June 26th, 2007
Profiles in security: a high-tech risk management software application used only by government agencies so far can help public entities and private companies better protect themselves from catastrophic losses in the event of a terrorist attack. Ideal for use by cities, it also shows promise as a tool for protecting any property
In February 2004, the Tampa Police Department faced a risk management challenge, one that required pre-event security assessments, security planning and event security management for 300,000 visitors descending on the city.
In short, Tampa was hosting the 100th anniversary of its annual Gasparilla Pirate Fest, a weeklong celebration that included events on both land and sea. Gasparilla, which amounts to $22 million in economic benefits for Tampa, is also an enormous potential headache for the TPD, relative to a possible terrorist attack or other security-based disruption.
“This year’s (2004) Gasparilla was particularly eventful, as it marked the 100th anniversary of the celebration–security was of the utmost concern,” says Doug Pasley, Tampa’s master police chief.
Looking for help, the TPD turned to a relatively new type of risk management software application that allowed the department to secure the festival’s sprawling geographic area, tried to ensure attendee protection, and considered precautions associated with the elevated risk status declared by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security at the time.
To do those things, the TPD used Site Profiler, a Web-based software application from Digital Sandbox, a Reston, Va., enterprise risk management software vendor.
With Site Profiler, which carries $250,000 price tag, any user can look out over a representation of a city (or any physical asset or group of assets, for that matter) and try to get inside the mind of a terrorist.
For example, with just a few keystrokes a user can “set off” a bomb at a crowded stadium, office building or hotel–and learn about the horrific consequences. More importantly, Site Profiler can redeploy security measures to maximize the resources risk managers have to work with.
So far, outside of several federal government agencies, the software as of last year had only been used by two clients, the City of Tampa and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, a bistate agency.
In Tampa’s case, the city obtained Site Profiler in November 2003, using it to link the police department with the mayor’s office, as well as the city’s strategic planning and technology departments.
Pasley says that once the data was downloaded, Site Profiler offered a three-dimensional model of Tampa, helping the TPD make decisions about where to deploy personnel.
The model included every street, bridge, waterway, park and major public building, including Tampa City Hall, Tampa General Hospital and Raymond James Stadium, home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers football team.