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Manchester attack: Security at local concert venues gets renewed focus

In the aftermath of this week’s deadly terror attack outside a concert venue in Manchester, England, operators of area concert sites have become hyper-sensitive about the safety of performers and audiences.

Huber Heights City Manager Rob Schommer supervises the city-owned Rose Music Center and asserts that he keeps the round-the-clock safety at music events at the forefront of his thoughts.

"That's part of good preparation, you don't wait until something triggers your thought process," Schommer told News Center 7’s Mike Campbell on Tuesday.

"[Safety is a] part of hiring, it's part of training."

And because the Rose Center is city-owned, that training is an advantage to the center's audience. Since the officers can train at the center, they can become more familiar with the facility and make it easier for the audience if an incident were to happen.

RELATED: Attack is worst in the UK since 2005, local expert says

"Some officers are uniformed, some are lightly uniformed or have no uniforms," said Schommer. "We want a pleasant experience for customers without making it feel like, 'Hey, there's something wrong.' "

Although, Ohio audiences have valid reason to not consider a disastrous event happening at their concerts, terrorism expert Dr. Glen Duerr of Cedarville University believes otherwise.

Duerr explained that while it is true and beneficial that Ohio does not have venues close to major transportation centers, he urges that "we have to remain vigilant."

RELATED: The latest from Manchester, England

Venue owners and operators exhibit this mindset and note that communication is key.

Schommer said having a relationship with customers who attend the concerts is useful.

"Make sure they know who to go to, how to report it, that is the biggest force multiplier," he said. "The old "see something, say something" phrase is good advice. For [me] it's all about identify, deter and prevent."

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