The city of Indianapolis is no stranger to hosting large crowds of sports fans, boasting six NCAA Final Four tournaments since 1980 as well as the annual Indianapolis 500. This year, for the first time, they are welcoming the NFL Super Bowl and a myriad of football superfans to the Lucas Oil Stadium, a multi-purpose sports stadium that opened in 2008.

According to Hallmark research, the average number of people attending a Super Bowl party is 18. Indianapolis is expecting to welcome approximately ten thousand times as many fans at Super Bowl XLVI. Unfortunately for the city, their preparations are a little different than vacuuming the living room and making special dip.

To prepare for every possible disaster, City officials, law enforcement, and Lucas Oil Stadium workers have been working together since 2008, when Indianapolis officially defeated Houston TX and Glendale AZ for the bid to host this year’s Super Bowl on February 5. The biggest concern for each host city and what sets the Super Bowl apart from other huge mainstream sporting events is the ten days of pre-game celebrations and activities leading up to the big game.

The Homeland Department of Security has designated the event a Level One security event, which means that the federal government can provide incredible financial and technological assistance in the name of safety. The social significance of Super Bowls has previously been likened to presidential inaugurations, thanks to the presence of various celebrities and political figures as well as football enthusiasts flocking from every state in the nation.

In past years, Super Bowl hosts have used a variety of interesting methods to guarantee the safety of fans in attendance, event staff, and NFL team members including players, coaches, assistants and more. At the 2011 Super Bowl, held at Cowboys Station in Arlington TX, fans were surrounded by bomb-sniffing canine units, low-flying government planes, police horses, robots and much more, with an estimated five to six million dollar budget for security alone. In 2010, a no-fly zone was imposed for 30 miles around the Sun Life stadium in Miami Gardens FL.

Some notable and creative preparations for this year:

- Police officers equipped with smartphones will be roaming the streets and the stadium in the hundreds. The handheld electronics will enable them to submit photos and video footage to a central database at their new operations center, or to cruisers ready to give backup. These officers will be on the watch for suspicious activity, including violence, pickpocketing, prostitution, counterfeit merchandise, and other dubious behavior.

- Curiously, Indianapolis occasionally suffers from unpredictable underground explosions in Indianapolis Power & Light’s network of utility cables. These explosions have, in the past, turned manhole covers into projectiles, threatening the safety of pedestrians and vehicle traffic.

While mindful that prevention is the best cure, IPL has wisely invested in 150 locking manhole covers for the primary areas of heavy Super Bowl circulation to protect visitors to the city until it can come up with an all-encompassing solution.

- All delivery trucks will be subjected to x-ray-esque security scans at the perimeter of Super Bowl activity. These trucks will be checked for explosive, biological and radioactive threats.

- The City of Indianapolis is bringing in backup agencies. The FBI, Secret Service, DEA, and U.S. Immigration & Customers Enforcement officers will be participating behind the scenes to ramp up security higher than it has been at any past Super Bowl.

If you’re planning to attend this year, make sure you leave the following items at home, where they may or may not belong:

Fireworks
Camcorders
Umbrellas
Strollers
Beach balls
Backpacks

Many businesses today rely heavily on automated security systems – video cameras, sensors, and coded entry systems – but technology only goes so far. For more complete, flexible security coverage, it’s important to include patrols by trained security officers. On-site, trained security professionals can respond quickly, efficiently, and flexibly to just about any potentially threatening situation, including theft, vandalism, burglary, arson, and assault, to name a few.

Security patrols can be either highly-visible vehicle patrols or less-visible foot patrols, depending on the need. Highly-visible drive-through patrols in marked vehicles are a great deterrent to potential wrongdoers, providing a clear statement that the property is protected and under surveillance. More low-key foot patrols, however, are ideally suited for catching wrongdoers in the act and providing more thorough coverage, indoors and out, with the added advantage of being able to utilize sight, sound, touch, and smell more effectively.

Either way — on foot or in a vehicle — security patrols conducted by trained security professionals are a valuable tool for protecting life and property.

An event takes a great deal of time and planning. From birthday parties, to weddings, to corporate functions there are so many details to manage. Things like guest lists, food, décor, and location are just a handful of what goes into preparing an event. What every event coordinator wants whether professional or novice is for the occasion to go smoothly and safely. A hiccup or two is bound to happen, but when it comes to the security if the event, the coordinator cannot be too careful.

Hotels, convention centers and restaurants are the focus when picking a venue and the always offer their own onsite security. Though this security may be sufficient for their daily working and functioning it can prove to be lacking when it comes to an event. Luckily, there are options when it comes to hiring out for security. Although as a consumer and planner, it is best to take into consideration that not all security companies are trained for event security. Employing the wrong security for a celebratory event can completely ruin the gala.

