With the 2015 FINA World Championships’ start date of July 24th right around the corner, the event’s Head of Sports Security, Marat Fatkhullin, is giving reassurances that the entire production will be a safe and secure one.
With over 100,000 visitors expected to descend upon Kazan, located in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, over 7,000 law enforcement officers are slated to service the host city in some capacity. Fatkhullin estimates that there are also 450 employees of private security companies and 966 safety stewards also scheduled to work throughout the competition. (kazan2015.com)
As the city of Kazan was the host of the 2013 World University Games, that event is serving as a base model for this aquatic showcase, but with a number of changes in security protocol being applied. First, federal legislation now dictates that security at sporting venues is “allocated to the event organizers, whereas police officers endure safety measures at the entrances to venues and the areas where international sporting events are held.” As such, athletes and spectators will see police performing the actual event entrance body and bag searches at each venue and will also notice them patrolling the river embankment. “As of today, we have all equipment required for scanning everything brought into the venues”, said Fatkhullin. (kazan2015.com)
All security measures, including, the deployment of explosive detector dog teams to check the grounds periodically, will be enforced at all World Championships venues beginning July 19th. On that date, key logistical routes slated to transport athletes and participants, of which there are over 70 such routes into Kazan, will also be routinely inspected for dangerous or prohibited items.
