Page 35 - Security Today, July/August 2020

“Stadiums have been making a concerted effort to upgrade and streamline security operations to better ensure the safety of the thousands of people on and around their properties..”
Chicago Stadium built in 1929, creating a safe environment has meant building an in-house command center to monitor hundreds of high-resolution network cam- eras in and around the stadium. The fully integrated, enterprise-level system is built on open standards and designed to grow with them, an important feature since they recently added a large entertainment addi- tion to their site.
The solution allows operators to ob- serve early warning signs of incidents in real time and quickly dispatch security staff to the location to mitigate problems before they escalate. It also allows opera- tors to broadcast messages over the PA system to spectators, athletes, performers and employees as needed. Management is also using the sophisticated surveillance system to confirm employee time and at- tendance and verify vendor deliveries at the loading docks in case of any discrep- ancies.
The Fiserv Forum, replaced the aging Bradley Center in Milwaukee, being in the heart of Deer District has meant not only handling security for the new arena but also overseeing security for the 30-acre en- tertainment district that surrounds it. Like the United Center, Fiserv Forum built an in-house operations center for viewing the hundreds of high-resolution network cam- eras blanketing the stadium and the plaza.
They have grouped the cameras into quadrants to enable security staff, depart- ment managers and local response agen- cies to see multiple viewpoints of an area simultaneously. The additional situational awareness has given security the tools it needs to detect problems and respond in real-time to fluid conditions like bottle- necks at the entrance gates, sudden medi- cal emergencies on the plaza and hit-and- run accidents outside the arena.
The high-traffic American Airlines Center, replaced the aging Reunion Arena in Dallas, is run like a small city. Security staff is on call 24/7 whether the venue is hosting professional basketball and hock- ey games, major concerts, conferences or other events. A sophisticated array of high-resolution network cameras covers the entire complex from the sports arena to the retail shops, restaurants and conces- sion stands to the VIP suites, multi-tiered concourses, elevators, escalators, garage and parking lots.
Using cameras with advanced technol- ogies like wide angle views, wide dynamic range and built-in IR illumination, secu- rity can monitor more area with greater
STEPPING UP SECURITY OPERATIONS
In recognition of this new reality, sta- diums have been making a concerted ef- fort to upgrade and streamline security operations to better ensure the safety of the thousands of people on and around their properties on any given day or night. They’re not only keeping a watchful eye
on what’s happening in the arena and in the stands, but they’re also monitoring the concession concourse and retail kiosks, private boxes and VIP suites as well as areas like player/performer/employee en- trances, ticket gates, loading docks, park- ing lots and activity in the surrounding plaza. As an example:
The United Center, replaced the old
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