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Hello everyone.
So in a month or so, me and a few friends are going to be working as security for a local music festival that another friend is putting together.
Since this is the first time this is happening, and all the profits will be going towards covering expenses, professional security guards cant be hired.
I know it might sound like a bad idea, but we are not expecting a ton of people and most of the work will be checking tickets and patting people down.
So, to get to the point, I was wondering if anyone here can offer some general tips and advices to keep things going smooth, all of us are pretty big but have no experience, so any help would be apreciated, we just want this to go off without any incidents, and any problems to be solved with no violence if possible in any way.
thanks tl.net
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Is it legal to pat people down if you aren't trained and such?
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United States24761 Posts
Um... is it possible to talk to someone experienced in this field? I don't think you should be working as security without at the very least having someone who knows how to work security explaining the basics to you...
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The more professional you look and act, the more people will take you seriously and the less they'll want to dick around.
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well the friend that is putting all together is taking care of all the legal aspects so I really don't know. If there will be legal problems I guess he will somehow have to get professionals.
And im planning on getting as much information as possible and being prepared and responsible, and also making sure the whole team is acting professionally. Once again this wont really be a huge thing, mostly local kids who we know, if this was anything bigger I would have no part in it with no experience.
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Are you just checking people at the entrance or doing crowd/stage security as well?
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we will be checking people at the entrance, and making sure no one gets out of hand and hurts himself or anyone else, it will mostly be 16 year olds, the most trouble we expect is taking drunk kids outside to cool down.
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I think you should ask incontrol. iirc he worked as security several times.
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Arrange it so that you pat down all the good looking women, and your friends get the rest 
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^this, also be expected to carry crowd surfers around, i swear that's half the job that security guys do.
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I've worked with a lot of booking companies and been a part of a lot of venues working with security. Really you just have to take it seriously and make sure nothing breaks out in terms of fights. You have to stop it before it ever starts. Helping crowd surfers is also something you should look out for (if you have that kind of turn out) so they don't fall and get hurt. Don't try to act like you're better than anyone, but make it known you are out to make sure everyone has a good time and is safe. Don't be afraid to firmly and strongly take a hold of someone who is making a scene or picking fights and push them out or to the back. You can't be pussy footing around with working security at a concert.
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Make sure you wear black. A black shirt with the word SECURITY on it would be the best choice. It's very important that you do this.
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On November 23 2010 09:17 Enervate wrote:
Make sure you wear black. A black shirt with the word SECURITY on it would be the best choice. It's very important that you do this.
May I suggest wearing a badge? Preferably with the words "Sheriff" or "U.S. Marshall." We all know those lawless desperados take heed to such titles. However, use with caution. If all fails, proceed to the described methods Kurt Russell administered in the disposal of said vigilantes in the epic and awesome film Tombstone.
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would uruk-hai style war paint be good ?
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One of the most important things is to always be very firm, and always very polite. Also, know the rules you are supposed to enforce very well, and be able to cite specifically what rule they are violating. There are three main types of people who cause problems in situations like this.
1) People who are legitimately trying to scam the system ie cutting in line, sneaking in, underage whatevering, filming the performance etc. They will try to badger you into letting them do something, and if you back down at all they will jump on you.
2) People who have accidentally broken a rule, and now their ego is hurt and so want to persist. This is where politeness is important. If you show anger or frustration, their egos get hurt more, and so they resist more. These are generally good people, but are very stubborn, so if you give them no reason to persist in their jerkishness, they will back down. A good solution for tough guys especially is to talk to them in some area away from other people, where they will back down since nobody is there to see them.
3) People who are actually trying to cause trouble. Not much you can do but remove them as quickly as possible :-/
One more piece of advice: know who you report to, who reports to you, and who is responsible for what. For instance, know if you have the power to remove people, use physical contact etc, or if you have to ask permission first. This prevents the bystander effect where everyone realizes something is wrong, but nobody knows whose job it is to deal with it. Specifically, if there is a problem, everyone should be able to to identify if it is their problem to deal with, or if they have to "escalate" it to their superior, or if they should tell someone below them to do it.
Obviously I don't know a lot of the details of your situation, and a lot may not apply. Just my thoughts from random experiences in my life :-p
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thanks for the tips everyone. Now that I have more info I'm guessing its not going to be so much security as in breaking up fights and kicking people out, more like just working the entrance, keeping an eye on things and calling the police if things get out of hand.
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On November 23 2010 10:18 Crabby wrote:Show nested quote +On November 23 2010 09:17 Enervate wrote:
Make sure you wear black. A black shirt with the word SECURITY on it would be the best choice. It's very important that you do this. May I suggest wearing a badge? Preferably with the words "Sheriff" or "U.S. Marshall." We all know those lawless desperados take heed to such titles. However, use with caution. If all fails, proceed to the described methods Kurt Russell administered in the disposal of said vigilantes in the epic and awesome film Tombstone.
You also gotta wear really dark sunglasses, no matter what time of day it is.
Also the earpiece that may or may not be attached to some sort of communicator
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On November 23 2010 08:46 besiger wrote:
well the friend that is putting all together is taking care of all the legal aspects so I really don't know. If there will be legal problems I guess he will somehow have to get professionals.
And im planning on getting as much information as possible and being prepared and responsible, and also making sure the whole team is acting professionally. Once again this wont really be a huge thing, mostly local kids who we know, if this was anything bigger I would have no part in it with no experience.
This is ridiculous; you have to find out for yourself. If he doesn't tell you that something he wants you to do is illegal, and you get caught doing it, you're still going to get at least part of the blame.
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well of course im not going to blindly do what he says. What I mean is that he will give me the details which I will then look over and make sure its all legal, at present I don't really want to dig though tons of legal documents pertaining to this specific kind of event.
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EPT
