Focus

Flow-orchestrated convention-usable security AbstrAct

A system of management and operation for a security group of 10 - 100 people, leveraging a physical database of color-coded cards, large display boards, and processes designed to make real-time decision-making and task-assignment quick and efficient.

Alexander Williams thantos@gmail.com

 2011, Alexander Williams, Atlanta

Table of Contents
1 1.2 1.2.1 1.2.2 1.2.3 1.2.4 1.3 1.3.1 1.3.2 2 2.1 2.2 2.3 Theory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Physical Database. . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Battle Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Processes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Assignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 AWA Gear Sign-Out Sheet . . . . . . . 8 AWA Zone Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 AWA Char Cards . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Flow-orchestrated convention-usable security

All management systems are made up of com1.1 Goals ponents, physical and social. Physical components include the communications gear used on the floor, Focus exists to one end: to simplify the actual records of both personnel and events, and any sort of operation of Security groups at conventions by way informational aids that help make the security team of streamlining personnel accounting processes, pro- more effective. viding an immediate, visual feedback mechanism to the security officers on duty which will allow them to 1.2.1 Physical Database know the current status and location of all agents on the floor and what equipment they have with them, The physical database is composed of a series of to have quick and ready access to personnel who are 3 x 5 index cards with tabs affixed to the top. Each repon call for a given time, and to aid in the after-show resents one person (Agent) who is a member of the review of agent performance and operational effec- Security team. The card contains personal informativeness. Near real-time situational awareness can and tion for contact and informational purposes, a colored will allow security personnel to provide a far better tag to denote whether that person carries special experience to both those attending and running the equipment, an area for accounting for times checked convention and to increase the one thing the organiza- in and out of service, and an area on the back for a tion was created to create: not only the sense of but color-coded table of available on-call times. the very presence of real security. The design of the char cards is intended to In short, Focus will help Security run better, make visibility and quick search fast, easy, and simple. faster, with less stress and more even, predictable Rather than a digital database that only a few people coverage, better visible security presence for conven- can touch, the physical database makes it easy for tion attendees, and make things actually safer for anyone in Control1 to know what the current assigneveryone. ment situation is. Anyone can (and everyone will be expected to) create their own char card on checking in with Security for the first time, distributing the effort of populating the database. Color-marking makes looking for a specific combination of resources easy (ie. I need someone on call for Saturday at 8 pm just means looking for all the Tuesday tags and then skimming down that column for the 8 pm slot color, no reading time necessary). Char card coding is extremely flexible. Tracking a new attribute (such as years on staff) is as simple as deciding what your flag should be (color-coded text, sticker, highlight?) and putting it in place.

Theory

1.2

Parts

Control is the area from which Security is managed and where Focus is centralized. At most conventions it is a single boardroom or conference room. 1

Focus

Flow-orchestrated convention-usable security

1.2.2

Battle Board

Also known as the zone board, the board provides the base upon which the char cards can be placed to immediately communicate the current personnel situation.. The battle board may (and probably will) be broken into several panels, each of which will be divided into logical zones. Zones are logical rather than physical; physical areas can certainly be battle board sections but so can things like the dance or During the prototype phase and even through on patrol/sweep which are task-focused assign- the first several years of implementation, cardboard ments. If something represents a non-local task that panels may not be the most showy of methods but one or more people might be assigned to, it probably they are the most efficient. merits a battle board zone.2 The board is the effective centerpiece of Control. With it, its immediately obvious who is on duty in any zone, visible even from across the room. Colored indicators mean its clear who has gear and card position within a zone can even suggest whos paired up with whom and how long theyve been there. Because its easily accessed, updating it as new information comes in or assignments go out is simple. In a physical sense, there are two obvious approaches to constructing the battle board: Cardboard Panels: Perhaps the cheapest and lightest solution, white cardboard panels go for roughly $6 each for a 3 ft x 4 ft section and they take marker ink very readily. Char cards can be pinned to the surface with simple push-pins and moving them around is really easy. Durability is relatively low, making reuse a nogo, but for the cost its very easy to replace them after every convention.
Dealers Room Art Room

dry-erase markers. The panels themselves are extremely durable and, properly maintained/cleaned, can easily be used for years on the convention circuit. Strong surface magnets are more expensive than push-pins and are more likely to go wandering without supervision, but they certainly look more professional.

