You’ve booked the venue, sorted the catering and the rsvps are rolling in. How are you going to keep everyone safe and make sure your event runs smoothly? You need a security solution that covers all the bases.
Ranger Guard is here to help. It can be overwhelming designing an entire security plan from start to finish. That’s why we’ve put together this guide to help you go through all the details.
At the bottom of this article is a series of questions all event planners need to ask themselves about security before finalizing their plan. Follow our simple checklist to make sure you have everything. A Ranger Guard agent will be able to help you go through it all and match your needs to an appropriate solution.
Before we get putting together the checklist itself there are a few other things to consider. You need to look at why security matters are important in the first place, and how different types of events need different strategies.
Why Does Security Matter?
Any event organizer wants their event to run as smoothly and painlessly as possible. This means easy entrance and exits for all attendees, a way to keep out gatecrashers, mechanisms for keeping out contraband and deterrence to prevent crime or other disturbances inside the event. But it doesn’t stop there. As we have seen throughout the United States, mass shootings, terrorist attacks and other acts of violence take place at all kinds of events where such senseless acts were once never thought possible. Though such things are statistically rare, you need to be prepared. Your guests will be expecting the peace of mind which comes with knowing the event organizer took things seriously. It will also help you legally, in the unlikely event that something does happen. Your attendees will expect to know you took all reasonable precautions to keep them safe. Not doing so could land you in legal trouble later on.
Because of this, not only should event organizers take plenty of time in planning the various aspects of their event, but also in planning event security. Since this is a highly specialized area most event organizers have little familiarity with, it can be easily overwhelming.
To make sure your event is protected in the best way, it is important to speak to private security experts with years of knowledge and experience, such as those at Ranger Guard and Investigations.
Different Types of Events
Many different types of events require their own form of security. While in years past only organizers of large events felt they needed security, circumstances over the years have changed that way of thinking. Unfortunately, those intent on committing acts of violence often seek what they perceive to be easy targets for their plans, also known as soft targets. In these cases, if security is not adequate for the size of the event, tragedy can follow. Thus, even if your event is small and you feel relatively safe in your community, don’t take security for granted. Instead, turn to our experts here at Ranger Guard and Investigations.
Knowing exactly what kind of event is being run is vital to setting up a proper security plan. There is a lot of variation in security requirements so when you are discussing your event with a Ranger Guard agent, try to be as specific as possible.
For events at larger venues, crowd control becomes extremely important. You may also want to hire roving patrols which can scan the venue periodically. At a much smaller venue simply posting one guard at the entrance may be enough. Where crowd control is a key concern, K-9 agents can be very effective. They have a strong deterrent effect and are particularly useful at entrances and exits where you need to minimize friction.
Depending on the type of event and the location you may want to consider armed security. Some areas of the country are more dangerous than others while in certain places carrying firearms is more common. Other areas will be fine with an unarmed guard. Some urban areas ban firearms so it may not be allowed in your area to have armed security. Some events need security to be wearing uniforms that blend into the overall aesthetic. For example a country club security team might wear branded polo shirts, a nightclub may want bouncers wearing a simple black t-shirt and jeans.
Write down all the details of the type of event you are running. This will help a lot when you go through your event security checklist with your security team to make sure you have the right solution in place for your event.
What Security Services Do You Need?
Figuring out what are the safety and security concerns of an event is the first step to specifying what security services you need. Each event needs a different combination of services. At Ranger Guard and Investigations, we take pride in being able to offer our clients whatever special event security services they may need. For example, if you are in charge of a concert, sporting event, or large festival, it is likely you will need such services as crowd control, access control, K-9 patrols, and bag searches. In these situations, it is crucial security not be taken lightly. For those who may want to inflict harm on others, they know that if they can get past security with a weapon, bomb, or other items, they may be able to hurt or kill hundreds or thousands of innocent people. Rather than have your event be the latest tragedy on the evening news, turn to Ranger Guard and Investigations for peace of mind.
While all our officers are trained in such aspects of security as Defensive Tactics, Verbal Deescalation Techniques, Criminal Law, and Patrol Methods, we also have officers who possess specialized training in a number of specific areas. This can be important if you are organizing an event that may have celebrities or other prominent individuals in attendance, since they may be targeted by a deranged fan or other disgruntled person. To make sure VIPs are protected at your event, Ranger Guard and Investigations can assign officers to your event who are highly-trained and skilled in many areas of security. Along with being trained in such areas as Anti-Terrorism Tactics, Firearms and Weapons, Emergency Communications, and Surveillance, these officers also often possess years of experience in law enforcement or military service. Therefore, should an emergency situation develop, these officers can use their years of training and experience to quickly assess the situation and make the best decisions to keep everyone safe.
