From Super Bowl to Perimeter Security: Anna Reahl on Building Presidential-Level Event Protection

From Super Bowl to Perimeter Security: Anna Reahl on Building Presidential-Level Event Protection

In this episode of The Security Equation, Dan Donovan sits down with Anna Reahl, founder and CEO of Arcus Group, a company specializing in perimeter security and protective infrastructure for high-profile events, government functions, and major gatherings. Anna's journey into security is unconventional. She started in live event production, working on the Super Bowl (Jacksonville 39), touring with bands worldwide, and managing large-scale events. But a transformative experience at an NSSE (National Special Security Event) in 2012 changed her perspective on risk entirely. She realized that the same organizational skills that made her successful in event logistics could be applied to security operations—and that security professionals needed to think like event planners: operational design from inception to execution. Through Arcus Group, Anna pioneered solutions that major events now depend on: anti-scale fencing designed to stop vehicles and mitigate ballistic threats, perimeter infrastructure that protects attendees without compromising the guest experience, and coordination protocols that integrate with law enforcement and government agencies. She's provided perimeter security for presidential-level events, worked alongside federal agencies including Secret Service and DHS, and developed the frameworks that keep thousands of people safe at major gatherings. Her background in event production gives her a unique advantage: she understands that security can't exist in a vacuum—it has to enhance, not detract from, the experience attendees came for. In this conversation, Dan and Anna discuss: * Her origin story from fashion dreams to federal event security * What changed after her first NSSE experience * The technology behind anti-scale fencing (and why it matters) * How to coordinate security across multiple agencies and vendors * Being a female founder in a male-dominated security industry * Her take on the recent White House Correspondents Dinner incident * Why operational design is the future of event security * What keeps her up at night about event safety today * The evolution of perimeter security and what's coming next Anna also shares a philosophy that resonates beyond security: we've lost the art of humanity in this country, and that loss is directly reflected in the threats we're seeing at large gatherings. Essential listening for event organizers, security professionals, corporate security leaders, government agencies, and anyone responsible for protecting large groups of people. Would you be interested in learning more about Stratoscope? Check out our website: https://stratoscope.com/

The Guard Company That Refuses to Compete on Price: Why Dan Wachtler Built Vigilis

Dan Wachtler is an accomplished entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience building companies at the intersection of physical security, financial crime compliance, and now artificial intelligence. He's the founder and CEO of Vigilis—a groundbreaking AI operating system designed to elevate security professionals, not replace them. His journey into security started accidentally in Spanish class at the University of Arizona when he met Tom Keating, owner of American Protective Services (30,000 employees). Keating recruited him as a sales officer in 1994, and Wachtler spent the next decade building security operations. He later became CEO of IPSA International—a global risk advisory firm specializing in financial crimes, anti-money laundering, and anti-corruption work with major banks, Caribbean governments, and Fortune 500 companies. But Wachtler saw a critical gap in the physical security industry: guard companies competing on price rather than capability, leading to a race to the bottom where security quality suffered. After a high-profile incident where one of his protection professionals was seriously injured in live fire training, and witnessing the real consequences of poor security outcomes, he decided to pivot. Now with Vigilis, Wachtler is building an AI-powered operating system that gives security guards and security companies the tools to deliver better outcomes at reduced operational cost—without the race to the bottom on pricing. Learn more:www.vigilisai.com [http://www.vigilisai.com] Would you be interested in learning more about Stratoscope? Check out our website: https://stratoscope.com/ [https://stratoscope.com/]

How Dr. Andrew Bazos Built CrowdRx and Revolutionized Event Medicine

In this episode of The Security Equation, Dan Donovan sits down with Dr. Andrew Bazos, founder of CrowdRx and a board-certified orthopedic surgeon who accidentally revolutionized event medicine in America. Dr. Bazos holds degrees from Harvard and Yale School of Medicine, completed his orthopedic surgery residency at Columbia-Presbyterian, and specializes in sports medicine. But his impact extends far beyond the operating room. In 1989, as a medical intern earning less than minimum wage, he treated a Walt Disney employee injured during a fireworks show at Yankee Stadium. That moment led to a relationship with Yankees operations legend Bill Squires and eventually to founding CrowdRx—now the nation's largest physician-owned event medical services company. For over 30 years, Dr. Bazos has provided medical coverage at Yankee Stadium, Madison Square Garden since 1991, the US Open Tennis Championships since 2011, Radio City Music Hall, Chase Center, and major EDM festivals across the country. CrowdRx has covered over 15,000 events and pioneered the integration of strategic medical planning into large-scale live events. The conversation explores the critical gap Dr. Bazos identified: traditional event medicine was reactive, not strategic. A high-profile cardiac event with slow response time made him realize events needed positioned medical teams, defibrillator protocols, sophisticated communications systems, and seamless integration with security and venue operations. The advent of smartphones filming from 17 angles forced the industry to professionalize—if security can read what book someone's holding in section 315, medical teams need to be equally present and prepared. Dan and Dr. Bazos dive into why security and medical teams must operate as one unified system, using the baseball analogy: security is the center fielder, medical is the right fielder—when the ball's hit in the gap, you need a plan or the patient suffers. They discuss response time metrics, the challenges of cross-training between disciplines, ego management in high-stakes environments, employee health on-site, and why unannounced scenario drills at Yankee Stadium keep teams sharp. Dr. Bazos also shares insights on terrorism as the most underestimated risk factor at large gatherings, why communication defines a well-run event, and the industry change he'd make tomorrow: better medical-legal-security integration. Essential listening for security professionals, event organizers, venue operators, and anyone responsible for protecting people in complex, high-density environments. Would you be interested in learning more about Stratoscope? Check out our website: https://stratoscope.com/

