As summer heats up, event managers are preparing for the annual flock of visitors heading to Washington, D.C. to celebrate the Fourth of July in the nation’s capital. The national celebration includes fun and festivity, but also the need for heightened security measures.
Large event security factors
Given the current climate and ongoing threat of violence, event organizers and venue owners are already on notice that security is of the utmost importance. Below is a checklist of some of the areas that need to be addressed in order to safeguard a Fourth of July event and its patrons.
- Have a plan in advance. Decide on details like crowd control, monitoring, or emergency response well before the event takes place.
- Identify likely specific threats. What features will draw attention and the potential for misconduct? For example, some events feature valuable property that needs protection. Other events are specifically targeted for their large crowds.
- Enforce credentialing. For any event attracting a substantial crowd, it is important to control access and know who is coming and going, especially to sensitive areas of the venue.
- Install surveillance cameras at key points. Parking lots, cash drawers, valuable equipment or potentially dangerous supplies like fireworks are a few things to consider monitoring. Surveillance systems can store footage for remote viewing, and incorporate wireless cameras that can be repositioned for the most advantageous coverage.
- Line up event security professionals for public gatherings. Expertly trained security staff can supervise emergency medical services, predict crowd flow issues, defuse troublesome situations before they escalate, and maintain a presence that instills public confidence.
Liability and the importance of expert security
In the context of Fourth of July celebrations in and around the nation’s capital, event organizers and property owners can minimize their liability by carefully selecting qualified and trained professionals who can offer knowledgeable and personalized insight.
The need to work with qualified professionals goes not just for individuals in direct contact with the crowds, like security guards, but also those behind the scenes. For instance, redirecting the flow of traffic to ease crowd congestion can increase the risk of vehicle and/or pedestrian accidents. Even seemingly minute details can create unexpected liability issues, but professionals who make these types of security assessments regularly are in a position to spot-check for potential problems.
Custom security solutions in the Greater Washington DC area
For those in need of Washington D.C. security services, Maryland Security Professionals serves then entire D.C. metro area, as well as Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware and the entire Mid-Atlantic region. Our well-trained security professionals take a custom-tailored approach when devising security solutions for events, businesses, schools, and other sites in need of protection. Contact us today to set up a no-cost security analysis of your event site.
More “Washington D.C. July 4th security” resources:
- Washington Post, Auto club predicts record travel over July 4th weekend, https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/aaa-predicts-record-heavy-travel-over-july-4th-weekend/2017/06/22/8cfacec8-5700-11e7-840b-512026319da7_story.html?utm_term=.363509288c36
- Washington.org, Events, https://washington.org/find-dc-listings/dc-events
- Bureau of Justice Assistance, Managing Large-Scale Security Events: A Planning Primer for Local Law Enforcement Agencies, https://www.bja.gov/publications/lsse-planning-primer.pdf