Are you ready to celebrate the Coronation safely? Hostile vehicle mitigation (HVM)
With the ballot for tickets to the King’s Coronation concert at Windsor Castle now open, preparations have begun in earnest for the celebrations to mark King Charles III’s accession to the throne in May.
The Coronation itself will take place at Westminster Abbey on Saturday 6th May and the security operation for such a special occasion attended by so many heads of state and VIPs from around the world is a major undertaking. Last year’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations for the late Queen Elizabeth II provided a blueprint for the smooth running of this year’s Coronation events, and doubtless the same level of meticulous planning will be implemented for the Coronation and the concert.
But the big events in London and Windsor are only part of the picture when it comes to the national Coronation celebrations. In addition to the concert on 7th May, friends and neighbours across the UK are being encouraged to take part in Coronation Big Lunches, linking the Coronation celebrations with a national celebration of community. It is anticipated that there will be street parties and local events from John O’Groats to Lands End and across the four nations, giving people the perfect opportunity to come together, just as they did for the Jubilee last year.
For local authorities and event organisers, part of ensuring that those events run smoothly is preparing in advance for the safety and security requirements of each event and location. Any event that takes place in a location that is usually open to traffic involves an inherent risk of errant vehicles and the most effective way to mitigate risk is by deploying appropriate and proportionate hostile vehicle mitigation (HVM) equipment. As we await Martyn’s Law legislation, which will formalise obligations to consider and mitigate risk for events and public locations, it is essential that those planning events for the Coronation take reasonable steps to understand the specific risks involved for them and mitigate those risks effectively.
At Crowdguard, we have wide-ranging experience of carrying out threat, vulnerability and risk (TVRA) assessments and vehicle dynamics assessments (VDA) to help customers understand the risks for their event and develop a risk mitigation strategy. Our turnkey service also includes specifying and providing the right mix of equipment, with full deployment, quality assurance and de-rigging.
Our experience includes deployment of a variety of temporary, surface-mounted hostile vehicle mitigation (HVM) equipment, including ATG Surface Guard, The Claw and RB50 from Highway Care and ARX Stopper. Most of these systems are even customisable with branding, advertising or wayfinding, which could enable those planning Coronation events to add to the sense of celebration with graphics and messaging.
With so many distressing news stories hitting the headlines at the moment, the Coronation provides the promise of a celebration that will bring people together to share food and enjoy good times this spring. We’re looking forward to helping our clients plan those events with safety in mind and have the resources to help with that task right across the country.