is also the author of the bestselling book on family safety and preparedness entitled, What’s Your Plan? A Step-By-Step Guide To Keep Your Family Safe During Emergency Situations.