In the UK the front line and entrance attendants are required to be SIA certified this year.
Does this include the 85 year old men who sit in the kingdom hall foyer as an attendant?
Major changes to convention security beginning in 2017
by Edison Trent 65 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
-
Splash
-
Emma
I don't know about handling bags or persons in other countries, but I think Blondie's correct. About 20 years ago my family was stopped going into the Silverdome. We had badges and and books but looked suspicious to them for some reason. The attendants were turning us away when my VIP brother in law came and we were let in. I've never figured it out.
-
FedUpJW
It would seem odd if such a major security change were implemented without some form of written directives for clarity and as a means of quality control
I don't know about written directives, but a fellow in my area who still talks to me mentioned that all the eldurrs and mistrial servants were called to a special meeting next state over. They had go through special training now to be attendants. No training=no more attendant duty. Something different is going on. And of course now they have another reason to feel "special" and just a bit better than the next JW.
-
konceptual99
I say again this is essentially old news in the U.K. We had to attend a day long "training" event 20 years ago and be told about our duties or not be allowed to attend. The need for an increasing number of brothers to have certain secular certification has been growing over the more recent years. Bag searches have been around for at least two years. I've not been an attendant for some time now and not aware of the detail but I know from others how much has been required in the recent years past.
-
darkspilver
I say again this is essentially old news in the U.K. We had to attend a day long "training" event 20 years ago and be told about our duties or not be allowed to attend.
What's 'new' this time is that just weeks before a convention, a JW convention venue has apparently been targeted by a suicide bomber - with at least 22 dead, including children.
Don't Give Up! JW Convention
30 June to 2 July 2017
Manchester Arena
Victoria Station
MANCHESTER M3 1AR
UNITED KINGDOMManchester Arena are currently saying that: "the incident took place outside the venue in a public space."
https://twitter.com/ManchesterArena/status/866808098798927873
-
konceptual99
It's a terrible event and brings home the vulnerability of places like this to this type of attack.
My point however was not really about any escalation in threat - going back I remember being warned about bomb threats from the IRA at assemblies when I was a child in the late 70s and early 80s.
All I was saying is that mandatory training for attendants has been a feature of assemblies in the UK for years. Bag searches have also been around for at least two years. Brothers have had increasing secular certification requirements here over the past 5 plus years. It's started years ago with low key with mandatory events covering duties, safety etc, having to wear high viz tabards, early morning briefings for the entire cohort before the doors open, special attention being paid to those that don't have a badge etc. but has increased over the years, driven by secular obligations either with the law or from what the venue has imposed.
For example, when we first met at the Brighton Centre (early -mid 90s) the venue said we could not use attendants, we had to use their staff. This represented a significant cost but the assembly team managed to convince the venue that the Witnesses were experienced and could cope with the H&S requirements. They only agreed once the team agreed to a day long training event that would be mandatory for every attendant. This pattern has been followed every year since, continues now the venue is the Amex stadium and has been introduced for every assembly location in the UK for years.
Requirements may once again have increased this year but for the UK it's not a sea change as many of the mechanisms they are talking about for other places have been gradually introduced here already.
It's not a big deal overall but I just don't think that UK attendees will see anything significantly different to that they have already experienced.