Close protection for Tampa Bay cheerleaders
As part of an ongoing contract with the NFL, Integrated Security Consultants (ISC) recently provided the services of its Close Protection and escort officers for the prestigious cheerleaders of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the home team for the NFL series held at Wembley Stadium in October 2009
The team has now revealed the thorough security processes behind the visit. The cheerleaders arrived over a week prior to the NFL events to promote the NFL's growing presence in the UK. ISC's dedicated CP teams took responsibility for the cheerleaders' safety from the moment they touched down, meeting them straight from the airport and escorting them safely to their five star London hotel, to their departure after the match weekend.
Responsibility for guaranteeing the security of the cheerleaders during their stay was undertaken by Colin Morgan, ISC's experienced CP Coordinator. The cheerleaders had a demanding schedule of television appearances and radio shows lined up for their visit, as well as holding cheerleading clinics with cheerleading schools, visits to football clubs and personal appearances at stores including Selfridges and Harrods. Morgan and the CP team took control of all aspects of security for the cheerleaders; from operational consultancy, operational planning visits and close protection coordination to guarding, mobile and search teams.
"We always aimed to provide rational levels of security proportionate to the individual activities that the cheerleaders were engaged throughout their stay," explains Morgan. "We wanted to strike a balance between ensuring we delivered flawless security provisions for the cheerleaders whilst also being careful to minimise restrictions placed on their freedom during their stay."
ISC's meticulous approach meant each venue visited by the cheerleaders was surveyed prior their arrival. This process of gathering information gave the CP team the knowledge to ensure that they were bringing the cheerleaders into the safest environments possible.
As well as handling pre-event and post event security for the cheerleaders, ISC handled their security during all events that cheerleaders attended, including for the NFL match itself held at Wembley Stadium on the final day of the series.
Besides standard service provisions expected of all ISC personnel, the teams proved their willingness to go above and beyond, on a number of occasions. "These are very high profile girls, therefore deflecting unwanted attention and ensuring that they were protected at all times was our focus," asserts Morgan.
"This is the third year running that we've looked after Cheerleading teams for the NFL series, and once again we had no issues or breaches of security. This is in no small part due to the professionalism of Colin Morgan and our close protection staff," concludes ISC Managing Director, Pat Carr.
