Crisis Guru

Question:

Dear Crisis Guru:

Much has been in the news lately about threats of potential violence related to controversial speakers on college and university campuses. What steps should an educational institution take to protect students, faculty, visitors, and event participants if it decides to hold a potentially controversial program?

Director of Communications
Small U.S. College

Answer:

Dear Director:

First, several safety and security questions must be considered:

Is there Director of Campus Security? If not, who is responsible for this function?
- Is the guard force employee based or contract?
- If sourced outside, who is the vendor and can it quickly supply more people?
- How many security officers are there on duty normally?
- Have the officers had training on existing security plans?
- Have the officers had any additional training in civil disorder management?
How much routine preliminary crisis, disaster, incident planning already exists on paper, i.e., bomb threats, disorder, access control for events, parking, fire, etc.?
Does the campus security force have a good liaison with town and state police?
- Is there an information gathering or monitoring capability with respect to student activists and potential troublemakers from the school, town, or outside the area?
- Has information about the speaker and his/her experiences elsewhere been gathered?
- Will a bomb sweeping team with dogs be available on-site so that a last minute bomb threat can be accommodated just before meeting room doors are opened?

We suggest these 12 action steps if a controversial event has been scheduled:

Immediately establish liaisons with private security, local police, and state police. Provide a central point at the institution where these forces can funnel all information developed and coordinate event planning. Develop written orders for police to follow concerning various activities and behaviors.
Thoroughly discuss the use of off-duty police officers to ensure that there is an understanding of jurisdiction, who is in command under various conditions, and how the institution wishes to react to these conditions.
Prepare plans for pickup of the speaker at the airport, transport to the school, security during the presentation, security during a reception prior to or after the presentation (including emergency measures), and return to the airport.
If an overnight stay is involved, carefully select the speaker’s hotel and room. These plans should be considered highly confidential and shared on a limited “need to know” basis.
Decide in advance who will be allowed to attend the event, how they will be identified, and what they will be allowed to bring into the meeting site. Backpacks should be prohibited.
Decide in advance how disruptions will be handled, how much time will be allowed for each question from the audience, how arrests of disruptive attendees will be handled, how the program will be concluded, how evacuation of the meeting site will be carried out, and who will provide physical security for the speaker.
Carefully control audio/visual, lighting, and other matters related to the stage. Decisions on these matters should be left in the hands of experienced persons who will follow the policies governing the program. The use of students for these jobs can be problematic.
Immediately establish a security command structure so decisions that need to be made on the spot can be made, and questions about current situations and events can be answered promptly.
Key officials from the institution need to be in constant radio contact with each other throughout the event and with security/police command.
.Are a sufficient number of walkie-talkies available for the key people who need them?
.Are there cell phones for others?
.Have suitable radio use procedures been established?
Use uniformed campus security people in the most visible areas for access control and general patrol in the meeting site. Seat plainclothes, off-duty, sworn police officers in the meeting room near potential access to the stage or other areas deemed sensitive. Once some information gathering work has been done, a decision can be made concerning higher profile security/police presence. Also use a plain-clothes officer, state police if available, to serve as driver for the speaker and personal security for the speaker during the event.
Train ushers and those stationed near the exit doors to promptly handle a command to evacuate the premises.
Logistically:
- Open meeting room doors no earlier than 45 minutes prior to the start if the event. (See “bomb sweeping team” above.)
- Provide clear instructions to the audience at the start of the program about the rules of behavior, time limits, and how the meeting will be conducted.
- At the conclusion of the meeting, instruct everyone to exit promptly.

