Jason Muir has created a system for pubs to warn each other of trouble nearby – Preampt aiming to prevent some of the problems and violence in venues before it happens.
Muir founded Preampt after a career in security management for the hospitality industry, his business Secureguard employing around 80 guys, working at 35 venues around Sydney.
The Preampt app is a system for licensees, as well as staff and security, to put out an ‘incident’ message when something happens. The process can be done in a matter of seconds, and can include a snapshot image of the person or people involved so other venues can easily identify them. There is no personal information shared.
Venues set their own notification radius, and those within will be notified of the general details – even premises that don’t typically communicate with each other.
Muir says operators and doormen regularly see situations where a rowdy group is denied service and asked to leave after inappropriate behaviour, determined to keep the party going.
“These guys are 100 per cent going to the next bar. If they’re standing, looking good, shirts tucked in, and they get inside that bar – once they’ve got another beer in their hand they’re going to retract back to the person they just were when they got evicted. Now try getting them out the door.”
With forewarning from a nearby pub door or bar staff, entry might be prevented or at least alcohol refused before trouble gets started.
Notifications include a range of description fields, such as number of people and general appearance, along with some details on the incident. It does not use terms such as ‘assault’ lest anyone avoid raising the flag, instead opting for ‘aggressive behaviour’ for a range of activities.
The system works anywhere on the planet – but is geo-locked to each specific venue, meaning a registered user must be at the site to broadcast a notification. It is in use at Sydney venues such as the Colonial Hotel Werrington, the Aussie Arms and Tattersalls in Penrith, and the Macquarie Arms and Fitzroy in Windsor.
Control of the system remains with the owner or licensee, with access easily granted to trusted individuals such as a regular guard or bar manager. Anyone’s access can be removed again just as quickly.
Users can also directly message each other for further information, or leave comments in the discussion page.
“It’s a game-changer for managing security across venues,” offers Muir, who likes to hope the system can proactively achieve some good.
“You stay informed of incidents near you in real-time and stop trouble before it even starts.”
