https://urgentcomm.com/wp-content/themes/ucm_child/assets/images/logo/footer-new-logo.png
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Multimedia
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Galleries
    • IWCE’s Video Showcase
    • IWCE 2022 Winter Showcase
    • IWCE 2023 Pre-event Guide
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • Commentary
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • All Things IWCE
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Reprints & Reuse
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • IWCE
    • Conference
    • Special Events
    • Exhibitor Listings
    • Premier Partners
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Register for IWCE
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
    • Cookie Policy
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • Mission Critical Technologies
    • TU-Auto
  • In the field
    • Back
    • In the field
    • Broadband Push-to-X
    • Internet of Things
    • Project 25
    • Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet
    • Virtual/Augmented Reality
    • Land Mobile Radio
    • Long Term Evolution (LTE)
    • Applications
    • Drones/Robots
    • IoT/Smart X
    • Software
    • Subscriber Devices
    • Video
  • Call Center/Command
    • Back
    • Call Center/Command
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • NG911
    • Alerting Systems
    • Analytics
    • Dispatch/Call-taking
    • Incident Command/Situational Awareness
    • Tracking, Monitoring & Control
  • Network Tech
    • Back
    • Network Tech
    • Interoperability
    • LMR 100
    • LMR 200
    • Backhaul
    • Deployables
    • Power
    • Tower & Site
    • Wireless Networks
    • Coverage/Interference
    • Security
    • System Design
    • System Installation
    • System Operation
    • Test & Measurement
  • Operations
    • Back
    • Operations
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Enterprise
    • Federal Government/Military
    • Public Safety
    • State & Local Government
    • Training
  • Regulations
    • Back
    • Regulations
    • Narrowbanding
    • T-Band
    • Rebanding
    • TV White Spaces
    • None
    • Funding
    • Policy
    • Regional Coordination
    • Standards
  • Organizations
    • Back
    • Organizations
    • AASHTO
    • APCO
    • DHS
    • DMR Association
    • ETA
    • EWA
    • FCC
    • IWCE
    • NASEMSO
    • NATE
    • NXDN Forum
    • NENA
    • NIST/PSCR
    • NPSTC
    • NTIA/FirstNet
    • P25 TIG
    • TETRA + CCA
    • UTC
Urgent Communications
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Omdia Crit Comms Circle Podcast
    • Galleries
    • IWCE’s Video Showcase
    • IWCE 2023 Pre-event Guide
    • IWCE 2022 Winter Showcase
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • All Things IWCE
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Reprints & Reuse
    • UC eZines
    • Sponsored content
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • Conference
    • Why Attend
    • Exhibitor Listing
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Join the Event Mailing List
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • TU-Auto
  • newsletter
  • In the field
    • Back
    • Internet of Things
    • Broadband Push-to-X
    • Project 25
    • Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet
    • Virtual/Augmented Reality
    • Land Mobile Radio
    • Long Term Evolution (LTE)
    • Applications
    • Drones/Robots
    • IoT/Smart X
    • Software
    • Subscriber Devices
    • Video
  • Call Center/Command
    • Back
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • NG911
    • Alerting Systems
    • Analytics
    • Dispatch/Call-taking
    • Incident Command/Situational Awareness
    • Tracking, Monitoring & Control
  • Network Tech
    • Back
    • Cybersecurity
    • Interoperability
    • LMR 100
    • LMR 200
    • Backhaul
    • Deployables
    • Power
    • Tower & Site
    • Wireless Networks
    • Coverage/Interference
    • Security
    • System Design
    • System Installation
    • System Operation
    • Test & Measurement
  • Operations
    • Back
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Enterprise
    • Federal Government/Military
    • Public Safety
    • State & Local Government
    • Training
  • Regulations
    • Back
    • Narrowbanding
    • T-Band
    • Rebanding
    • TV White Spaces
    • None
    • Funding
    • Policy
    • Regional Coordination
    • Standards
  • Organizations
    • Back
    • AASHTO
    • APCO
    • DHS
    • DMR Association
    • ETA
    • EWA
    • FCC
    • IWCE
    • NASEMSO
    • NATE
    • NXDN Forum
    • NENA
    • NIST/PSCR
    • NPSTC
    • NTIA/FirstNet
    • P25 TIG
    • TETRA + CCA
    • UTC
acc.com

Public Safety


Article

Public safety at an Olympics is quite a challenge (Part 1)

Public safety at an Olympics is quite a challenge (Part 1)

As London prepares for the world's largest sporting spectacle, there will be an important mission unfolding behind the scenes that is bigger than anyone can imagine. I have been a part of the massive public-safety preparations and operations for past Olympic Games, and the amount of coordination and cooperation necessary to make them a success is amazing.
  • Written by
  • 19th July 2012

As London prepares for the world's largest sporting spectacle, there will be an important mission unfolding behind the scenes that is bigger than anyone can imagine. I have been a part of the massive public-safety preparations and operations for past Olympic Games, and the amount of coordination and cooperation necessary to make them a success is amazing. The days left until July 27 will fly by so quickly for the responsible public-safety commanders that they barely will have time to breathe.

Traditionally, law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services always find a way to work with each other on a daily basis, even if they do not always train, practice, prepare and plan together. However, there are numerous issues — such as who is in charge — that rise to the surface when planning for such an event as massive as the Olympics.