Exhibit Hallway

Exhibit Back

Hotel Lobby

Registration

Magnetic White-Boards: The upscale solution. Expensive panels allow char cards to be attached with magnets and can be sectioned with
2 In the case of Anime Weekend Atlanta, the board definitely must include both patrol/sweep as a pool to draw floor assignments from during the convention and with Medical to cover agents who are tied up and nonassignable due to responding to and maintaining a medical emergency.

Patrol/Sweep

Focus

Flow-orchestrated convention-usable security

1.2.3

Control

Security needs a place from which to organize itself and direct its agents, a place with access to the battle board and char cards in order to have an upto-date assessment of the needs of the team, a place where agents changing duties can check in, get or replace equipment, then be reassigned or released. Control is the place those things happen. Physically, the main requirement for Control is that it be large enough and have enough wall space to accommodate the battle board as well as a person or two moving around in front of it to update it. There needs to be good connectivity digital or cellular, preferably, both to make the on call process possible. Lastly, Control needs to be centrally located as agents will be moving into and out of the room, receiving assignments, and dispatched to zones on a frequent basis. A room deep in the bowels of a sprawling hotel that can only be accessed through steam tunnels and back-hallways is not appropriate to put Control in. A centrally located boardroom or conference room that can hold 6 to 8 people comfortably, is well lit, and has a central table and clear air to both cell towers and WiFi is ideal.

Assistant Director: At the same level as Dispatch (see below), the ADs are the task-specific managers of sub-functions of the Security team and, as importantly, act as channels of escalation both within the department and outside it. Dispatch: The core of Control. Dispatch is responsible for coordinating the efforts of agents out in the zones, recalling them to Control for reassignment, overseeing the updating and management of the battle board and char cards, and generally maintaining the flow of the Security apparatus. Agents: The people who end up doing the heavy lifting, the patrolling, the bulk of dealing directly with the convention-goers, and the backbone of any Security structure. In the customer-service department of Security, they provide the actual service.

1.2.4

People

It may seem strange to see people listed as a physical component of a security system but they are the most critical component of all and the one often overlooked in the planning of a Security operations. Everyone knows you need people to do security but they dont often consider who and what kind are both desirable and likely. More detail on the roles is in the social components section. Director:3 The head-honcho and creature-in-charge whose role is ultimate arbiter, liaison with the higher-ups in the convention architecture, and escalation manager for the Security department as a whole.
3 Note: No sane person wishes to be Director.

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Flow-orchestrated convention-usable security

1.3

Processes

1.3.1

Setup

Once the parts are in play, the next step is to unAt the beginning of a convention, certain parts derstand what to do with them. Ultimately, the idea is have to be set up before anything else. to have all the information you might want to execute on a decision to be in one place, immediately and 1.3.1.1 The Battle Board intuitively visible so that decisions get made quickly about personnel allocation, zone control, or where the Zone board panels need to be pre-lined, setup largest concern is. and ready to go first thing. Typical assignments need to be done not long after Security gets settled in, so its imperative that they be able to start assigning people as soon as their char cards are ready. Its not unthinkable that zone boards might need to be added after the beginning of the convention because of new responsibilities or unforeseen breakdowns. Having extra blank boards at hand can be a life-saver.
Back

S u n
8a - 12a 12p - 4p 4p - 8p 12a - 4a

S a t i r

1.3.1.2

Char Cards

12p - 4p 4p - 8p

12p - 4p 4p - 8p 12a - 4a

The meat of the physical database. The char cards track and update information about a specific individual and are the primary moving part of the Focus system. Whenever someone becomes a Security Agent, they need to create a char card. Personal Contact Data: Security needs this so that the Agent can be called into duty if not in Control itself or on patrol. Put all forms of quick contact on the card and email if available for long-term tracking. Check the number on the card at the time of creation to make sure it receives texts, calls, and is generally correct. Call it, text it, and email it.4 This is also the time to put any specific notes on the card such as medical conditions, violent tendencies, or anything else that might be important to know while a person is on the Board.

F r i t
Name: Sally Name Contact Info: 770 000 0000 s.name@gmail.com

S a n
Check In Fri 4p
Fri 10p

S u

Front

Head Set

Check out 8p

H 12p

Notes:

Diabetic
4 Friday night at 9pm when all hands are needed on deck to quel a riot at the Not-A-Rave is not the time to discover that the contact numbers are wrong.

