Security Services
Overview
The security services department is responsible for the security and safety of all
occupants of the convention center. Our staff of experienced security officers includes full time personnel, supplemented by officers from our security service partner, as well as by off-duty Metropolitan Police Department officers.
Responsibilities of our security staff include:
- Regular patrols of all entrances, common areas, service corridors, loading docks, parking areas and the entire perimeter
- Greeting guests and checking badges at all designated entrances, including labor entrance and loading docks entrances.
- Responding to medical and non-medical emergencies along with show contracted medical providers and security providers
- Investigating and documenting incidents
- Programming and issuing keycards
- Securing and un-securing doors
- Monitoring closed circuit TV surveillance of selected areas
- Liaising with contracted security and medical providers
- Liaising with local and federal law enforcement agencies
- Oversight of our emergency preparation and response plan.
First Aid
All security services staff are trained and certified by the Red Cross in basic first aid and CPR practices, and are trained to use automatic external defibrillators
(AEDs). AEDs are located throughout the center and one is issued to all contracted medical providers on duty.
Medical Emergencies
In the event of a medical emergency requiring an ambulance, please call the Command Center at x 3333 from a house or public telephone in the Center, or call the Command Center at (202) 249-3333 from a portable phone. Describe the
patient’s symptoms and the patient’s location in the center. The Command Center will dispatch a medical services provider and contact 911 to inform them of the nature and location of the emergency. Center officers will watch for, and direct, the medical personnel to the patient.
Contracted Medical Services
Customers are required to provide medical services dedicated to their event. All events with attendance of at least 500 people must have medical personnel on site. Depending on the nature of the event, other events with less than 500 persons in attendance may also be required to provide medical services.
Note: Medical services are required during move-in, event hours and move-out.
There are two (2) first aid rooms, one in Hall A and one in Hall D. Both rooms are accessible from inside the hall and from the loading dock. Each first aid room contains standard equipment, an exam table, refrigerator, a wheelchair, a water cooler, a private restroom and a telephone.
A list of medical providers is in the appendix. Companies on this list meet the District of Columbia requirements for medical certification and insurance, and follow the Center’s service standard guidelines which include where to report, uniform, communication methods, etc.
Medical providers are required to check in daily at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center Command Center where they are issued a Center radio and an AED. Medical providers must bring their own medical supplies.
Customers without access to either first aid room should designate a temporary first aid room near their event space. A telephone will be provided at no charge at designated alternate first aid locations.
Contracted Show Security Services
Customers are responsible for the security needs of their event space, and must contract with an independent security company to provide event security and crowd management services. To promote the safe and orderly conduct of events, we require that contracted security firms meet the following criteria:
- Contractor must be licensed and bonded in the District of Columbia
- Contractor must hold current District of Columbia Business License
- Contractor must provide appropriate insurance
- All contracted security personnel who work at the Center must possess a current District of Columbia Security Guard License
- All contracted security personnel who work at the Center must wear proper uniforms, and identification, and display a professional and courteous attitude
- All contracted security personnel who work at the Center must be trained to know the layout of the Center and the location of exits
- Contractor must have the ability to supply additional personnel as required
- Contractor must attend scheduled briefing and operational meetings.
- Contractor must abide by all Center rules of conduct
A list of security companies that meet the criteria above who wish to be considered for contract security services is in the appendix.
Your event security contractor controls access to your licensed areas, provides security and safety services for all event- related activity, and promptly informs Security Services of all incidents.
You are required to maintain contracted security services throughout your licensed move-in, event days, and move-out. See appendix for minimum numbers of security officers required at each location.
Your security deployment plan should be submitted 45 days in advance of your event. The plan must include dates, times, assigned posts and number of supervisors. We review the plan and advise if it should be adjusted. Show security personnel must be posted inside exhibit halls overnight when the hall is locked to perform overnight security services and to act as fire watch officers.
The standard for event security personnel is that they be unarmed. Uniformed, District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department officers are the primary source for armed security services. Armed contract security services must be approved in writing by the Manager of Security Services.
Securing Your Meeting Rooms
Electronic keycards are issued for the opening of secured meeting rooms. Public Safety personnel program each keycard to access the meeting room(s) you designate. We can add additional rooms to a specific card without having to retrieve it for reprogramming. The Center’s command center is able to track key card usage PIN codes can also be assigned for entry into secure meeting rooms at your request.
Your event manager will help you determine which rooms should be secured based on your event requirements and convey programmed keycards to you. At the conclusion of your event, keycards must be returned to your event manager.
Note: There is a $10 charge for each unreturned keycard.
Event managers will also confirm PIN codes that are designated for specific meeting rooms.
Please instruct staff to whom you issue keycards to bring them each event day. We will not unlock rooms for which keycards have been issued without authorization from show management or in the case of an emergency.
Lost and Found
Items lost or found during an event must be handled by the customer. We recommend that you designate the show office or the show information desk as the “lost and found.” At the end of the event, any unclaimed items may be submitted to security services, which inventories and holds the items for 60 days. After 60 days, the items are disposed of according to WCCA Property Disposal Guidelines.
Protests and Demonstrations
Security services maintains relationships with local and federal law enforcement and emergency response agencies and will coordinate with the appropriate agencies to work with you and your security staff to create a plan to manage the protest or demonstration. Please let your event manager know if you anticipate protesters, demonstrations or other potentially disruptive activity during your event.
The interior of the Center is not open to the public for the purpose of conducting demonstrations or distributing leaflets. The sidewalks around the building are legally public space, but persons may not block entrances, or force guests to take leaflets.
Exhibitor Hand-Carry Procedures
We have designated the entrance at 9th St and Mt. Vernon Place for exhibitors who wish to hand-carry materials to their booth. Exhibitors may use this entrance to transport materials they can carry in one trip to their booths.
Examples of acceptable hand-carry materials include boxes, suitcases or fiberboard shipping cartons, portable displays on wheels and small luggage racks.
The following items are not considered hand-carry items: two wheel dolly loads, hotel Bellman’s carts, boxes or crates requiring two people to carry.
Other entrances for hand-carry may be designated based on the event location, and other events in the building.
Discuss the hand-carry needs for your event with your event manager.
Metropolitan Police Department Officers
For the safety of all building occupants, we require Metropolitan Police Department officer(s) to be stationed at active cash handling stations such as box offices, registration and bookstores. Security services can make arrangements for these off-duty officers and bill you for their services.