For Frank Poe, The Academy for Venue Safety & Security (AVSS) is all about preparing for the unexpected and having the skills necessary to address challenges flowing from incidents.
“AVSS was developed around four key focus learning tracks—Risk, Emergency Preparedness, Security Operations, and Training,” said Poe, executive director of the Georgia World Congress Center and AVSS faculty dean. “In presenting the core content, Prepare, Prevent, Respond, and Recovery (PPRR) is foundational. To that end, the faculty presents critical information to our students that will equip them to return to their venues better prepared to assess venue risk and improve venue emergency planning. AVSS has touched over 5oo industry professionals through its concentrated and intensive curriculum and provides for our students a network of contacts to support them as they implement PPRR methodologies in their home venue.”
Students in the core track will be trained in such courses as “Principles of Risk Management,” “Security Equipment & Technology,” and “War Games.”
“Principles of Risk Management” focuses on the impact of consequences, how to establish priority consequences, and how to determine what threats and/or types of threats will cause the consequences to occur.
In the “Security Equipment & Technology” course, students will learn practical applications of security equipment and current technology for the protection of life and assets in a public assembly environment.
“War Games” is a training exercise that puts to practice principles of safety and security presented at AVSS. Students will play aggressors and defenders attacking and protecting a public assembly environment.
Overall, AVSS is a thorough educational and exciting program not only for students, but for the faculty, as well.
“It’s an opportunity, as a volunteer to give back to our association, as well as build a professional network of individuals that care about our venues, customers, guests and the communities that support what we do,” Poe said. “I have always received, through volunteering, much more than I give.”
AVSS takes place Feb. 23-27 in Dallas. Please visit the website for more information and to register.
