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Severe Weather: Are You Prepared?

By Kayla McKinley posted 08-18-2011 12:40

  
For venue managers across the globe – severe weather can strike at any moment. The aftermath could leave your venue damaged or inoperable – or even worse – put the lives of your guests in jeopardy. Would you know what to do when hazardous weather hits your community?

To prepare for all types of unstable weather, IAVM has developed the Severe Weather Planning Guide along with conferences, schools and other publications. These offerings help venue managers prepare for whatever Mother Nature doles out.

“In 2008, an EF2 tornado struck downtown Atlanta and our three facilities including the Georgia Dome during the SEC basketball tournament,” said Kevin Duvall, Chief Operating Officer, Georgia World Congress Center Authority, Atlanta.

“Emergency training and preparation assisted us in dealing with the immediate issues at hand. Our heightened awareness of the power of Mother Nature make IAVM’s Severe Weather Planning Guide and Academy of Venue Safety & Security (AVSS) must have resources for our staff’s ongoing preparation,” he added.

“The safety and security of venue guests are top priorities at IAVM,” said Vicki Hawarden, CMP, IAVM President and CEO. “This organization is committed to providing innovative safety and security guidelines, resources and training that are pertinent and useful to our membership. They help them protect their number one priority – the lives of the guests who attend their events.”

Life Safety & Security Resources from IAVM

AVSS Severe Weather Planning Guide
This resource is available to members for $75.

The 70-page guide provides venue managers with tools to build important relationships with emergency management personnel, establish a command center, create a severe weather event team, understand how and when to monitor weather conditions, and know how and when to communicate with staff, guests, event presenters, and others. This invaluable resource also equips venue managers with a template to assist in creating their own severe and hazardous weather plan, and features a lexicon of terms and a glossary of acronyms.

The Academy of Venue Safety and Security
Scheduled for February 2012

IAVM is imminently proactive in the realm of venue safety and security. IAVM’s AVSS is 10 days of training (over two years) in security planning and life safety management. AVSS takes you through an in-depth approach to prepare, prevent, respond and recover from many a variety of emergency situations. AVSS has expanded the level of training with specialized courses: Severe Weather Preparedness, Safety and Security for Persons with Disabilities, and the Facility Management Law School. Apply at www.IAVM.org/AVSS.

Training Program for Crowd Managers
Total cost for the training is $15.

To comply with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Life Safety Code 101, one Trained Crowd Manager (TCM) is required for every 250 guests in public venues. TCMs are responsible for ensuring safe crowd movement during daily activities and special events; and are expected to inspect means of egress, assist venue occupants and oversee emergency response, and evacuation plans and actions. Training focuses on crowd dynamics, crowd management techniques, venue services and configuration, fire protection and emergency response equipment, and venue specific policies and procedures. TCM skills can help ensure a safe public venue and protect the lives of guests and venue employees. Refresher training for crowd managers should be conducted every three years. Sign up at www.iaamtraining.com.

International Crowd Management Conference (ICMC)
November 6-9, 2011, register at www.IAVM.org/ICMC

The International Crowd Management Conference (ICMC) has expanded its program beyond crowd management, safety and security. ICMC now concentrates on all aspects of the guest experience, including guest services. Increase your value and learn the importance of creating a positive guest experience as well as the skills needed for effective crowd management.

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