Event Planning and Operations - week 7

1. Emergency Planning
Event Planning and Operations | Dr Ashley Garlick

2. Learning outcomes
By the end of the session, you will be able to:
 Explain why emergency plans are important to event organisers
 Describe different types of emergencies and how these can be
planned for
 Discuss how different agencies can work together to manage
emergencies

3.  Safety Advisory Groups
 Local Authority
 Local Police force
 Fire Service
 Local NHS Trust
 Local transport authority
 Have no enforcement powers, BUT are a key
stakeholder in ensuring cooperation

4. Responsibilities of the
event organiser
 Identify and assess threats and
hazards to the event
 To reduce, mitigate and plan for
consequences of identified
threats and hazards, to the
event
 Be prepared for the initial
response to an emergency
 Ensure staff are appropriately
trained to respond to an
emergency
Source: Event Industry Forum (2015). The Purple Guide. Chapter 4. Available from:
www.thepurpleguide.co.uk (Accessed: 09/12/2019).
The cycle of integrated safety management

5. Example
hazards
Source: Event Industry Forum (2015).
The Purple Guide. Chapter 4.
Available from:
www.thepurpleguide.co.uk (Accessed:
09/12/2019).
 Fire or gas leak
 Terrorism threat.
Structural failures, such as the collapse of the stage
 Serious crowd-related incidents, such as disorder or crushing
 severe weather conditions, especially high winds and high
temperatures
 flooding
 equipment failures
 communication system failures
 data breeches
 loss of services or utilities failure
 loss of control point/event control
 loss of key staff or disruption to key performances
 disruption to traffic/transport arrangements
 Supply chain failures (Human resources; critical supplies)

6. Emergency Plans
 Should be closely linked to the event
risk assessment
 Plans should be proportionate to the
level of risk presented to the event
 Will principally cover the emergency
response, however should also consider
on-going incident management and
business continuity
 Not helpful to anyone if completed in
isolation or not communicated
 May have a separate event medical plan
Contents of a planning folder
Source: Bladen, C. Kennell, J. Abson, E. Wilde, N. (2018). Events Management: An introduction, 2nd edition, