Introduction
Civil defense, or civil protection, represents an effort of protecting state citizens from natural disasters and military attacks. Protective efforts are based on the fundamental principles of emergency operation that include risk prevention, mitigation, preparation, response, evacuation, and recovery. At large civil gatherings, protecting people is especially important because of their high concentration in one area, and any disruptions to safety can lead to significant health risks. In preparation for World Cup 2022 in Qatar, civil protection efforts play an essential role because they are the key to preventing risk factors that could lead to adverse circumstances for the population. The current report will focus on providing recommendations for civil defense planning for Qatar’s World Cup in 2022.
Current Efforts of World Cup Preparation
When preparing for securing the World Cup events, the Security Committee of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) completed a program that trained security leaders for the World Cup 2022 (“SC Trains Security Leaders for Qatar World Cup 2022”). The course lasted over 15 weeks and included 100 officers who would implement direct civil protection efforts at the event. Brigadier Ibrahim Khalil al-Mohannadi, who is the dead of the Advisory United at the Security Committee, underlined the importance of the training program in refining officers’ skills as well as ensuring that sports facilities are prepared for the events that would occur during the Cup.
The preparation program was targeted at providing Qatari officers with skills and knowledge of securing World Cup facilities that would hold matches. It is also important to note that officers were selected by strict standards and were prepared with the help of the latest FIFA methods and requirements of security. Hiring the most effective and skilled personnel is crucial because it would define the key features of the event and characterize the main factors describing the population involved.
Any training programs that would be held in preparation for the World Cup should use cadres of the highest standard, which are “efficient and in conformity with international standards and guidelines of human rights” (“SC Trains Security Leaders for Qatar World Cup 2022”). Future SC programs should include practical training in ensuring security at sports events. The training course that finished in 2018 is a bronze-level program, which means that there will be next steps targeted at increasing leaders’ responsibilities at different World Cup security levels.
The program was designed to have several stages and will last until 2022 to include practical training for attending international sports events. At the core of the practice is the cooperation between security players and supporting bodies to confirm the dedication of Qatar to ensuring the civil protection of their citizens. Besides, there is the need to establish a cohesive strategy in the systematic management and planning of significant events through harnessing both human and financial potential.
Recommendations for Civil Defence at World Cup 2022
Cooperation
The establishment of effective efforts targeted at ensuring civil security at World Cup 2022 requires cooperation between security units. Teamwork is necessary to ensure that the “Security Committee of the SCDL is capable of providing all security requirements at venues as well as protecting players, officials, and the public who came to enjoy a football match” (“SC Trains Security Leaders for Qatar World Cup 2022”). This calls for the development of a framework that includes stakeholders responsible for ensuring the safety of the public.
Security Control and the Operations Room established at the Qatari National Command Centre should play a significant role in connecting security groups and the personnel responsible for surveillance at stadium facilities, both inside stadiums and outside. The highest-quality cameras with the latest technologies should be installed at every sports facility to increase control over each area. In addition, the National Command Centre will be responsible for transferring emergency calls through the 999 hotlines.
Cooperation with the government is the focus of preparing for the World Cup 2022 (Sidi). The efforts extended by the National Command Centre and the General Directorate of Civil Defence should be targeted at reaching the highest “levels of success and excellence” (Sidi). The collaborative efforts of the mentioned facilities as well as Al Jazeera Media Institute and the Turkish Police, which trained officers, resulted in the preparation of around 6,000 security team members.
Intensifying Security Procedures
When increasing the security capabilities at World Cup venues, it is recommended to involve the traffic unit, which would contribute by organizing traffic at the key roads and deploying support patrols that would facilitate the movement of the public to stadiums. All stadium gates should be protected by security personnel who would check the incoming spectators for prohibited objects that are not allowed inside the facility. All barriers will have intensified security procedures because of the high crowd volumes.
The team of officers explicitly trained for the World Cup 2022 should be equipped with advanced security equipment. These will include hand-held X-ray machines and social medial monitoring algorithms. Walkthrough metal detectors should also be available in large quantities to increase the bandwidth of the facility. What is important to note is that the equipment used at the facility should align with the principles of human rights, with invasive tools such as body scanners being avoided. In addition, when strengthening security procedures, it is recommended to implement operations on a zone-based level.
