Terrorism is an increasingly real concern for properties worldwide.
In the past 12 twelve months alone, the world has experienced heart-wrenching attacks forcing us to make hard decisions as organizations and individuals.
Do you risk traveling or do you stay home? Do you attend the upcoming sporting event or do you watch it from the safety of your home?
These questions are real, and you might already be asking them.
In Alan Cowell’s recent article, “Playing On Despite the Fear of Terrorism,” he is laser-focused on this terrifying issue.
Our attention draws to one particular question he highlights.
Cowell quotes, Columnist Christian Tretbar who poses a vital question in the newspaper Der Tagesspiegel, referring to the soccer match between Germany and England at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin on March 26th:
“Is it safe to go to the Olympic Stadium? No one can answer that question with a 100 percent yes. Security is not just a question for the authorities, but for oneself. Which risks do I take and which not?”
Tretbar even goes further to say, “Sport stands in the middle of the struggle between security and liberty.”
This stopped us in our tracks. Tretbar sparked a curiosity in us.
We have a question for you now.
- Do you feel it is safe to go to your stadium, venue, facility, airport, mall, festival, or property?
Can you answer this confidently? As Tretbar stated, and we do not think it starts and ends with “sport,” we–anyone involved in the safety and security of people–are all “in the middle of the struggle between security and liberty.”
For you, your guests and staff, we want you to choose both safety and freedom because you can and you have the means to.
You have the opportunity to be confident in a world of terrorism. How? You have the ability to execute proactive operations at your property so “playing on” is never a hesitation.
Criminals are smarter than before. As a consequence, you employ proactive operations to protect, prevent, and mitigate situations effectively. You get peace of mind.
Here’s how.
The Brass Tacks of Proactive Operations
Proactive Operations is where you utilize strategy, infrastructure, and technology to achieve maximum performance throughout all property functions.
Once in place, strategy, infrastructure, and technology work as a whole to produce a world-class operation.
You must understand that applying Proactive Operations means making a long-term commitment to effectiveness, improvement, and the protection of your guests and staff.
Be proactive, not reactive. It is the difference between having either security or liberty or both.
Make this commitment and then implement all aspects, starting with the ACDA Principle™.
Applying the ACDA Principle™
The ACDA Principle™ is the first part of implementing Proactive Operations.
In a nutshell, the Principle promotes understanding, application, and expansion of:
- Awareness
- Communication
- Documentation
- Analysis
Embrace each area, simultaneously, to be on track to proactive operations.
The ACDA Principle™ lets you start asking the tough questions. It gives you a benchmark to identify your powers and limitations.
Learn this and you will know how to execute from the start.
These 13 proactive questions below help you.
- What is your operation currently faced with handling?
- Does your staff always know what is happening?
- Would you consider your employees proactive?
- How is resource allocation managed?
- Can departmental teams communicate and handle issues?
- How does your staff communicate amongst one another (e.g. texting, radios, email)?
- Are operational tasks completed on time and as outlined?
- How far back can you quickly retrieve incident details?
- Is liability defense something you can control?
- If you are in the United States, do you use a DHS SAFETY Act Designated incident management system?
- Can you track accountability throughout your departmental teams?
- Are your staff executing the correct protocols-to-handle?
- Do you monitor and analyze your operation’s performance?
Answer these questions, then design and build your operation’s infrastructure. It is the next step to securing a proactive operation.
We provide an in-depth explanation of the Principle here.
Establishing Proactivity Through Infrastructure
Your infrastructure will vary depending on your particular industry or operational needs.
However, you must have one.
Your infrastructure needs to include representatives from each department where issues or incidents could affect performance, safety & security, and customer experience.
Building an infrastructure is a major project to take on. Rather than overwhelming you with the information in this article, we have something already prepared in a bite-sized format for when you are ready to take on this phase.
Click here to read our article on infrastructure for ideas on how to set one up for your property.
It is time to close the loop on your proactive operation with state-of-the-art technology.
Technology is the Final Factor to Gain Confidence & Counter Terrorism
OK, you’ve defined your strategy. You’ve put your infrastructure in place. Now, what?
Implement the technology necessary to finalize proactive operations. Have the confidence to take on what the world may throw at you.
Below we explain the value of three solutions that allow you to execute proactive operations with conviction.
Text Communication Compounds Awareness
Ensure nothing ever slips through the cracks again. Use text communication software.
Add it to your process and supplement your proactive efforts.
Leverage this powerful communication tool so that any guest can report any issue directly to you.
You save time and effort by empowering your guests to contribute to the safety of their fellow patrons.
They will have the ability to instantly and discreetly report issues, incidents or ask questions, using their cellphone.
Guests can communicate directly to your command center, which eliminates extra steps and more chances for escalation.
Everyone is on the lookout. Save precious time by using text communication to increase your awareness.
Now that is proactive operations – and peace of mind! Would you agree?
Incident Management Systems Spawn Full Control
When people congregate in one place, issues and incidents happen.
Use your incident management system to unify your operation and professionally handle what occurs.
Your solution is a digital, centralized repository for all of your incidents and their associated information. It is a smart policy to use it.
Are you still using pen and paper to document incident details? If so, it is time to reevaluate your operation.
Lack of accurate, complete documentation is not representative of proactivity – nor does it lead to knowledge of anything that occurs at your property.
Have digital information. Know what happened and when. Defend your business in court.
Communicate updates and details of incidents or issues to the right people on your team so no one can pull a fast one on your operation.
Make everyone confident and proactive. Deter criminals. Play on.
Incident Management Mobile Apps Evoke Instant Communication
Incident management mobile apps are the next level of confidence. You can learn more about their increasing application via enhanced Wi-Fi in our article here.
Mobile solutions have functionality that comes from years of working with industry professionals.
Incident management mobile apps most effectively let your frontline staff report issues and incidents without having to track down a supervisor, security, or medical team.
Can you imagine the resilience during a terrorist attack? You have efficient communication, but also the ability to track and document every incident on the fly.
Watch everything as it gets handled the way you need it to – with maximum performance.
Over to You
We understand that finding a way to bridge the gap between security and liberty is tough. It is a significant responsibility for professionals.
However, life goes on, and you must overcome security challenges to protect your guests. So, why not succeed with confidence by employing proactive operations.
As we said earlier in this article, criminals evolve. You have to be confident and dynamic to ensure the longevity of your property in this world.
