Whether you’re enjoying every minute of the EURO 24 tournament, or peeking at the screen through anxious fingers and praying it doesn’t go to penalties, you can be certain that one team will be performing – and that’s the security team.

Security has become a hugely important part of the match day experience, and not just for international tournaments or major league clubs, but for all matches where crowds gather. SAFECROWDS has varied experience across a wide range of stadium environments and security disciplines – from  Threat, Vulnerability and Risk Assessment (TVRA), Vehicle Dynamics Assessment (VDA) and Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM) to protect crowds outside the ground, through to security teams and stewards throughout the ground.

Increasingly, we’re also being asked to help football clubs to protect the fans and the pitch from a growing trend at football matches, with many games being marred by flares and fireworks being thrown onto the pitch before, after, or even during the game.

It’s a global trend, and one that not only risks jeopardising play, but also compromises safety. And as an integrated security and counter terrorism provider with wide-ranging stadium security experience, we have the expertise to tackle this serious concern.

Sniffing out the source of the problem

Whether they are tucked away in a bag, or thrown onto the pitch, any pyrotechnic material poses a clear threat to safety, especially in a crowded stadium. While security teams deployed to prevent pitch invasions and keep a close eye on the crowd are important, the best way to tackle the issue of pyro devices on the pitch is to prevent them from coming into the stadium in the first place.

At SAFECROWDS we can deploy trained dogs and expert dog handlers to carry out a K9 detection sweep of the stadium before the fans arrive for the match to check for pyrotechnic devices. We have dogs specially trained to detect pyro devices, as well as drug detection and expo detection dogs, which means our K9 teams can support our security teams at entry points to the stadium to continue detection of any potentially harmful materials as fans enter the ground.

This work complements entry security and bag check processes, alerting security teams to carry out further checks if hazards are detected.

Our clients can choose whether to focus solely on K9 pyro and drug detection, or if they also want us to deploy specialist expo-trained dogs and handlers to provide a robust approach to counter terrorism too.

An integrated approach

Our K9 detection teams work as part of a wider range of security services offered by SAFECROWDS. Security begins outside the stadium and we provide both traffic management planning and implementation to divert traffic from pedestrianised zones, and HVM systems to protect pedestrians from vehicles.

As soon as fans enter the stadium, our security teams are there to make them feel both safe and welcome, securing the venue without compromising the match day experience. Meanwhile, our stewarding teams are on hand to manage the crowd while supporting match goers with everything from finding their seat to reaching the shortest queue for the loo at half time. All our teams are smartly dressed in SAFECROWDS uniform, making them easy to spot and ask for help.

Meanwhile, our behavioural detection teams add an extra layer of safety and security at crowded stadiums, identifying behaviours that could indicate an imminent threat, such as missiles being thrown onto the pitch or a terror attack.

A tailored service

Every stadium and every match is different, which is why it is important to include risk assessment and a full understanding of operational protocols in security planning and implementation.

All risk can be mitigated, however, and the football industry does not have to accept that pyrotechnics on the pitch is just something we have to deal with. Only by preventing those who would put others at risk by bringing pyro materials into the ground can we stop this dangerous trend from escalating, and SAFECROWDS has the knowledge and resources to do just that.