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NCS⁴ NEWS e-newsletter | April 7, 2022

Announcing 2022 Sports and Entertainment Technology Alliance Members

The NCS⁴ announces the 2022 Sports and Entertainment Technology Alliance. Current members include safety and security practitioners, and solution providers: Axis Communications, Esri, Intel, Nvidia, Patriot One Technologies, and S2 Global. The Technology Alliance is a consortium of individuals and organizations dedicated to spectator safety and security at sports and entertainment events. The Alliance consists of stakeholders dedicated to spectator safety and security excellence through innovation. Most members are involved in safety and security at venues across the U.S. and around the world, while others are seeking opportunities to integrate new and emerging technologies that have the capacity to contribute in a meaningful way. Through membership, the alliance contributes to training and education initiatives, provides research input, and participates in industry engagement and outreach opportunities.

NCS⁴ Receives Endowment Check

Pictured left to right are Melissa Odegaard, S2 Global Marketing Director; Dr. Stacey A. Hall, NCS⁴ Executive Director; and Lee Ann Venable, USM Foundation Major Gift Officer.

The NCS⁴ received the final financial gift from the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic Foundation (MGRC Foundation) to fund an endowment on behalf of the MGRC Foundation and the Rapiscan Systems Classic. The check was presented by Melissa Odegaard, S2 Global Marketing Director, to Dr. Stacey A. Hall, NCS⁴ Executive Director, and Lee Anne Venable, USM Foundation Major Gift Officer, at the Rapiscan Systems Classic Golf Tournament – a PGA TOUR Champions event –on the Mississippi Gulf Coast last week. The endowment allows for a rich variety of activities such as scholarships for talented students, support for research, high-quality programming, and support for the advancement of spectator sports safety and security.

Spotlight on the Conference Agenda

Make plans and join us — THE EARLY-BIRD RATE ENDS APRIL 15.

The NCS⁴ announces Admiral Bill Moran, U.S. Navy (Ret.), as a keynote speaker to kick off the opening general session. Admiral Moran will inform attendees about ”Building Effective Teams.” Admiral Moran is a retired four-star officer with over 38 years of service and experience. He served in a variety of leadership positions including Director of Air Warfare and Chief of Naval Personnel prior to becoming the 39th Vice Chief of Naval Operations (VCNO). Admiral Moran is known for his extensive experience in developing effective leaders and leading teams operating in dynamic and complex environments.

On day two of the conference, Dr. Jennifer Hesterman, Colonel, U.S. Air Force (Ret.), and VP, Watermark Risk Management International, will share her expertise on “Securing Public Spaces: A Practical Exercise.” Dr. Hesterman, a soft target hardening expert, will provide an overview of current threats and introduce an assessment tool used by law enforcement to help organizations determine their vulnerability to acts of violence. She will share lessons learned from recent attacks and other tactical information to add context. Participants will leave with a scored assessment and unique ideas for securing their operating location. Dr. Hesterman will also have a book signing at the event. She served in three Pentagon tours and commanded in the field multiple times. Her final assignment was Vice Commander, Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, where she led installation security, including the security and protection of Air Force One. A counterterrorism and soft target hardening expert, she is presently Vice President at Watermark Risk Management International and designs and instructs graduate-level security courses for the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency. She is currently the lead security expert for the 3-year effort to deploy security practices in state Departments of Transportation. She also advises the Homeland Security Training Institute at the College of DuPage and the Crisis Response Journal.

General sessions cover broad topics with panel discussions relevant to sports safety and security professionals in today’s ever-changing landscape, while breakout sessions allow participants to engage with panelists and attendees on key issues.

Additional general sessions include:

  • A Case Study Review of the Major Perimeter Security Breach and Crowd Management Challenges at the European Cup Final – Wembley Stadium – July 2021
  • Adaptive Training Strategies
  • SAFETY Act: Changing the Game through Innovative Anti-Terrorism Technologies
  • Staff Training from the Venue Perspective
  • Preventing Crowd Crush and Collapse
  • Panel: Venue Crowd Management
  • U.S. Legalized Sports Betting Considerations
  • The Four Tenets of an Effective Venue Security Program

Breakout sessions include:

  • Delivering Effective Crowd Management at Major International Events
  • Crowd Management Employee/Staff Training 101
  • Cybersecurity Issues and Rules for Sports and Entertainment Venues
  • Discover Ways to Secure Our Nation Together Through the SAFETY Act
  • Preventing Spectator Violence and Disruptions

In addition to keynote speakers, an awards luncheon, interactive panel discussions, and breakout sessions, attendees will have the opportunity to explore emerging technologies and network with peers during the conference. A social reception planned for the event’s first evening allows practitioners, industry partners, and exhibitors to gather and network with friends and colleagues in a relaxed atmosphere.

Register now to get the early-bird rate of $550 for NCS⁴ Connect members and $600 for non-members. Prices will increase by $50 after April 15. Make your hotel reservations now: The hotel room block ends May 11 at 5 p.m. EDT.

The draft agenda is now available on the website. Click the button below to register or for more information.