From Firefighter to Casino Security: Mark West on Protecting 20 MGM Properties

In this episode, Dan Donovan talks with Mark West from MGM Resorts International. Mark's career path is anything but typical—computer science degree, then firefighter (he was actually Captain 51!), and now he oversees security for 20 MGM properties. So how does firefighting prepare you for casino security? Turns out, a lot. Mark shares the "size up" principle from fire service: assess the entire situation from all angles before you jump in. Don't just run into the middle of it. He also talks about his role evaluating security technology for MGM. With his tech background, Mark helps his team figure out what's actually ready for deployment versus what just looks really cool at trade shows like ISC West. The conversation gets into the nuts and bolts of managing security for massive events—F1 Las Vegas, the Super Bowl, New Year's Eve across multiple properties simultaneously. Mark explains how AI is changing operations centers by filtering critical incidents from hundreds of camera feeds so operators aren't overwhelmed. They discuss why security can't be an afterthought. Mark uses a great analogy: you wouldn't plan a 500-person dinner and decide the day before that you need 50 waiters. So why do people treat security that way? And throughout the conversation, Mark emphasizes one principle from his firefighting days that applies everywhere: make sure you're safe first. Because if you get hurt, you can't help anyone else. You become the rescue. FOLLOW US ON LINKEDIN  Follow Dan Donovan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ddonovan50/ Follow Stratoscope (Event Security Strategy): https://www.linkedin.com/company/stratoscope/ Follow Ingressotek (Event Security Weapons Detection: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ingressotek/ Follow Stratos K9 (Event Security Detection Dogs):https://www.linkedin.com/company/stratos-k9/ Would you be interested in learning more about Stratoscope? Check out our website: https://stratoscope.com/

Be Active in Your Own Rescue: Kim Stone on Leading World-Class Venues and the Washington Spirit

In this episode of The Security Equation, Dan Donovan speaks with Kim Stone, CEO of the Washington Spirit and a veteran of nearly three decades running world-class venues including American Airlines Arena (Miami Heat), Chase Center (Golden State Warriors), and UBS Arena in New York. Kim's journey started by accident when the Miami Heat president offered her the GM role despite having no facilities background: "I'm not hiring you to change the light bulbs, I'm hiring you for your leadership." What followed was a three-year bootcamp learning everything from corporate meetings to sold-out arena shows and NBA Finals. The conversation explores what it takes to operate multi-purpose venues in America's most competitive markets. Kim breaks down the business challenges most fans never see—competing against MSG's dominance in New York, opening Chase Center in downtown San Francisco without parking to offer when Oracle Arena gave it away for free, and creating differentiation through service excellence rather than just price. She shares the leadership philosophy that's defined her career, including "be active in your own rescue"—a mantra from Warriors co-owner Peter Guber that became central to Chase Center's opening. Kim discusses why operations teams are the most underrated part of event management, what details fans notice immediately (hint: restrooms), and why premium spaces might be overrated. Now as CEO of the Washington Spirit, Kim has returned to the team environment she loves. The Spirit is leading the league in attendance, sold out their 19,000-person season opener, and is part of changing how people view women's sports. She also shares what it's like operating in Washington, DC during a period of heightened security awareness. Whether you're in event operations, security management, or sports business, Kim offers hard-won wisdom from someone who's operated at the highest level: "Hire people who are smarter than you and then get out of the way and support them." FOLLOW US ON LINKEDIN  Follow Dan Donovan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ddonovan50/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ddonovan50/] Follow Stratoscope (Event Security Strategy): https://www.linkedin.com/company/stratoscope/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/stratoscope/] Follow Ingressotek (Event Security Weapons Detection: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ingressotek/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/ingressotek/posts/?feedView=all] Follow Stratos K9 (Event Security Detection Dogs):https://www.linkedin.com/company/stratos-k9/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/stratos-k9/] Would you be interested in learning more about Stratoscope? Check out our website: https://stratoscope.com/ [https://stratoscope.com/]