No matter what type of event you have organized, you must take into consideration the possibility of a medical emergency or other situation arising. While you can of course call 9-1-1 and summon first responders to the scene, it may take several minutes or more for them to arrive. In the meantime, a victim may be in need of medical assistance to save their life. By having private security officers from Ranger Guard and Investigations, you will have personnel who are trained in many aspects of first aid and CPR. In addition to providing this crucial service, we can also assist with other services including supply and equipment rentals, as well as limousine services. By giving us a detailed event security description of what you need, we can help make your event as safe as possible.
How To Find the Right Security Level
Once you’ve detailed the type of event and how big it will be, it’s time to figure out your security plan. Finding the right security level is unique for each event. You will need to assess the comfort level of your guests and figure out what they are looking for. Some types of audiences will not feel safe unless there is visible armed security. Others will feel vulnerable. You will also need to gauge the threat level you are facing, from crime or violence or disruption by outside agitators. Who you expect to attend, and whether there are likely to be people you want to keep out trying to get in will make a big difference to your security planning. Some events need a lot more protection than others and that’s ok. Security is about making sure your special event is protected, not about turning your venue into a fortress (unless that’s what you want). You need to know what your guests are expecting and try to match that as well. Especially in these uncertain times many event-goers will be pleased to see security taken seriously, and may be alarmed if it’s not there.
Finally you will need to look at your expected capacity and the nature of your venue. Entrances and exits need to be kept secure. You also need to make sure your attendees are able to move freely through the venue and easily access key areas. A good security team will help with signposting and keeping crowd flow moving.
All of these factors will help you put together the appropriate security package for your event. Consulting with your Ranger Guard agent will help you find the answers you are looking for. This is where you will come up with exactly what you need, how many guards, what patrol routes, what methods you will use to control entrances and exits etc.
Your Event Security Checklist
When putting together your event you need a detailed safety and security plan. This checklist will get you started. If you’ve read the above information you should have some idea of what you are looking for.
This final checklist is meant to help you make sure you’ve covered everything before you finalize your plan.
Go through the checklist and ask yourself all of the following questions. Write down the answers and go through them with a representative from Ranger Guard. You will then be able to together come up with an exact plan to keep everyone and everything safe on the day of your event.
- What is my budget for security? Knowing your budget will help you decide which services are the most important to focus on, or if you can stretch to a fuller package.
- How many people are coming to this event? The more people in attendance, the more security you will need.
- What are my biggest security concerns? Are you trying to stop fights breaking out between customers? Prevent theft or people bringing contraband into your event? What you want to keep out will impact how you handle security.
- How likely is an incident? You know your event better than anyone. Rank the risk factor of how likely you think it is of something happening.
- What is my venue layout? Pay particular attention to entrances, exits and key choke points which will impact crowdflow.
- What kind of event is this? An art gallery opening will have a very different crowd to a music concert, with security implications.
- Is alcohol being served at this event? Drunk customers are at risk of starting fights. If alcohol is being served you will need more security.
- Is the event in the day or night? Nighttime events are generally more at risk than day events, of everything from theft to violence.
- Are there any VIPs attending? Famous people attract attention, and sometimes crime. The more important your guests, the more security you will need.
- What kind of people am I expecting? A crowd looking to party will need more crowd control measures than people who are quietly listening to a keynote speech at a business event.
- Are there particular risks or threats? Political events and many others can attract controversy. Wherever there is controversy more security is needed.
- What do my attendees expect? Some people want to go to an event with clear and extensive security. Others want any security to be as discreet as possible. Pay attention to optics and give your audience the experience they are looking for.
Going through this checklist will help any event organizer get much closer to figuring out what they need.
When you have finished the checklist, if you want to move forward and contact a suitable security provider.
While many event security companies claim to have all the services you will need, many ultimately fall short of expectations. As a result, event organizers are often left scrambling to have adequate levels of security and other services. If you want to know more about how we at Ranger Guard and Investigations can make your event a success, call us at 832-924-8311 or fill out a contact form.
