OU Conducts Stadium Training

Aug. 28, 2009

NORMAN, Okla. - As the national trainer for Contemporary Services Company (CSC), Dane Dodd has led security and fan relations training sessions at professional sports venues, Olympic venues and more than 70 colleges and universities.

He was on the University of Oklahoma campus Friday to conduct a table-top training session for approximately 200 individuals, all of whom are closely associated with game operations at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

In Norman, Dodd's work is mostly of the refresher variety.

"When I go other places to train, Oklahoma is frequently my example of how to do it correctly," he said after Friday's session. "OU may be the premier organization not only in college, but among professional venues too. It is one of the few places that takes the time and interest to involve everyone in every role for a training session every year.

"OU is out in front. Nobody prepares and puts in infrastructure like Oklahoma. I can't think of another stadium I would be more comfortable attending than the one right here."

That said, no venue can guarantee 100 percent security.

"That's definitely true, and anyone who tells you differently is lying," Dodd confirmed. "It is the responsibility of every venue to take all reasonable steps to mitigate as many threats as possible. OU is taking all of the reasonable steps."

According to Dodd, the missing link in many preparations is often a failure to involve all of the stadium staff.

"A lot of places have bomb dogs, barriers, cameras and all of the equipment they need, and then they expect law enforcement to just handle everything," he said. "OU has invested heavily in field staff, and that's wise because that's the group that usually encounters problems before anyone else.

"Guest services and emergency response is a hot topic everywhere, but not many communicate with housekeeping, maintenance, the grounds staff and the individuals who are often your eyes and ears.

"When I looked around the room today, every facet of the operation was represented, and that's typical of OU."

Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Programs and Director of Athletics Joe Castiglione said the accolades for the preparation are reassuring, but only the residual of OU's plan.

"We appreciate the responsibility we have for those who come to our facilities," he said. "This is a massive undertaking, but one that we take seriously. The fact that we are a model program for others is nice, but it will not hinder us from continually seeking new ways to do things better and more thoroughly."

The planning process for the upcoming football season has been in place for months. Game management meetings, which are held each week during the season, began more than a month ago as just a part of that planning.

Dodd's employer has been contracted at Oklahoma for the last three years. CSC pioneered the use of peer group security and crowd management in 1967 and has since emerged as the industry leader.

The company has more than 40 branch offices serving over 200 cities within the United States and Canada. Its client base also includes MLB, MLS, NBA, NFL, NHL and NASCAR.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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