IAAM Offers Online Security

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has joined with the International Association of Assembly Managers to develop an online protocol for venue security. Details are sparse, but the project will center around a secure Web address.

According to the IAAM, the Vulnerability Self-Assessment Tool (VSAT) will soon be online for stadiums. The DHS will contact general managers of the large-capacity facilities and provide them with passwords to the online VSAT.

By early summer, other facilities such as convention centers, PACs and arenas are expected to be added to the list, with more than 3,500 public assembly facility managers contacted in all. The tool will be available to non-IAAM members, as well.

The VSAT will allow venue security managers to identify vulnerabilities and assess the overall security of their facilities. It’s modeled after self-assessment tools used by the Transportation Security Administration to assess vulnerabilities at airports and other transportation sectors.

It will focus on seven key areas including information security, physical assets, communication security, and personnel security.

“Using this program (tool) will help managers of public assembly facilities better protect their patrons and the venues they serve,” IAAM Executive Director Dexter King said.

Upon completion of the VSAT, a comprehensive report can be printed or updated at any time, measuring the effectiveness of the facility’s security plan and offering improvements, according to the IAAM.