Crowd Management and Public Safety for Public Spaces and Government Buildings

When we think about crowd management and control, we always imagine it is about making people stand in a straight line and reducing the number of crowds that form. In crowd control, the idea of public safety is often disregarded and is not taken into account. A big reason why crowds are controlled and managed is that it is easier to keep people safe when they are in a more organized format.

Public safety is a crucial aspect of any public space or government facility. Especially at government facilities and buildings, anything can happen – government officials must plan for any type of scenario that can occur. By managing the crowd properly, they can safely, and more importantly legally, manage any surprise situation while avoiding crowds and riots.

Take the example of a shooter who has walked into a government office. The shooter is dressed up in regular clothing to blend in with the crowd. If the crowd is not managed and is in a stir, it becomes hard to spot the shooter – this is a dangerous scenario and could result in someone’s death. On the other hand, if the crowd is well-managed and organized, it becomes easier to observe each individual passing through, making it more likely to spot the shooter and arrest them.

Crowd control in commercial spaces and crowd control in government spaces are different in their aims. Commercial use of crowd control is designed to get customers to spend more and keep them satisfied to increase sales in the long run. When it comes to the government facilities and public spaces, nothing is up for sale – crowds are controlled to keep people safe.

All commercial spaces, no matter how much they differ, make use of the same tools (i.e. retractable belt barriers, delineators, and signage) to manage their crowds. Government spaces, however, require different tools for different scenarios. Some examples include:

• A public park would require road signs and barriers.
• National parks (which are a lot bigger than public parks and are more in use for bigger activities such as tourism and hiking) would require traffic barrels, alongside plastic chains and posts that are weather friendly.
• Schools would require steel barricades and traffic barrels.
• Areas more prone to natural disasters (such as wildfires, floods, earthquakes, and tsunamis) would need retractable metal barriers, pedestrian barriers, and jersey barriers.

The Measures You Can Take to Control the Crowd in Such Areas:

Hire a Crowd Control Manager

By appointing a manager for crowd control, you end up creating an entire department to keep everything organized.

When hiring a manager, some things to look out for are:

• You cannot just learn crowd management overnight; years of experience are required to develop the skills needed. Make sure they have valid experience in crowd security and control – call their references to confirm. 
• They should be meeting the training requirements established by your local community, your state, and the federal government.
• Professional certifications, such as those from the International Code Council, are a way to understand the skills they have and have developed. A proper certification entails that your crowd control plan will be compliant with local, state, and federal laws.

This, however, might be an expensive option.

Be Clear When It Comes To Instructions on Signage

Signs can be a great way to manage crowds – they reduce confusion, direct people to where they should be going, and reduce wandering. Signs are a form of ‘soft crowd control.’

Government buildings have amazing architecture and design. Hence, it would be best to keep signs in line with the aesthetics of the building. For older buildings with unique architecture, it would be best to use rope sign frames or stanchion posts as they do not require you to build additional structures and have a simple design that won’t conflict with the design of the building.

However, if you choose a sign for a large public space outside, especially those prone to natural disasters, it should be big and make use of bright colors to direct crowds better.

Plan for the Unexpected

In areas like national parks and schools, permanent crowd control solutions should be installed. It can be hard to hire a staff that would manage crowds in each part of such areas 24/7. Permanent installations help to manage unexpected crowds as they are already placed and do not have to be taken out at a moment’s notice.

However, anything can happen. It is possible that your pre-installed management system does not have the capacity to manage a crowd that is especially large or rowdy. In these scenarios, it would be best to keep a backup of movable solutions (such as steel barricades and retractable belt barriers) to give you additional help.

If you are not sure about which products are right for you, feel free to contact a sales expert from Crowd Control Company.

Use a Physical Barrier

Sometimes, people just do not listen. Signs can be ignored, leading to people forming crowds and being widely dispersed.

An example of a physical barrier is velvet rope barriers. They are mainly used in a professional environment as they give off a very classy feel. They can be placed in state capitol buildings to give off a feeling of professionalism and sophistication.

In order to create queues and make sure people are organized neatly, you can make use of retractable belt barriers. You can buy movable posts (for a temporary solution), retractable wall mounted posts (a solution for a longer temporary solution), and floor mounted posts (a permanent solution). They are seen in airport security lines, so the next time you are there, you can see what they look like and observe the purpose with which they are used.

Use CCTV

The use of security cameras has created a lot of development in the world of crowd control. CCTV cameras enable one to be a distant observer; it reduces the amount of staff required and lets us observe many parts of the space at a time.

Cameras can help you identify holes in your crowd control measures and find ways to improve them.