Whether it is a person that drank excessively or a group of people at an event that happen in looking for trouble, the basic in house security may fall short. The interest of the venue security is to protect their venue and prevent a lawsuit. Personal safety of guests inside and outside the event as well as protecting the interests of the promoter themselves will not be a main concern for the security employed by the venue. It may be prudent for the coordinator to look into hiring outside private security that can protect the interests of the event planner and his/her event.

Companies like Maximum Security Inc., offer specific services related to protection and safety of people during events as well as other personal situations. If a company does not offer this sort of security training in its specifics then they may in fact not be equipped to deal with the protection of people in an event situation. Maximum Security Inc. offers services that match the need that an event would require and suggest a free consultation so that there is the maximum level of comfort and protection needed by the customer.

The event planner has enough to accomplish without having to be responsible for the security and maintaining the safety of his/her guests. A private company like Maximum Security Inc. can take the stress out of the event by professionally dealing with security issues in a manner that will not disturb the event or the guest, insuring that the happening will take on the atmosphere of a stress free occasion.

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Massachusetts has decided to jump on the bandwagon of erecting casinos in order to try to gain revenue for the state. In addition, the pretense of creating jobs seems to be what aids in gaining popular opinion for the construction of these houses of fun. With the current state economy, the way it is and the refusal of the federal and state governments to curb their unnecessary spending it seems like allowing these types of establishments could be the only recourse when trying to employ a large amount of people.

Casinos being privately owned businesses; have to provide their own security for the property on which it stands. Local and state police have little to no jurisdiction to deal with security issues that do not fall under categories that allow them to investigate.  When taking into consideration the service in which a gaming organization provides there is nothing more important than professional and competent security. When an organization doesn’t do the proper research to find themselves reputable and knowledgably-trained security the results can be disastrous.

Undertrained security officers increase the risk of business complications as well as those with the customers. Often times smaller clubs will hire security that has no affiliation with a genuine company. They do this in order to save money, but in the end these untrained security can end up costing the club and its owners more than they could have predicted. An untrained security person may use unnecessary force that can result in injury and sometime in more severe cases death. This is easily avoidable if the security officer is properly trained in how to safely and efficiently detain or remove an individual that would be causing a problem.

For a casino, it is vital to have the best security available for their location, genre, employees and customers. Companies like Maximum Security Inc. offer a number of services that can fit exactly what these gaming casinos will looking for. Such as security guard along with patrol services which places security inside the building and out. This increases safety, and when a customer feels safe they are going to spend a great deal of time, energy and (most important for this industry) money.

Private security guards and patrols are often the first line of defense for retail, commercial, and industrial companies against theft, vandalism, fire, and other potentially dangerous and damaging incidents.

Selecting a private security company to perform patrols requires some knowledge, preparation, and research. Without an effective and thorough process in place for evaluating security companies, chances for successfully selecting a security company to meet your needs is low. This article will help you understand what you should look for in a security guard and patrol company, what they should provide, and how to go about assessing them.

Understand your own needs.

Before you hire any security guard and patrol service provider, make sure you understand specifically what it is you need them to do and what services they will be required to perform. The following list contains some of the basic questions you should be able to answer:

• Do we need foot and/or vehicle patrols?
• When do we need them – during the business day, at night, for 24 hours, on weekends & holidays?
• Do we need uniformed security officers with specific training and skills such as first aid, CPR, or crowd control?
• Do the officers need to carry weapons or special equipment?
• Do the officers need specific inspection training for equipment such as boilers or HVAC systems?

Ensure proper skill set alignment.

Security patrol requirements vary widely based on property location, size, and use. An industrial complex presents a much different security scenario compared to a retail strip mall. Taking that into account, be sure that the security companies you’re considering offer experience, expertise, and proper training to match your property protection needs.

• Do the security officers have proper training to handle industry-related accidents, incidents, and particular security needs?
• Do the officers have the necessary crowd control, language, and cultural sensitivity training required to work in a particular shopping mall and its specific locale?

Does the security company offer the proper communications equipment and training to handle your property and its particular communications challenges?

• Are the patrol officers physically and intellectually fit to meet any unusual patrol requirements such as extensive walking, challenging environments, or complex reporting needs?
• Do the officers possess a professional, courteous, responsive, responsible and trustworthy attitude?

Does the security company provide the professional and reliable service you require?

• Is it licensed to operate in your location?
• What is the make-up of its management team?
• How stable is its employee base?
• Is it financially sound?
• Is their equipment up-to-date in good working order?
• Do they provide their own patrol vehicles?
• Who will be your liaisons and contact points?
• How involved is management?
• How will issues be resolved?

While the questions posed here will help you obtain some of the fundamental information you will need to make an informed decision on contracting a security guard and patrol company, they are by no means a comprehensive guide to selecting the right security company.

If you have any questions about private security contracting, security guards and patrols, or other security issues, contact us by email or call Maximum Security, Inc. at 877-244-1200 for more information and a FREE consultation.