The key to making public safety for the Olympics a success is to agree to use an incident command system and to have clear lines of scope, jurisdiction and authority between all agencies involved. There needs to be one person in charge of the overall operation. For London, this has been done, and Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Chris Allison is the national security coordinator for the London 2012 Games. This gives the International Olympic Committee one point of contact for all law enforcement related to the games.

It is critical for all public-safety agencies to plan together, train together and work through all test events together. It also is critical to co-locate all public-safety planning personnel — for example, police, fire and emergency medical services; public works; and emergency management — in one joint planning office. This allows for formal and informal communications during all phases of planning.

Sometimes, we get too focused on just law enforcement and do not put enough focus on fire planning and responses, as well as emergency medical services. Without them, most large gatherings would not even be permitted to occur, and many sporting events could not even take place without an ambulance nearby. Mass gatherings of the size and scope of the Olympics put an amazing stress on the police, fire and emergency medical personnel who still will have to respond to everyday emergencies in the community while supporting the enormous additional needs created by the Olympics.

The games present a unique challenge. On the one hand, we have a lot of time and, typically, a significant amount of resources at our disposal to deal with this international event. I like to think we can plan for the Olympics similar to how we plan for a flood, or a tornado, or an earthquake.

But the difference with this event is that we have more than seven years to plan for it, we know exactly the day it will arrive in town, how long it will last each day, and how many days it will go on. We even know exactly what communities will be affected. Therefore, we should not have any problems planning for its effects.

Unfortunately, the public-safety community is filled with personnel who are amazingly good at responding to disasters, but they usually are not as well-trained or experienced in terms of planning for seven years for an event of this magnitude. In my own experience, it took being assigned full time and learning to hire key consultants with previous public-safety experience at major events to educate me — an experienced public-safety official — on how to plan for a massive event that was years away, and how to get the job done on time and on budget.

For example, one of the great lessons I learned from Buryl Dooley — a retired Army colonel who worked on multiple Olympic Games planning aviation and air Security — was that all planning, budgeting and game-time preparations must be in motion at least one year before an Olympics, or it will not get done. This still holds true today.

Part 2: The four phases of public-safety planning for an Olympic Games.

Part 3: A few more public-safety challenges for an Olympic Games.

TJ Kennedy is Raytheon's director of public safety and security. He held multiple leadership positions for the Utah Olympic Public Safety Command. He can be reached at [email protected].

Tags: Incident Command Interoperability Raytheon Public Safety Article

Most Recent


  • PSSA asks FCC for FirstNet Authority license at 4.9 GHz, opposes CERCI proposal
    A Public Safety Spectrum Alliance (PSSA) filing this week reiterates its call for the FCC to award a nationwide license of 4.9 GHz  spectrum to the FirstNet Authority, ignoring a recent coalition filing that asks the commission to approve rules that would let local jurisdictions largely determine how the airwaves are used. Jeff Johnson, executive […]
  • Critical Bluetooth flaw exposes Android, Apple & Linux devices to takeover
    Attackers can exploit a critical Bluetooth security vulnerability that’s been lurking largely unnoticed for years on macOS, iOS, Android, and Linux device platforms. The keystroke injection vulnerability allows an attacker to control the targeted device as if they were attached by a Bluetooth keyboard, performing various functions remotely depending on the endpoint. Tracked as CVE-2023-45866, the flaw exists […]
  • AT&T's $14B open-RAN commitment with Ericsson snubs Nokia
    AT&T said it plans to shift up to 70% of its wireless traffic to an open RAN network architecture by 2026 through a new agreement with vendor Ericsson. AT&T said the value of that new agreement could reach up to $14 billion over five years. The move represents a shift away from Nokia and positions Ericsson as […]
  • LA-RICS celebrates final acceptance of P25 system built by Motorola Solutions
    The Los Angeles Regional Interoperable Communications System (LA-RICS) announced its final acceptance of its much-anticipated Project 25 (P25) radio system built by Motorola Solutions during a ribbon-cutting ceremony conducted last month. LA-RICS Executive Director Scott Edson (pictured above, cutting the ribbon) said the Los Angeles region has “moved into the 21st Century, when it comes […]

Leave a comment Cancel reply

To leave a comment login with your Urgent Comms account:

Log in with your Urgent Comms account

Or alternatively provide your name, email address below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • Public safety at an Olympics is quite a challenge (Part 1)
  • Public safety at an Olympics is quite a challenge (Part 1)
  • Public safety at an Olympics is quite a challenge (Part 1)
    Newscan: Most firms face second ransomware attack after paying off first
  • Required MFA is not sufficient for strong security: Report

Commentary


Things to know about IWCE 2024: The basics 

5th December 2023

Land mobile radio (LMR) systems are just as vulnerable to cyberattacks as any other networks used in the public-safety sector. Here’s what to do about it.

  • 1
7th November 2023

September 3GPP Plenary meetings feature Release 18 progress, Release 19 beginnings

13th October 2023
view all

Events


UC Ezines


IWCE 2019 Wrap Up

13th May 2019
view all

Twitter


Newsletter

Sign up for UrgentComm’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about Communications and Technology.

Expert Commentary

Learn from experts about the latest technology in automation, machine-learning, big data and cybersecurity.

Business Media

Find the latest videos and media from the market leaders.

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital and print audiences? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • American City & County
  • IWCE
  • Light Reading
  • IOT World Today
  • Mission Critical Technologies
  • TU-Auto

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Events
  • Careers

FOLLOW Urgent Comms ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2023 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.