By Simon Hughes - The terror inflicted on so many people in Paris last week has changed the way we see the world. France declares a three month state of emergency and is now committed to waging war on terror. Politicians from around the world condemn the terrorists and offer support. The arguments over increased military action by UK forces ratchet up another gear. Our current national threat level for international terrorism remains at severe, which means that a terrorist attack is highly likely. It has been at this level since 29th August 2014. Put that another way - we’ve been living with that level of threat for 15 months now. It’s only when a Friday night in a city just 300 miles away from London turns into a night of carnage and mindless, senseless violence that the reality of what that threat level could mean comes into such sharp and painful focus.
So what should it mean for professionals working in our industry? Have we really spent anytime considering how we should be responding to this kind of terror? Visit Britain has been collating information on events that might have been affected by the attacks in Paris and there has been some coverage of agencies that had groups in the city responding to the crisis with due professional care and attention. That is not my point though. It is incumbent on all of us to take some time to consider how well prepared we are operationally to deal with the shattering impact of such an insane outrage. For everyone that works with us, that trusts us to organise their events, are visitors to the events and venues we run we really need to demonstrate that we have carefully considered the lessons to be learnt and acted on them.
So in these testing times here are some very simple steps that I think we should consider. Firstly the security barriers and entrance systems in place at the Stade de France worked. If they had failed it could have been even more catastrophic. We should not overlook the security staff on duty either as their role was critical. It was also apparent that the stadium had emergency contingency plans in place that worked well, thus avoiding panic and controlling the egress of the crowd. So lesson one – when selecting venues consider the benefits of creating “island” sites where entrances and exits can be controlled by both physical barriers and trained security staff. Also remember that this was a ticket only sporting event, so a further layer of access control had already been put in place.
The second lesson is embodied in the images of the football crowds streaming safely out of the stadium singing the La Marseillaise in a show of defiance and unity. There was a tried and tested emergency procedure plan in place and it was implemented. Such plans often require advice and input from an extended group of stakeholders and experts and as in all world class stadia this will have involved specialist security experts and require constant review. Do you have such a plan in place for the events and projects you run? How robust and detailed is it? When did you last test it? Can you imagine being asked these questions after something has gone horrifically wrong?
The third lesson revolves around the deadly nightmare at the Bataclan Concert Hall. It is clear from the footage available that the entire focus of everyone in the hall was on the long awaited performance by the headline act, Eagles of Death Metal. I suspect that many of us know this feeling – you’ve loaded the audience in, you’re running to time and you can afford a moment to relax and recover before the next event on the running order needs dealing with. Do we have that luxury anymore? At the threat level we are currently experiencing we simply cannot afford to take a moment to gather ourselves.
Lesson three then - our vigilance and pre-planning must be first class and must cover all eventualities. Control of access, constant monitoring and clear communication is required so that all the departments of the venue are aware of everything that is going on in the space – not just the performance on stage. Many of our venues will already have protocols and plans in place – but we need to make sure that they are up to date in light of the latest developments. Once again it requires simple steps. Re-examine the barrier or hold points within the venue that could be deployed to protect those inside from attackers entering the building. Make sure you have sufficient staff to deploy if required and that all of your temporary staff are absolutely clear about the standard operational procedures used in case of an emergency. Our reputation as an industry has to be based on trust in our resilience and reliability and the quality of our risk assessment. Our peace of mind will come from making sure we are really ready for the most testing of times.
I lived in Paris for a year when I was 19. It was one of the most wonderful years in my life – lived in Technicolor every day despite my appalling schoolboy French. I’d rather not have to write about the lessons we should learn from what took place there. The loss, the pain, the terror and the grief inflicted on so many is unimaginable. We should respect those emotions above everything else – but make sure that we work together to show that our values, our freedom and our spirit will overcome evil in all its forms.
Follow us