By Dan Mendelson, President of Unitex Direct
We live in a time marked by evolving security concerns. That’s why I traveled to Hattiesburg, Mississippi in January for the 4th annual National Intercollegiate Athletics Safety and Security Summit. The event brought together the best minds from the event security sector for a singular purpose: reducing the risk of terror attacks at sports events throughout the collegiate community.
More than ever before, it’s important to pull together a range of expertise to ensure that events remain safe and that both the pubic and spectator is protected, and that’s what I found at the two-day summit hosted by the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (NCS4).
Security professionals from athletic departments, campus law enforcement, first responders and contract security agencies shared their experiences, strategies and best practices for mitigating risk and ensuring a positive fan experience. Topics included game day operations, homegrown extremist threats, emergency action planning, crowd dynamics and information management.
Dr. F. King Alexander, president of Louisiana State University said in his keynote that “college athletics are a big part of a university’s traditions, and because so many of our alumni, friends and family attend these large sporting events, maintaining a safe and secure environment for everyone is part of our job.”
At Unitex Direct, part of our job is dressing America’s security professionals in garments that not only look good, but that enhance performance, providing comfort and functionality under any circumstance. As the challenges change, so too do the security methods we must employ, and that includes Unitex Direct. .
I’ll be back in Mississippi again, this time for the Professional Sport Facilities Safety and Security Summit, slated for March 7-9, in Biloxi. I hope to learn more, and to see you there.