Protection In Partnership: Delivering Safer Spaces Through Collaboration
When it comes to protecting people at events from vehicle as weapon attacks and creating safe public spaces, many who are involved in public security may feel overwhelmed by the different choices of Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM) products and sometimes conflicting opinions from stakeholders. However, is installing a barrier enough? In truth, no – protection is never a tick-box exercise.
Protection in Partnership is Crowdguard’s commitment to collaboration. It’s our way of ensuring every protective security plan, whether for a one-day event, a seasonal market, or a long-term urban regeneration project, brings together the right people, expertise and solutions to achieve effective, proportionate protection, underpinned by as tested product integrity and quality assurance.
HVM is not a one size fits all approach
At Crowdguard, we understand that HVM and wider protective security are not one size fits all, and every event is unique. Each location, event and community faces unique risks and operational realities. That’s why our approach starts with understanding the threat, vulnerability and risk before aligning the right mix of temporary, semi-permanent or permanent solutions. Working in partnership with event safety and security professionals means that we can ensure a practical, proportionate and risk led solution is delivered. What may work for a small food festival in a local village will differ from what’s required for a large parade, or a busy transport hub.
How we work with you to plan, provide, and protect events
When it comes to working with you on events, our focus is to plan, provide, and protect. Protection in Partnership means planning and delivering collaboratively, with event organisers, traffic management specialists, local authorities, the police, Safety Advisory Groups, manufacturers and wider security professionals to design and implement protective measures that integrate seamlessly into real world operations.
Rather than just showing you a catalogue with options, we begin with a structured consultation, supported where appropriate by a Vehicle Dynamics Assessment to evidence suitability and ensure decisions are informed by threat, risk and site data. During this consultation, we assess site specific risks, including threat profile vulnerabilities and consider operational factors such as access routes, crowd flow and emergency requirements. We also recognise that budgets must be considered, – our role is to deliver proportionate protection that enables your event, not prevents it.
Following consultation, a site visit and survey may be conducted to confirm positions, standoff distances and surface conditions. A Vehicle Dynamics Assessment (VDA) can be utilised to further help determine which barriers are most appropriate. Engaging with local authorities and police additionally contributes to a more comprehensive assessment. We also work hard to provide education to your key stakeholders, including decision makers, your traffic management team and any security personnel involved in the event.
By partnering with us at Crowdguard, you aren’t just getting a piece of equipment but a trusted advocate for HVM. Security is a shared responsibility, which is why it is so important to us to promote the kind of joined up thinking that places a particular emphasis on the WHY behind the measures we put in place to protect your event. Our expert team ensures that all stakeholders receive the up-to-date guidance and training needed to be fully compliant. The end result is proportionate, risk-led security that supports, rather than disrupts, the event experience, enabling you to focus on the main event – your event.
Working together to protect public realm environments with more permanent HVM solutions
The same collaborative model underpins our work on permanent and semi-permanent HVM schemes across town centres, venues, and public realm environments. In these projects, Crowdguard acts as the central project manager, coordinating multiple manufacturers, design teams, and installation specialists under one operational umbrella.
By bringing together the right solutions from across the market, ensuring ‘round pegs fit round holes’, we integrate a combination of systems that meet the site’s specific Vehicle Dynamics Assessment (VDA) and Threat, Vulnerability and Risk Assessment (TVRA) requirements. This approach delivers as-tested integrity, alignment to standards such as ISO 22343-1, IWA 14-1 and PAS 68/69, and a quality-assured outcome that provides both physical protection and operational practicality.
Working with wider security professionals
At Crowdguard, Protection in Partnership extends further still to wider security professionals. Founder, Deborah Ainscough, states: “Our partnerships underscore our unwavering commitment to counter-terrorism.” By having strong partnerships across the board, we can ensure quality across the supply chain.
For example, the manufacturers we partner with only provide us with products that meet stringent testing and rating standards set by the National Protective Security Authority (NPSA), which gives you the peace of mind that if the worst should happen, our solutions have been tried and tested to perform under real-world conditions.
Through our expertise and network of trusted partners, we can help you to create an environment where people feel safe and welcomed, that allows communities to flourish and come together.
Get in touch
If you would like to discuss risk-led temporary HVM solutions for your event, get in touch with our team by emailing us at info@crowdguard.co.uk or call 0161 507 3434 today.
Image: CrowdGuard