Cordially,

Brian Hollstein

Jim Lukaszewski




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CRISIS GURU #3 Real Time Answers to Real Time Questions In his Crisis Guru Commentaries, Jim Lukaszewski provides real answers to real questions about your most critical communications problems and issues. To submit a question, please direct it by e-mail to crisisguru@e911.com. Be sure to include your full name, affiliation, address, and telephone number. All published questions will be identified by title and industry only. Your confidentiality will be protected. TODAY’S TOPIC: SAFETY AND SECURITY ISSUES DURING CONTROVERSIAL HIGH-PROFILE EVENTS Question: Dear Crisis Guru: Much has been in the news lately about threats of potential violence related to controversial speakers on college and university campuses. What steps should an educational institution take to protect students, faculty, visitors, and event participants if it decides to hold a potentially controversial program? Director of Communications Small U.S. College Answer: Dear Director: First, several safety and security questions must be considered: Is there Director of Campus Security? If not, who is responsible for this function? Is the guard force employee based or contract? If sourced outside, who is the vendor and can it quickly supply more people? How many security officers are there on duty normally? Have the officers had training on existing security plans? Have the officers had any additional training in civil disorder management? How much routine preliminary crisis, disaster, incident planning already exists on paper, i.e., bomb threats, disorder, access control for events, parking, fire, etc.? Does the campus security force have a good liaison with town and state police? Is there an information gathering or monitoring capability with respect to student activists and potential troublemakers from the school, town, or outside the area? Has information about the speaker and his/her experiences elsewhere been gathered? Will a bomb sweeping team with dogs be available on-site so that a last minute bomb threat can be accommodated just before meeting room doors are opened? We suggest these 12 action steps if a controversial event has been scheduled: Immediately establish liaisons with private security, local police, and state police. Provide a central point at the institution where these forces can funnel all information developed and coordinate event planning. Develop written orders for police to follow concerning various activities and behaviors. Thoroughly discuss the use of off-duty police officers to ensure that there is an understanding of jurisdiction, who is in command under various conditions, and how the institution wishes to react to these conditions. Prepare plans for pickup of the speaker at the airport, transport to the school, security during the presentation, security during a reception prior to or after the presentation (including emergency measures), and return to the airport. If an overnight stay is involved, carefully select the speaker’s hotel and room. These plans should be considered highly confidential and shared on a limited “need to know” basis. Decide in advance who will be allowed to attend the event, how they will be identified, and what they will be allowed to bring into the meeting site. Backpacks should be prohibited. Decide in advance how disruptions will be handled, how much time will be allowed for each question from the audience, how arrests of disruptive attendees will be handled, how the program will be concluded, how evacuation of the meeting site will be carried out, and who will provide physical security for the speaker. Carefully control audio/visual, lighting, and other matters related to the stage. Decisions on these matters should be left in the hands of experienced persons who will follow the policies governing the program. The use of students for these jobs can be problematic. Immediately establish a security command structure so decisions that need to be made on the spot can be made, and questions about current situations and events can be answered promptly. Key officials from the institution need to be in constant radio contact with each other throughout the event and with security/police command. .Are a sufficient number of walkie-talkies available for the key people who need them? .Are there cell phones for others? .Have suitable radio use procedures been established? Use uniformed campus security people in the most visible areas for access control and general patrol in the meeting site. Seat plainclothes, off-duty, sworn police officers in the meeting room near potential access to the stage or other areas deemed sensitive. Once some information gathering work has been done, a decision can be made concerning higher profile security/police presence. Also use a plain-clothes officer, state police if available, to serve as driver for the speaker and personal security for the speaker during the event. Train ushers and those stationed near the exit doors to promptly handle a command to evacuate the premises. Logistically: Open meeting room doors no earlier than 45 minutes prior to the start if the event. (See “bomb sweeping team” above.) Provide clear instructions to the audience at the start of the program about the rules of behavior, time limits, and how the meeting will be conducted. At the conclusion of the meeting, instruct everyone to exit promptly. Cordially, Brian Hollstein Jim Lukaszewski
The Lukaszewski Group Inc. 100 South Bedford Road, Suite 340, Mount Kisco, NY 10549 U.S.A., 914.681.0000-Office 914.681.0047-Facsimile 203.948.7029-24/7 Copyright © 2009, James E. Lukaszewski. All rights reserved. Permission to print one copy for personal use is hereby granted by the copyright holder. Reproduction of additional copies without written permission of the copyright holder is strictly prohibited.