With a population of around 80,000 people, the Isle of Man’s inhabitants increases by half for four weeks annually. Every June, the island hosts the TT races, one of the most dangerous motor sport events in the world. G4S plays a vital role in keeping the public, riders and spectators safe.
This year the TT organisers were keen to see a professional approach to security. This meant that all aspects, from the way litter is collected, to the stewards looking after spectators, had to change as well. G4S, drawing on considerable experience from securing events across the world, was keen to meet this challenge.
Using military based planning techniques, known as effects based security design, the team drew upon the expertise from across the security business to reassess from scratch the potential threats and risks which could present themselves at the TT event. These were then mapped against the expectations of the customer and their overall objectives. With this knowledge, the team could then design a bespoke security solution based on the potential scenarios, and present this to the customer. The model also includes assurances of flexibility, so that should the environment or the expectations change, so can the security.
This approach was welcomed by the TT organising committee and G4S was awarded the contract for providing security at the TT event for the next three years.
With this brief of ‘professionalising the TT’ and taking on board the Isle of Man’s ethos of sustainability, the team committed to training and developing islanders, to work to the standards expected of a professional security team. With the low rate of unemployment on the Island this was a challenge.
As part of providing training to be part of the world-famous event, G4S will be carefully observing new staff in order to identify future leaders and provide them the opportunity to gain more experience and SIA accreditation by working for G4S at high profile events on the UK mainland. The ultimate goal would be for these ‘rising-stars’ to return to work on the island at the TT as senior officers in a supervisory role.
Ashley Horsley, who joined the Isle of Man business as managing director earlier this year, said: “As the world’s largest security company, we have a considerable advantage when it comes to being able to draw on resources internationally to provide the best quality service for our customers. But, it is the flexibility in our approach to meet those customer needs, which has kept our security services, like the ones found on the Isle of Man, developing to meet the changing environment.”
