Reverting to how event security used to be managed prior to March 2020 is simply not an option – COVID-19 still poses a safety risk, and events must be organised and coordinated in a way that is safe for attendees, staff and the surrounding public alike.

In June, we provided security provisions for the G7 leaders’ summit in Cornwall, combining the physical presence of security officers, and technology. This was a significant undertaking for the company, which involved the deployment of near 850 people, from security officers to administrative support. Sam Butcher, Business Director, shares his learnings and takeaways that can be applied to managing security at high profile events in the new pandemic context.

The G7 Summit was held across several venues around the Carbis Bay (St Ives) area which vary in nature. From the Eden Project (where the first dinner was held) to two venue hotels, Newquay Airport, a media centre, and personal search and remote vehicle search sites, the perimeter for this event was sizeable. One of the key considerations for us revolved around how to incorporate technology to always offer the most effective visibility.

Here, Atalian Servest deployed 246 Perimeter Intrusion Detection (PID) systems – these are armoured, portable and visually verified alarms that trigger a notification with video footage and location details, allowing our rapid response teams and officers to react immediately when needed. Twenty-four CCTV towers with thermal imaging were also installed, providing 24-7 night and day surveillance – a superior solution to human-only line of sight that has obvious limitations over such large perimeters, especially in darkness. Meanwhile, two mobile rapid response vehicles were deployed to monitor cameras, these teams being supported by operators in our dedicated off-site control room for added resilience.

Please read the full article on the Professional Security Magazine here.