Event security planning guide for educational establishments

This thesis is written based on the principles of a functional thesis. It consists of a functional section and with a report of what has been done and how. The functional section is an event security planning guide for educational establishments. The purpose of this guide is to provide a basis for the use of event organizers. The thesis answers questions such as how to design an event security plan, how to give the necessary notifications to authorities and how to conduct proper risk assessment and management.

In Finland educational establishments arrange several events throughout the year. Participants are mainly students, relatives and other interest groups such as partners from the local community and business life. Most of these events are organized in the particular establishment but sometimes the facilities are rented and not familiar to the organizer. Currently no guide exists in Finland that provides advice to situations of this type.

According to the Rescue Act, the organizer of a particular event is to make sure that the entire event is held safely and according to Finnish laws. The law requires that the organizer knows all relevant laws and safety and security matters and is able to guide his/her staff.

The Assembly Act defines that if the certain criterion is fulfilled the organizer must give a notification to police at least five days before the event and work in co-operation with the local police and fire service. The organizers may not have the sufficient knowledge and experience to give the notifications required to organize such an event.

All these legislative demands have been taken into consideration when writing this thesis. Also, the possibility that the venue is not familiar for the organizer defined the focus of the thesis. The functional section was written so that it can easily be used as a foundation of an event security plan. The structure of the thesis can be used as such or by selecting the required sections as needed and deemed appropriate.

This guide was turned into practice in Omnia’s OpenHouse Event in Espoo 28 October 2011. The security plan and risk assessment were carried out and the notification to the police was given according to this guide.