Special Event Security

Mar 1, 1999 12:00 PM, Don Garbera

           

Today's top performing artists appear regularly on the stage at New York's Radio City Music Hall. Recent performers include Tony Bennett, Elvis Costello, Burt Bacharach, Ray Charles, the B-52's, and the Backstreet Boys. Whether it's the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, the MTV Video Music Awards or the Tony Awards, Radio City Music Hall has become a name synonymous with world-class entertainment.Because of its fame, the historical entertainment hub is sometimes a target for thieves, pickpockets, ticket scalpers and other ne'er-do-wells. Preventing these types of crimes is the job of George R. Haskell, CFE, director of security for the famous New York City landmark.For example, one morning a few months ago, a criminal broke into Radio City Music Hall through an unprotected window, but was quickly captured on the security system's CCTV monitors and apprehended by two security officers. They held him until the New York City Police Department arrived, at which time he was arrested and prosecuted.As leader of Radio City's security effort, Haskell has been with Radio City since 1995. Prior to this post, he was corporate director of security and loss prevention for Barney's, New York, where he designed an access control system for the store's New York City, Chicago, and Beverly Hills locations. Before Barney's, he spent eight years as corporate director of security and loss prevention for J. Crew Group, a catalog retailer.Haskell's job is to protect the hall's property, employees, assets and patrons - to ensure that a visit to Radio City is safe as well as memorable.And protection starts right at the front door. "We make sure that ticket scalpers and merchandise peddlers don't even come close to patrons," Haskell says.An example of how well the security operation runs was demonstrated at Time magazine's 75th Anniversary celebration during which Radio City was converted into a dinner theater for many notable figures who have appeared on Time's cover. Security was heightened because of the possibility of terrorist attacks or assassination attempts, Haskell recalls. "We had everyone from prominent entertainment figures and heads of foreign countries, to President Clinton and the First Lady." Portable metal detectors and Secret Service bomb dogs began working at the site as soon as construction of the dinner theater platforms began. The bomb dogs remained on site until the conclusion of the event. The security system for the 500,000-square-foot entertainment facility includes a Corby keypad system, used for the executive elevator and eight floors of the building. "The Corby system is used for the executive elevator because it can stop on levels used by patrons. This prevents the possibility of a patron having access to the executive elevator," Haskell says. Motion detectors detect after-hours activity in executive level corridors, the retail store or the treasury room. Radio City opens at 7 a.m. and can close as late as 3 a.m.Thirty-two JVC fixed and Kalatel pan/tilt/zoom cameras are located strategically throughout the facility and guard the building's perimeter - recording 24 hours a day. Exterior cameras are located beneath the Radio City Music Hall marquees on 50th and 51st streets and 6th Avenue and near the loading door. Interior cameras guard the liquor storage room, the merchandise storage room, the treasury room, elevators, executive floors, studio floors, the backstage area and the orchestra pit.Guards in the command center keep watch using Sony color monitors, three Kalatel multiplexers, JVC time-lapse recorders, a Simplex 2120 fire command center and an x-ray machine. Fire safety directors and fire wardens are part of the security staff. The staff comprises two managers, a full-time supervisor, two part-time supervisors, 12 full-time proprietary security officers and 48 part-time proprietary officers. During special events, 10 emergency medical technicians also serve as part of the staff. For major events, Haskell uses even more security officer coverage through Wells Fargo.Training - beyond State of New York requirements - is given to security personnel in the form of a 200-page operations manual that all employees must study for two annual tests. The manual is updated as policies change.Haskell also holds training sessions in "verbal judo" - the art of helping to calm an upset person and persuade that person to comply with regulations. "Recently, we had a prominent visitor participating in an event who felt he could just wander into unauthorized areas at his own discretion. He had to be told, gently and convincingly, that this was not an acceptable practice within the facility," Haskell says.Business visitors can enter through two points of entry: the stage door or the corporate entrance. At both entrances, visitors are quietly screened, issued a pass and escorted to their destinations.

No one is immune to displaying IDID badges are made within the security department on a proprietary system. Radio City's art department creates specific artwork for each event. The security unit then numbers the badges sequentially and laminates them into an Identicard blank in a holographic pouch.All show participants must have proof of identification - a driver's license or passport - when picking up their badges. The dated badges expire on the last day of the show. Radio City Music Hall employee identification, vendor ID, temporary employee ID and building contractor identification cards incorporate a color photo and are made in the security office.

Rockin' with the RockettesThe security department also supplies protection for the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes during appearances at events such as the New York Yankees ticker tape parade, the Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting ceremony and TV appearances.

Guarding the faceliftRadio City Music Hall is currently closed for renovation until Oct. 1. During this time, Haskell has "beefed up" security. He explains: "First of all, everything brought into the building by construction workers is examined for contraband. Also, all deliveries now come in through one given point, and perimeter doors are monitored by security personnel. Secondly, all workers are required to exit through the stage door. Anything removed from the building is thoroughly searched, and each contractor and construction worker is issued a photographic ID card."While the security system is essentially remaining the same during the renovation, we are adding a few more cameras and a racking system within the control room," Haskell says.

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