Focus

Flow-orchestrated convention-usable security Availability Tabs: Along the top of the cards are several colored tabs which correspond to days the Agent is available to work Security. Make sure that the color is consistent across days and clearly differentiated. Availability Schedule: On the back of the card, divide the space into columns that correspond to the positions of the tabs. For each day as designated by the tab, write in the time slot that the Agent is available to work; each slot should be a different, unique colour that remains consistent across days and slots.5 A board or card with the slots and their colours should be provided for reference.
5 As an example, 3p - 6p might be bright orange. It will always be bright orange, on every day.

If there are insufficient Agents in Control to fill all zone requirements, Dispatch will first consider any Agents in zones considered pools on the Board. A zone is considered a pool if it has no fixed Agent staffing requirements, involves free-roaming patrol, or is some other non-Control-local source of Agents who have checked-in on their card but can be freely reassigned.6 If there are no Agents available in source pools, Dispatch may then proceed to pull char cards based on their availability tab and, aided by the color-coding, find Agents who have marked their availability during the current (or next) duty slot. Dispatch will then contact them via the information on the front of the card and request the pleasure of their company. Repeat until all zone requirements have been filled. If gear has been assigned, Agents sign it out with serial numbers or other identification on that gears sign-out sheet. Agents proceed to their zone to execute their assignments. Dispatch may reassign Agents by comm, but if that change involves a change of equipment, the Agent should return to Control long enough to manage the sign-out sheets for the gear involved and make sure their cards are moved to the new zone. If Dispatch reassigns an Agent by comm and does not require their return to Control for reassignment,

1.3.2

Assignment

Once the char cards are set up for the Agents and Dispatch is ready to start, assignment begins. Everyone in Control not working directly with Dispatch pulls their cards, marks their check-in time on the front, and either puts them in a pile or tacks them to a designated zone marking them as present and ready for assignment. Dispatch begins assigning Agents to zones. Assigned Agents cards get tacked up to their designated zone. If Dispatch issues that Agent a piece of gear (headset, etc), that needs to be marked on the check-in area and highlighted if an important piece (such as any comm equipment). Agents may be assigned in buddy pairs; if so, be certain they get tacked up together in their assigned zone.

6 Control is considered the first pool of resort in Focus.

Focus

Flow-orchestrated convention-usable security Dispatch is responsible for updating the Board with Agents cards.7 Repeat until all zones are staffed with enough Agents for current needs and any Agents that need to be relocated have done so. Agents on assignment will have duties appropriate to the zone that they have been assigned to. By necessity, there is quite a bit of flexibility in local assignment duties, generally organized by the senior Agent in the zone with communications equipment.

It is suggested that reassignments to new zones be done by recall to Control and then reassignment to a new zone so that Dispatch can ascertain the condition and focus of the Agent, especially on long assignments to zones.

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Flow-orchestrated convention-usable security

Practice

Insert here strict documentation for the AWA Battle Boards (zones), assignment slots, and design a radio sign-out sheet.

Focus

Flow-orchestrated convention-usable security

2.1

AWA Gear Sign-Out Sheet

Focus

Flow-orchestrated convention-usable security

2.2

AWA Zone Maps

Artists Alley

This will need some refinement between today Im very certain that there are several zones its and convention-time. not occurring to me to list or that need to be desigA preliminary list of zones with suggested staff- nated as Patrols. ing runs as follows. Feedback is heavily solicited to get Patrols act as pools for assignment to areas which this properly sorted out with time to spare. need personnel changed out or taken off duty. Most areas need their suggested staffing levels set. Minimum Control number of agents with communications gear should be 1:3 whenever possible. With Medical Patrol: Lobby Patrol: Registration Patrol: Second Floor Exhibition Hall Doors: Dealers Room (9) Dealers Room Doors: Art Show (6) Art Show Ball Door: Concert 1 (4) Concert 1 Door: Concert 2: (4) Concert 2

Focus

Flow-orchestrated convention-usable security

2.3

AWA Char Cards

F r i t
Name: Sally Name Contact Info: 770 000 0000 s.name@gmail.com

S a n
Check In Fri 4p
Fri 10p

S u

Front

Head Set

Check out 8p

H 12p

Notes:

Diabetic

Back

S u n
8a - 12a 12p - 4p 4p - 8p 12a - 4a

S a t i r

12p - 4p 4p - 8p

12p - 4p 4p - 8p 12a - 4a

10

Focus

Flow-orchestrated convention-usable security

Focus

11