The suspect is tall and round, 1,392 feet in circumference to be precise, sporting a necklace of 32 capsules, each capable of carrying 25 awe-struck passengers.
Not a criminal but it is certainly loitering with intent — intent to thrill, that is — on the Southbank of the Thames, in the heart of London. Across the river from the Houses of Parliament, within sight of Number 10 Downing Street, Buckingham Palace and the Ministry of Defence — in fact, within sight of just about anywhere in London — the London Eye will turn about 6000 times this year.
The tallest structure of its kind in the world, this giant observation wheel is the latest addition to the London skyline. It has been declared a triumph by the press, politicians and even royalty as the Duke of York boarded a “flight” to celebrate his 40th birthday, along with his ex-wife Sarah and the Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.
Expected to attract 15,000 passengers a day, the Eye’s management is keen to ensure that passenger safety and security are preserved, and that the Wheel does not become a target for terrorism, sabotage or publicity stunts. It already suffered one such stunt when environmental protestors, demonstrating against dam building in India of all things, by-passed contract security guards and clambered to the top of the wheel and unfurled a banner.
Security was then under the control of contract engineers Mace, which employed a contract guarding company. But as the designated management of the Eye, the Tussauds Group, prepares to take control of operations in time for the 9 March official opening, contract guarding operations are being scaled down in favour of an in-house team.
The Tussauds Group has brought its expertise in visitor attraction management at such theme parks as Alton Towers, Thorpe Park and Chessington World of Adventures, to the project. As part of the package, Tussauds security advisor Brian Ward has been deployed as project champion for security, fire and evacuation.
Ward in turn has recruited John Bell, a former member of the Parachute Regiment who saw action in the Falklands War and was, most recently, deputy security manager at the Barbican Centre on the Southbank.
Ward spent some 14 months preparing the groundwork for the security operation at the Eye. In the past year he has had extensive discussions with British Airways security, the Metropolitan Police, the Fire Brigade and other government agencies.
The profile of the site is high, hence the danger to British Airways, the main shareholder of the Eye of anything going wrong is also very high. It’s not surprising then that Ward has at his disposal one of the greatest concentrations of security equipment at any visitor attraction in the land, with the possible exception of the Crown Jewels or the new MI6 Headquarters (after the Bond film).
Counter measures
Installed by Midnight Security, based in Beckenham, the electronic security system comprises access control, intruder alarms and a digital CCTV system.
Forty-five cameras – a combination of Sanyo fixed and dome cameras – are deployed on the ground around the site, protecting the boarding platform for the ride, the plaza in front of the wheel and the retail outlet situated in the corner of County Hall (the former home of the Greater London Council), housing a gift shop, ticket sales and café.
On board the Eye itself, each of the 32 capsules are to be fitted with two cameras each, which between them will provide total coverage of the interior. These 64 cameras – along with the 45 on the ground – are linked to four IES multiplexers in a central control room where everything is digitally recorded. In addition, there are two-way communications between each capsule and the control room.
And a comprehensive access control system, featuring prox card readers, protects the retail area.
The entire security operation borrows heavily from standard operating procedures developed at Alton Towers by Ward. He points out that although Alton Towers comprises hundreds of acres of land, while the London Eye covers an acre at most, there are still important similarities between the two sites.
Both attractions will, in a day, draw tens of thousands of visitors. In fact, the problems posed by so many people congregating in one place are not dissimilar from those you would find in a town centre.
Public disorder, theft, assaults as well as bootleggers and ticket touts — the security team at the Eye are trained to handle them all. In addition there is the potential for incidents for which the day-to-day risk is much lower but the consequences are much higher, such as armed robbery and terrorist attacks.
In addition to crime prevention, the security team also have to be prepared to deal with medical emergencies and, in the event of a catastrophic failure of the wheel, even help to organise the evacuation of the Eye itself.
Evacuating up to 800 people from the world’s largest observation wheel is not something that most people would like to contemplate, but not only has Ward planned for it, he and Bell have rehearsed the scenario — twice! — in one case lowering a volunteer in a stretcher from the “twelve o’clock” position of the Eye. Abseiling teams, on call during operational hours, can reach the site within half an hour of being called.
As they prepare for the official opening of the Eye this month, final preparations are being made, and the plans, so carefully crafted over the past year, are being given a final tweak. Ensuring security and safety at such a high-profile site is certainly a challenge.
But Ward and Bell appear to relish the job, even though at the end of the day all they can do is cross their fingers and rely on their security strategy and contingency plans to ensure that come opening day, and beyond, everyone who “flies” the London Eye comes back to Earth with the gentlest of bumps.
Source
SMT
