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Security vital for 2010 venues

2010 is rapidly drawing nearer and stadium construction for the FIFA Soccer World Cup has begun.

While functionality and pleasing aesthetics are primary considerations, nothing is more vital to South Africa's success in terms of hosting the event than implementing adequate security measures at these locations to safeguard athletes, international visitors, VIPs and other attendees.

Implementing proven technology that incorporates the latest technological advances coupled with practical considerations - such as making security a key part of stadium design and construction, leveraging the benefits of national standardisation and selecting solutions that integrate well - will assist to make this possible.

Says Neil Cameron, Systems & Service divisional manager at Johnson Controls, "The scale of the 2010 World Cup event demands security policies and procedures at designated South African venues conform to world class best practices. FIFA has specified basic security requirements but these cannot be an afterthought - they need to be built into the blueprints. At international venues sophisticated intelligent technology solutions have proven highly effective."

Johnson Controls has implemented security at numerous stadia and sports venues around the globe. Says Cameron, "The physical safety of attendees is paramount. High traffic flows over short periods at these stadia means high risk. Simply investing in a CCTV solution that is dependent on the level of alertness of the person watching the feed is not good enough. To be effective a security system at a venue of this nature needs to be reliable, robust and scalable - and integrated."

The integration of various systems that have traditionally functioned as standalone solutions combined with new advances in security technology enable a multitude of more complex issues to be taken care of more accurately and inexpensively than relying on human resources alone.

"Synchronised and automated, an integrated platform that includes lighting control systems, ventilation, heating and airconditioning, as well as security, access control and fire alarm systems, will ensure not only cost savings but maximum control," says Cameron.

"For example, rather than hiring people to watch the crowds, video surveillance units can be trained on clusters of people, with intelligent software tracking crowd movement and watching for anomalies - such as erratic movement in a group of people or someone walking against the flow.

"In addition, new functionality within security solutions such as our SiteManager software will allow an unlimited number of alarm events and associated responses (alarm actions) to be configured, advising the operator what action to take in a given situation and requesting his/her acknowledgement and response. Should there be no response the system will reroute alerts.

"In the case of a fire, for example, any number of systems (eg, CCTV, fire alarms, airconditioning and access control) will interact intelligently to ensure everyone in the building or location can exit the area safely while also maintaining the integrity of sensitive areas. Thus doors and access points will not all automatically be opened in an 'emergency' as was previously the case; the situation can be finely and precisely controlled.

"Surveillance is also beefed up with new technologies. The neural network technology within one of our software solutions, for instance, is capable of 'learning' a usual camera scene and detecting if an object of specific properties (eg, a bomb sized object) is left within a camera scene for longer than a specified period of time, or if an object that is normally present within a scene (eg, a high value asset) goes missing. Its neural network-based motion detection engine will also analyse live video in realtime for objects triggering motion based on various criteria such as object size, speed, direction and duration of movement."

Concludes Cameron, "The biggest part of our success as a host nation for an event of this size will be the level of care we extend to ensure the safety of our guests. The value of well-considered security solutions is inestimable. New technologies ensure human error can be minimised and human resources maximised with some careful planning and investment."

Best practice security

Some security best practices include:

* Establishing central command.

* Enabling venue lockdown.

* Having bomb sniffing dogs on patrol.

* Putting in place 24-hour security and securing restricted areas.

* Using photo IDs for employees and limited card or tag entry devices for specific classes of attendees (eg, athletes, VIPs).

* Structuring a formal risk management plan.

* Ensuring pre-event training for all concerned and coordination with police.

* Setting up a formal evacuation plan.

* Employing undercover surveillance.

* Ensuring at least one crowd observer for every 250 spectators.

* Deploying security patrols in parking lot.

* Banning carry-ins/backpacks.

For details contact Johnson Controls, +27 (0)11 921 7100, [email protected], www.johnsoncontrols.com

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