When it comes to choosing a day out for all the family, theme parks are often one of the most popular options in the UK.

They offer all sorts of thrills and adventures in a safe and controlled environment, and visitors put a lot of trust in the operators that they will be in a secure place where they can have some exciting experiences. It is therefore vital that all theme parks do everything they can to put safety and security at the forefront of everything that they do.

This means that it is essential that all safety measures are reviewed, and new methods are considered where necessary. In this article, Newgate, specialist security gate manufacturers take a look at what security in a theme park means and how you can enhance yours.

The importance of theme park security

When people visit a theme park, they usually do so for a sense of escapism. They want to be able to do things that they would not normally be able to do with the peace of mind that they are still safe and secure.

It can mean that they let their guard down and put their trust in the organisers, and so it is important to ensure that all possible security measures have been put in place so that all of your visitors can have a wonderful time without there being anything for them to worry about.

Risk assessments

In order to be able to properly enhance your security, you need to understand where your risks lie. This means that you will need to conduct a thorough risk assessment of the whole site to identify areas of weakness.

You should identify threats from both internal and external sources and consider issues such as ride malfunctions, altercations between visitors, thefts and any other incidents that might occur. Once you understand where the problems might be, it is much easier to identify ways in which you can change your security to deal with them.

CCTV

CCTV is now essential for any business, but when theme parks are spread over such wide areas, it can be even more important. This allows security teams to keep an eye on all areas of the park, allowing them to react quickly to any issues that might occur.

It is important to place cameras in good locations that give them the widest field of vision and to cover the greatest possible area without gaps or blind spots. They should also record the highest quality footage, making it easier to identify individuals and understand what has happened during an incident.

By making these cameras clear and obvious, they can also act as an effective deterrent to those who know they may be caught doing something that they should not be.

Access control

One of the most effective ways to keep a theme park secure is to put strict controls over who comes into it. Ticket barriers and turnstiles can be put in place to prevent too many people entering at once and to ensure that only those who are supposed to be in the park can gain entry. This can be achieved in a number of different ways, for example, by providing unique barcodes or QR codes to those who have bought tickets, ensuring that they are the only ones who can get through the barriers.

Access control can also restrict where people can go once, they are in the park. This ensures that only staff with the right permissions can get into particular zones, and this can be policed by putting entry systems on doors and gates that might require a code, fob or card to unlock them. This not only stops people from being somewhere they shouldn’t, but also allows operators to track who was last in an area if a problem is identified.

Security personnel

There is often no substitute for having a physical presence on site. Your security personnel should be able to watch CCTV footage and respond to it quickly, meaning that it is not necessary to wait for the police to arrive before an incident can be dealt with.

Having visible security personnel in strategic places, such as at the gates, in car parks and in shops, restaurants and concessions, can also be a very effective deterrent. They can be asked to perform bag checks to ensure nothing is brought onto the site which may pose a risk and can help prevent attempts at damage or vandalism.

Gates and fences

As theme parks cover wide areas, it can be difficult to watch all points of access, which is why it is so important to have durable, strong and substantial gates and fences in place. These present a physical barrier that should be very difficult to overcome without approved access, as hey can be very difficult to climb or penetrate.

Emergency plans

Even with every possible measure in place, emergencies can still happen, so it is important to have plans in place that can respond to different events. This means that staff will know what they should do in order to get help, evacuate guests or offer first aid. This will require clear and compulsory training for all staff members which can then be refreshed regularly.

Fire safety

It is also important to have good fire detection systems in place that can raise the alarm quickly in an emergency. This should include fire safety equipment that is easy to access, and fire suppression systems or sprinklers that can kick in automatically when a fire is detected.

You want your visitors to enjoy themselves and to come back again in the future, which means that security needs to be a priority. When people are able to relax and stay safe, they are more likely to have a great time that they will tell their friends about. Security is something that is constantly evolving so it is your responsibility to make sure that you remain vigilant to any threats and take all possible measures to avoid them.