Since the Paris terrorist attacks, venue security teams are being tested.
The need to rely on tabletop exercises and tougher security measures is high.
It’s easy to assume that your next event will lead to the discovery of more weapons, more problems, and more reasons to practice protocols-to-handles.
Are you prepared?
To make matters worse, a new weapon has made its way on the prohibited items list of many venues. You might already know it exists.
Or, you might not…and that’s detrimental to your operation.
We want to be sure that you’re aware of it so you can prepare for it.
When you’re screening guests for laser pointers, bottles, sharp objects, pepper spray, drugs, or even large banners, your team needs to be well-prepared for “tin cats” just the same.
What are “tin cats,” as venue security managers like Mary Milne of Amalie Arena are calling them?
Made of a lightweight polymer, a “tin cat” – or sold as The Cat Personal Safety Keychain – is a self-defense keychain that looks like a cat but can be attached to keys for defending oneself from an attacker.
The weapon looks like a cat, however, you can put your fingers through eye holes and the tips of the ears are sharply pointed.
They’re extremely dangerous to your operation, not only because they’re lethal but because they’re inexpensive to purchase online, which makes them easily accessible to the public.
This also means the chances of having more people attempt to infiltrate your venue with these weapons is much higher than someone attempting entry with a firearm.
When thousands of people are entering your venue at a high velocity, are you confident enough in your security operation to ensure nothing like this will slip through the cracks?
Your team has to be aware, trained, and fast acting because these new weapons are stealthy and harmful to your peace of mind.
The only way to stop them or prevent one more “tin cat” from entering your venue is to know how to spot them, how to take possession of the weapon quickly, and be proactive if someone does get in your venue and uses it.
Having the knowledge and training your team with role-playing exercises increases awareness, communication, and your ability to keep everyone safe.
Are you ready to ‘let the cat out of the bag’ on these newly rampant weapons so everyone knows your expertly prepared? Let’s see how role-playing can help.
Use Tabletop Exercises to Catch More “Tin Cats”
Security teams all over roleplay to improve their processes for handling issues, incidents, or general security situations.
What’s one of the biggest challenges you face as a leader when a new security concern comes to light? Training staff.
Not to mention, part-time staff come and go so you’re always charged with keeping someone up to date on new standards.
When you introduce tabletop techniques into your training process, your team understand and be able to perform their duties better.
Think about the training and awareness required to catch “tin cats.” You have to be alert and ready to confront guests. It’s no easy task.
Create an evolving training program for current, new, and temporary staff that allows you to combine important policies and processes, and introduce new security measures as needed.
You never know when the global event will affect your operations alert level.
You can develop scenarios where staff not only learns what you need them to do but also how you need them to do it.
Doing this eliminates questions, confusion, chaos, and all the stress associated with being unprepared.
We know it works because this is how we develop our software.
We listen to professionals like you and then we walk through the many scenarios to better understand how the software will be best used.
Help your security team develop their own instincts. Rather than reacting, they become proactive at eradicating weapons from your venue.
Developing their instincts through role-playing exercises helps them be well prepared for events so they can perform better – and catch more weapons.
Ways Your Security Team Benefits
OK, it’s important to understand how constant practice will empower your security team, improve your operation, lead to the apprehension of more dangerous weapons, and help you achieve peace of mind.
How you and your security handle the effects of global terrorist attacks and the introduction of new-age weapons can drastically improve, starting now.
Keep reading, here’s how.
Increased Accountability
Running through scenarios with your security team focuses them. Everyone learns the fundamentals for ensuring effective security.
During this time, assess their abilities, effectively coach them, and then hold them accountable for preventing dangerous weapons from entering your venue.
Educate them and then hold them accountable.
Security Team Understands Their Value
Taking time to train your staff shows them you care about their success. All the effort you’re putting into your managing your property…share it with your team.
Practicing allows you to find errors without being in a live environment. Whether it’s a problem in your process or personnel – take a closer look at the details.
Recognizing your team and the importance of their roles gives them validation as a professional.
Elicits Challenge
Rather than forcing processes onto your staff, let them figure it out. Let your staff deliberate ways to improve your operation.
While walking through various scenarios, they might find specific details in the process to improve, which might be instances you never thought of yourself.
They’re the frontline. They see and hear everything before you do.
Using tabletop exercises gives you and your team the autonomy to practice without consequence. You can test ideas, models, and techniques that might work.
Make any mistakes in a controlled environment…not when it’s ‘go time’.
Creates Then Reinforces Confidence
Develop your employees into successful, confident experts.
Training allows staff to enhance their knowledge base. They’ll have all the advantages of the practice scenarios not being real-life situations.
Trying it out during an exercise builds the aptitude for being able to handle things when it matters most.
When you give them feedback, they know they’re performing to your standards. Foster an environment of confidence and reinforce it with positive outcomes.
Produces Clarity in the Midst of Complexity
Many things can occur when your security team is charged with preventing a laundry list of prohibited items, like the following found on Amalie Arena’s list, into your venue while remaining efficient.
- Video and audio recording devices and camera bags
- Large bags, backpacks or wrapped packages
- Binoculars are permitted, but binocular bags are not permitted
- Laser pointers
- Weapons of any kind
- Bottles, cans or containers of any kind
- Sharp objects, sticks or poles of any kind
- Fireworks
- Pepper spray or mace
- Food or beverage items
- Drugs or controlled substances
- Chairs, folding chairs or any other type of individual chair
- Wrapped gifts
- Large banners or signs
- Banners or signs with objectionable language
- Banners or signs on a pole of any kind
There might be a number of steps in the process that you can improve or change completely. You can improve your process to help your team become better aware of what to look for and how to proceed as needed.
Performing common scenarios and how to respond can surface a collection of solutions for your team. Doing this will safeguard your team’s effectiveness.
Full Awareness of Potential Threats
Pure and simple, more solutions lead to enhanced awareness at your venue. Train your employees to understand the importance of their position.
Exercises that lead to a more aware security team results in faster response times, increased collection of dangerous weapons, and safer guests.
It’s an outcome that leads to positive memories and peace of mind.
Efficiency, Efficiency, Efficiency
Your training efforts will cultivate smarter employees and tighter security.
What’s the result? Efficiency.
- Complete and Accurate Documentation
- Purposeful Analytics
- Enhanced Communication
- Increased Awareness
Exercises give you and your team the ability to be highly effective and efficient so you can achieve peace of mind.
You’re a Better Leader
Attesting as an effective leader involves a never-ending responsibility of learning, preparing, preventing, and achieving with your security team.
Over to You
“Tin cats” are becoming a nuisance for venue security teams. Now that you’ve read this article, you’re aware of what to look for and how to stop them.
Introduce role-playing exercises as part of your training for a well-trained, confident, and fast acting security team. The safety of your guests and your job depends on it.
So, will you be using tabletop exercise to improve the abilities of your team so they can prevent one more lethal weapon from making its way into your venue?
