SAVE THE DATE!
National Marathon and Endurance Events Safety and Security Forum
The NCS⁴ team is excited to announce the National Marathon and Endurance Events Safety and Security Forum will be held December 3-4, 2024, in Virginia Beach, VA. Registration is now open! Mark your calendar and make plans to attend!
National Intercollegiate Athletics Safety and Security Forum
The NCS⁴ team is excited to announce the National Intercollegiate Athletics Safety and Security Forum will be held January 28-29, 2025, at Duke University in Durham, NC. Registration is now open! Mark your calendar and make plans to attend!
The NCS⁴ hosts AWR-167 Train the Trainer!
The NCS⁴ brought 24 instructors together for a ”Train the Trainer” seminar this week at the Trent Lott National Center on the campus of The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg. The purpose of the event was to ’train up’ both seasoned and new instructors on the DHS/FEMA-funded AWR-167: Sport and Special Event Risk Management and Planning course and updates.
This course represents a cooperative effort between The University of Southern Mississippi’s National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (USM/NCS4) and the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service’s National Emergency Response and Recovery Training Center (TEEX/NERRTC), a member of the Texas A&M University System.
Are you looking for more information on this course or the other courses NCS⁴ offers?
Read the Summer 2024 Issue of GAMEDAY SECURITY
The articles in this issue cover court-storming incidents, protecting high-profile individuals at events, and a safety and security primer for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Gary Stevens, Interscholastic Advisory Committee member, Publishes Book
Stolen Seasons represents an attempt to explain how the loss of opportunities in sport – which can never be returned – spurred people on all sides of the issue to find avenues of recovery. Faced with an unforeseen and unfamiliar foe, the resilience, creativity, and sense of resolve of Mainers involved in sport was on full display for more than two years. Stolen Seasons is the story of their, at times heroic, always selfless journey towards the future.
NCS⁴ eLearning Options
The NCS⁴ eLearning platform, NCS⁴ LEARN, provides opportunities for individuals and organizations to access asynchronous professional development opportunities. Current offerings include the following:
- NEW! Frontline Staff Foundational Skills
- Venue Staff Training
- Crowd Manager Fundamentals
- Senior Leader Course: Sports and Entertainment Security
Please visit the website or contact us at NCS4Learn@usm.edu if you have any questions or would like to inquire about bulk registration.
Click one of the links above or the button below for details or to register.
The NCS⁴ is the only organization that offers a certification recognizing expertise in sport security management. Earning the Certified Sport Security Professional (CSSP) designation sets you apart from other professionals and highlights your dedication to remaining current with industry trends. Professionals in the sports security industry need to have a firm grasp of public safety measures and understand how to apply those measures in the unique environments created by sports venues and events. The CSSP certification validates expertise in the following domains:
- Business and Facility Management
- Emergency Planning
- Emergency Management
- Legal and Regulatory
- Crowd Management
- Security Principles and Practice
The CSSP certification is awarded to individuals who meet experience, education, and professional reference criteria and pass an exam relevant to sports safety and security management. It is maintained through ongoing continuing education and industry contribution requirements every three years.
TARGET AUDIENCE
- Venue/Event Security Directors/ManagersVenue/Event Operations Directors/Managers
- Law Enforcement
- Emergency Managers
- Private Security Practitioners
- Fire/HAZMAT
- EMS
- Other Sports Safety and Security Leaders
BENEFITS
- Expand security knowledge and experience
- Strengthen relationships with peers
- Broaden career opportunities
- Demonstrate a commitment to professional development
IMPORTANT LINKS
- CSSP Application Process
- Senior Leader Course: Sports and Entertainment Security
- See the CSSP Candidate Handbook for eligibility, application, exam preparation, and recertification details.
For more information, visit the website by clicking the button below or contact CertificationSupport@usm.edu.
Fundamentals of Crowd Safety Course
NCS⁴ and GKStill International have partnered to jointly offer the Fundamentals of Crowd Safety online E-Learning course to address capability gaps in crowd behavior and sciences. Professor Dr. G. Keith Still, Visiting Professor of Crowd Science at the University of Suffolk, developed this certified, accredited course. The course offers an 8-hour online interactive experience designed to teach the essential elements of crowd safety and crowd risk analysis. The course is especially valuable to event organizers, as it ensures that those who complete it are compliant with the NFPA 101 - Life Safety Code — specifically, the areas of section 12 of the code that require a venue to provide a crowd manager trained in crowd management techniques for occupancies exceeding 1,000.
2024 Olympics put cybersecurity teams on high alert
There were 450 million cyberattacks against the COVID-delayed Tokyo summer games in 2021, according to Cisco, the network infrastructure provider for the Paris games. Cisco expects eight times more attacks to target the Paris Olympics (running July 26 to August 11) and Paralympics (happening August 28 to September 8). Read More.
Shawnee Sports Complex reviews security measures following nearby shooting
DUNBAR, W.Va (WCHS) — In May of 2024, a drive-by shooting took place near Shawnee Sports Complex that caused panic to break out amongst attendees and players of a soccer tournament. Since then, the county has been working to make the complex safer for guests. Read More.
'Crazy idea': How Paris secured its Olympics opening ceremony
PARIS — What seemed like a whole field army patrolled, scrutinized and locked down every doorway, window, rooftop, bridge, subway stop, manhole, backpack, handbag and water bottle. Helicopters and drones did not whirl overhead only because there was no place to whirl. The airspace was closed.
At every turn, police asked for a QR code and official ID as proof of identity. Then they asked for it again.
And again.
Olympic security checks block 5,000 people, including 1,000 suspected of meddling and espionage
France’s Interior Ministry rejected around 5,000 security accreditation requests for Olympics volunteers and workers, with roughly 1,000 of those cases blocked due to suspicions of meddling or espionage.
The Ministry outlined in a statement on Tuesday that it conducted “about a million” administrative investigations into various staff for the 2024 Paris Games. Of those checks, varying threats were identified, including meddling and espionage, convicted criminal records, illegal alien statuses, radical Islam, and ultra-right and ultra-left ideologies. Read More.