Security kept front and center in design of new venues Volume 8, Issue 43, Page 24 - 25by Tera Bisceglia

The “American way” of life has evolved in many ways after the un-imaginable tumbling of the World Trade Center Twin Towers in 2001. Our nation’s people have been placed on high alert, time and time again. The government warns all citizens to pay close attention to their surroundings in hopes of leads to foil the next terror attack plotted on US soil and save the lives of hundreds and possibly even thousands of innocent people. We, as a nation, have taken many strides to keep our freedom safe and it is no wonder that venues across the US have been re-designing and re-building to meet safety standards to combat the possibility of a terrorist attack while making it physically appealing so fans enjoy attending a sporting event or concert.

It is important that owners and architects take into account the possibility of car bomb or chemical warfare attack. More lives are at stake with the probability of a terrorist attack taking place in a venue that does not meet safety standards; however re-building requires millions of tax payer’s hard-earned money to meet such standards. The ideas of meeting safety standards seem two-fold, primarily benefiting the owners by (1) providing them with an excellent opportunity to re-design and re-build using tax payer money while (2) fans have a more defined sense of security that the events of 9/11 are less likely to occur as they root for their home team or jam out to their favorite band.

There will always be the possibility of terrorist attack. Stadiums could add as many security cameras and air ducts on rooftops they think they need, but in reality there is no way to tell when, where or how a terrorist attack with an extreme caliber of causality and life loss in mind will play out. It is more beneficial, and cost-efficient to train and provide our emergency response teams with the skills necessary to save lives incase an attack occurs. Unless there is a terror attack that takes place in a venue we will never know just how many lives were saved based on reconstruction.