“With that type of crowd — it’s a punk crowd, they haven’t seen the Sex Pistols in years, they’re wanting to relive their youth — we got to the point where people on the floor started to rip the chairs out, tossing them up on the stage. That actually got quite out of hand,” says Ryan Howes, operations manager for the Molson Amphitheatre, located on Toronto’s waterfront.

The band returned a half hour later, which took the crowd down a notch or two, averting a  potential riot.

That was back in 2003, Howes’ first year at the Amphitheatre. In the intervening years, he’s learned a lot about managing concert security, starting with putting together a core of 40 or 50 security guards who can be relied upon to diffuse a situation before it escalates.

Until 2004, the Amphitheatre used contract security guards, but Howes took the security operation in-house when it became apparent that a group of reliable regulars might be a better option.

“As everyone knows with contracted security, there’s a high turnover with the staffing, especially being a summer venue where you only operate 30 days out of the year. You don’t get a lot of repeat security guards and they don’t get to know the staff and the touring personnel and the artists,” says Howes.

“We took the backstage security — the dressing rooms, the stage area, the trucks and tour buses — in-house in 2004. From there we expanded out into the front of house area. It was kind of gradual after that. We took all our ushering and gate staff in house as well. We found that we had more control over the staff who work for us. We had more hands-on training. If there was a situation we had to deal with, we found we had more control over it.”

The Amphitheatre operates from May to September, but Howes’ preparations begin in January with budgets, planning and sending out offer letters to returning guards. In February, he starts advertising for new employees on job websites and in colleges that offer security courses.

Usually there aren’t that many job vacancies to fill. In a typical year, 80 to 85 per cent of last year’s guards return.

“I’m very happy about that,” says Howes. “The Molson Amphitheatre is kind of a different environment to going to shows in hockey arenas and club shows. It’s an outdoor venue, it’s in the summertime, it’s usually sunny out. It’s more of an entertaining party atmosphere. For a lot of the staff it’s a lot of fun. Even though the shifts may be anywhere from four to eight hours, depending on the concert, people have made really good friends down here.”

There is another round of hiring in April, bringing the total guard complement to about 95, and orientation begins in May, a few weeks before the official concert season kicks off. Employees go through a training schedule with employee handbook reviews, PowerPoint presentations, a tour of the venue, introduction to management personnel, uniforms, and payroll.

The Amphitheatre also brings in Steve Summerville, president of Stay Safe Instructional Programs, who goes over resistance management, the criminal code, legal authority, use of force training, crisis management, restraint techniques — basically everything covered in Bill 159, says Howes.

Howes says he looks for guards with previous experience — preferably people who have worked in bars, nightclubs or other concert venues, have Smart Serve training, and can handle themselves in an environment with alcohol sales and consumption.

“We are also looking for guards who have good customer service experience — not your regular bar room type of bouncer. Someone who has a good head on their shoulders and can communicate to patrons. Someone who won’t manhandle the patrons if there’s an incident.”

Typically, than means guards who are 25- to 35-years-old.