WASHINGTON, D.C. --The United States Secret Service, in partnership with the Office of Homeland Security, will sponsor a Major Event Management Seminar,September 4-6, 2002 in Washington, D.C. The seminar's objective is to provide law enforcementexecutives, public safety managers, and other key event planners with an overview of thefundamental principles and models for managing security aspects of major events, andstrategies for reducing vulnerabilities related to terrorism and other criminal acts.
Command-level law enforcement and public safety officials from jurisdictions wheremajor events will take place in the next year are scheduled to attend the seminar.
The U.S. Secret Service has long been involved in the design and implementation ofsecurity plans for events of national significance. In December 2000, the Presidential
Protection Act of 2000 became public law. Included in the bill was a new sub-sectionwhich authorized the Secret Service to participate in the planning, coordination, and
implementation of security operations at special events of national significance, asdetermined by the President.
With this new direction, the Secret Service formally assumed a role it had held for manyevents -- the lead federal agency for large events such as presidential inaugurations, major
international summits or conferences held in the United States and presidential campaignevents and conventions. In addition, events such as Super Bowl XXXVI and the 2002
Winter Olympics have been designated to receive this special security status.
We have developed a core strategy of forming partnerships with law enforcement, themilitary, and other public safety officials that has helped bring all of the key players
together in planning for these events,U.S. Secret Service Director Brian L. Staffordsaid. Through this seminar, we hope to provide state and local law enforcement, event
staff and public safety professionals with key strategies and lessons learnedfrom pastmajor events.
Source: U.S. Secret Service