The importance of a zoned operation that includes outer, middle, and inner security design, ensures a better preparation for an emergency. During a security threat, the team working et each security sector can make quick and efficient decisions regarding addressing a crisis. Zoning should also involve the use of monitoring tools and techniques, ranging from surveillance equipment to foot patrol.
Leveraging data analysis reports is an important step in intensifying security procedures. The integration of digital technologies in the work of the security team can offer significant insight into possible safety breaches and their subsequent mitigation. Statistical analysis of data gathered at other World Cup stadiums will allow the team to predict the critical challenges associated with security and develop special protocols for screening and emergency prevention. Also, data can be used for understanding how the erratic behavior of attendees can limit the effectiveness of an evacuation. Studying this information will allow the team who was training for the World Cup to refine their approach toward risk prevention and mitigation, as well as tactics and tools for enhancing efficiency.
Evacuation Recommendations
While it is essential to ensure that each facility was safe before the match, it is also necessary for the Civil Defence to prepare a scenario for evacuation in case of a need. If such a need occurs, the department should have the capacity to carry out a complete evacuation. Such capacity should be achieved through the test of safety and security systems, fire extinguishing systems, as well as alarm and ventilation tools (“SC Successfully Delivers Highest Security Measures for Qatar-Oman Match”). Preparing for a hazard beforehand is expected to reduce risks for emergency evacuation.
A cohesive evacuation plan should include the responsibilities of an evacuation team, the primary duty of which is to carry out the evacuation of the general public, players, and officials from a stadium. The work of the evacuation team should be managed with the help of an information system that would ensure quick communication. The team should possess the master plan of the building to direct groups of people to appropriate emergency exit routes, avoiding overcrowding and ensuring that individuals with special needs get evacuated first. When the area is in severe weather conditions, the team will open extra gates at the stadium to allow the lower floors to be used for shelter. A designated shelter area should be included in the master plan of the stadium.
When a stadium is evacuating because of a non-weather emergency, immediate action should be taken to facilitate emergency communication. Personnel should be sent to verify an emergency, and if it is verified, gates should be opened immediately to facilitate the evacuation. Using a public address system, spectators, players, and officials should be informed about the emergency. A 999 call will be immediately initiated to involve additional emergency response personnel if the officers operating at the venue cannot handle the situation.
When a fire is identified, the dispatcher from the evacuation team will access the fire alarm panel to determine its location. Team members will be notified of the fire and open emergency gates before guiding the public out of the stadium. Primary methods of fire extinguishing should be implemented, such as using fire extinguishers that must be readily available at the stadium. Effective communication with spectators, players, and officials is essential to ensure that the instructions for fire-related evacuation are followed.
In case of a bomb or weapon threat at a stadium, legal authorities will be notified of the emergency. To avoid panic among attendees, officials will be contacted first to direct them out of a facility, including teams that should be escorted to their dressing rooms and buses (“Emergency Action Plan for Leo Buckley Stadium”). After informing appropriate officials of the threat, the evacuation team should announce to the general public that the event is canceled to start letting them out from the facility.
Summary
To summarise, the current plan includes recommendations for the key safety and security efforts to be implemented in preparation for the World Cup 2022 in Qatar. At this time, the government is working on training officers that would provide immediate assistance on safety and security measures at stadiums and other sports facilities. The main focus of the recommendation is ensuring close collaboration between relevant stakeholders participating in security procedures.
The proposed evacuation plan covers the critical risk factors and advice on how the emergency team should handle them. The use of technology and data analysis is essential in preparation for the World Cup presents an advantage for the security team because it provides capacity for risk assessment, early identification, and mitigation.
Works Cited
“Emergency Action Plan for Leo Buckley Stadium.” Killeenisd. Web.
“SC Successfully Delivers Highest Security Measures for Qatar-Oman Match.” Marhaba. 2019. Web.
“SC Trains Security Leaders for Qatar World Cup 2022.” Gulf Times. 2018. Web.
Sidi, Mohamed. “SC Graduates 184 Officers to Ensure Highest Level of Security, Safety for World Cup 2022.” The Peninsula. 2019. Web.