THANK YOU TO OUR EXHIBITORS AND SPONSORS!

NCS⁴ is still accepting exhibitors and sponsors. Don't delay — spaces are almost gone. Visit the website to register as an exhibitor, or contact Sara Priebe, at 601-266-6858 or sara.priebe@usm.edu to request a sponsor packet.

Are you ready to take your career to the next level? NCS⁴ offers applicants the opportunity to sit for the CSSP exam at the conference with no testing fee!

The CSSP examination will be offered to eligible candidates during the 13th Annual National Sports Safety and Security Conference & Exhibition. To be considered eligible to take the exam, individuals must complete and submit their CSSP Application, including the application fee, by April 29, 2022, to allow enough time for the NCS⁴ Certification Department to collect and process all supporting documentation. Approved candidates will receive a notification of test eligibility before arriving at the conference. Find out more about CSSP and how to register for the exam now.

Congratulations to NCS⁴ Staffer: Dr. Joslyn Zale

Dr. Joslyn Zale, Senior Research Associate and CSSP Manager, and Adjunct Geography Faculty

INTERPOL included Dr. Joslyn Zale’s dissertation, Optimizing Stadium Evacuation by Integrating Geo-Computation and Affordance Theory, in their knowledge repository. Dr. Zale’s dissertation examined how modeled evacuation time from a football stadium changed when local locomotion speeds were used.

Now Scheduling Select DHS/FEMA-Funded Training Courses

The NCS⁴ is currently offering four safety and security courses in face-to-face format. Each course is designed to be interactive and allow individuals to become more confident in their ability to identify, prevent, and manage incidents. The key principles that individuals will learn range from risk management, evacuation messaging, threat prioritization, and communication. Each class is being presented in a face-to-face format that requires 8 hours each day for two consecutive days.

You can learn more about each of these courses by visiting the NCS⁴ website or by clicking on one of the following courses below:

These courses represent a cooperative effort between The University of Southern Mississippi’s National Center for Spectator Sports Security and Safety (USM/NCS⁴) and the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service’s National Emergency Response and Recovery Training Center (TEEX/NERRTC), a member of The Texas A&M University System.

If you are interested in attending or hosting a training course, please email us at NCS4train@usm.edu.

Fundamentals of Crowd Safety Course Offered Online

NCS⁴ and GKStill International have partnered to jointly offer the Fundamentals of Crowd Safety online E-Learning course to address capability gaps in crowd behavior and sciences. Professor Dr. G. K. Still, Professor of Crowd Science at Manchester University, developed this certified, accredited course. The course offers an 8-hour online interactive experience designed to teach the essential elements of crowd safety and crowd risk analysis. The course is especially valuable to event organizers, as it ensures that those who complete it are compliant with the NFPA 101 - Life Safety Code — specifically, the areas of section 12 of the code that require a venue to provide a crowd manager trained in crowd management techniques for occupancies exceeding 1000.

SPORTS SECURITY WATCH

Bills not part of legislation with security

The Buffalo Bills will be exempt from a state requirement to hire licensed security guards for the next two years. Both houses of the state Legislature have passed S.7832/A.8714, which implements minor changes to legislation passed during the end of the 2021 legislative session to extend an exemption from the state Security Guard Act to publicly owned sports venues that hire security guards on a temporary basis for less than 15 days a year. Anyone receiving the extension must have at least 50% of the security staff be a licensed security guard. Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the bill in late February. Read more

New Arena In Henderson Underwent ‘Stress Test‘ With Big Crowd For Silver Knights Game As Confused Security Issues Need To be Cleaned Up

There was security confusion over whether fans were allowed into the new arena at 5:15 PM or 5:45 PM and security also stopped media from entering the venue for 30 minutes as Bill Foley’s Henderson Silver Knights minor league hockey team played its maiden game at the Dollar Loan Center arena in suburban Henderson Saturday. Read more

F1 chief says no plans to abandon Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

Formula One will continue to hold the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix despite an attack on an oil storage facility near the track prior to last weekend‘s race and criticism of the nation’s human rights record, CEO Stefano Domenicali told Reuters. Read more

USA Hockey game postponed because of ‘security risk,‘ rink evacuated

The USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth was evacuated because of a "security risk" during a game between the Under-18 team with the National Team Development Program and the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. According to a tweet with USA Hockey NTDP, “local authorities completed thorough sweeps of the building and determined it safe to re-open the building.“ Read more

Nigeria supporters storm pitch, riot after team misses out on World Cup qualification

Nigeria fans stormed the pitch as the fallout from their surprise failure to reach the World Cup finals started immediately after the final whistle of Tuesday‘s 1-1 home playoff draw with Ghana in Abuja that sealed the home team‘s fate. Read more

Dreamville launches Fest Emergency Alert system ahead of large event

More than 40,000 people are expected to descend on downtown Raleigh for Dreamville. Festival organizers are assuring that health, safety and security are a top priority for the weekend-long affair. People are being encouraged to sign up ahead of time for Fest Emergency Alerts to stay in the loop. Read more