Our Emergency Services Day post on 9 September recognised the people who respond when others need help. For security teams, that appreciation has a practical counterpart: making it easier for responders to reach the right place with useful information. An event or site may have several entrances, temporary routes and unfamiliar landmarks. The quality of a handover can depend on ordinary preparations completed long before anyone needs urgent assistance.
Establish a common location language
Different teams sometimes describe the same place differently. An organiser may use a building name, a contractor a gate number and a visitor a nearby stall. Agree a location system that duty personnel can understand and communicate. Maps, entrance references and clear descriptions help a caller explain where assistance is needed. The information should reflect the site as it is operating, including temporary changes rather than an outdated layout.
Check that the description works for someone arriving from outside. A person familiar with the venue may consider an instruction obvious when it leaves a responder facing several possible doors. Where arrangements include a designated meeting point, make sure the duty team knows it and can identify who will meet an arriving vehicle. This role needs a backup if the usual person is unavailable or occupied with the incident itself.
Keep the route usable
An access route can be clear during a site visit and obstructed once an event begins. Deliveries, parked vehicles, queues and equipment may alter the situation. Responsibilities for keeping agreed routes available should be understood across the operation. Security teams need a way to raise an obstruction promptly and involve the people who can resolve it. A line marked on a plan is useful only when the route remains practical on the ground.
Permissions matter too. If a responder needs to pass a controlled gate, the relevant team should know how to authorise and manage that access. Keys, barriers and contact arrangements should be considered before they become obstacles. Avoid relying on one individual who may be elsewhere when needed. These are general planning considerations, and the specific arrangement should be agreed with the site’s responsible people and relevant agencies where appropriate.
Communicate the facts you have
Someone requesting assistance should provide a clear account of the situation without inventing explanations. State what has been observed, where it is happening and any immediate hazards that are known. Follow the call handler’s questions and instructions. The security team’s own reporting chain should support that communication rather than produce conflicting messages from several people. Where a supervisor coordinates the response, make sure others know how to reach them.
There is a difference between describing an incident and diagnosing its cause. An officer may see that somebody has collapsed without knowing why. A report should preserve that distinction. Personnel should act within their training, follow the agreed emergency procedure and obtain appropriate assistance. Detailed clinical decisions belong to suitably qualified responders. Clear, accurate information is often more useful than a confident assumption that subsequently needs correcting.
Support the handover
On arrival, responders need access to the people and information relevant to their task. A concise handover can explain what was observed, what action has already been taken and who holds additional details. Keep the sequence understandable and separate first-hand observations from reports received from somebody else. If the situation changes, communicate that change. The person handing over should be identifiable and remain available where the procedure requires it.
Security support may also involve helping protect the working space around an incident, directing bystanders or maintaining agreed routes. Those actions should be coordinated with the incident lead. Visitors may be anxious or curious, and a calm explanation can help them cooperate without revealing someone’s private circumstances. The objective is to support the response, preserve dignity and keep the wider operation manageable while the appropriate professionals carry out their work.
Prepare across organisational boundaries
A venue may rely on organisers, contractors, volunteers, medical personnel and several security providers. Each needs to understand the relevant part of the emergency plan. A useful briefing identifies who calls for assistance, who informs management, who meets responders and who maintains other responsibilities. HSE guidance on incident and emergency planning provides a starting point for that discussion. The arrangement should be proportionate to the actual event and its setting. A short practice discussion can expose unclear directions before they matter.
Afterwards, complete the required records and review any practical obstacles without sharing unnecessary personal information. Was the location description clear? Did the right person answer? Could the responding team reach the area efficiently? These questions help convert appreciation into better preparation. Norvic’s Emergency Services Day message recognised the people behind essential services. Supporting their work also means making our own responsibilities clear, our information reliable and our handovers useful when assistance is needed.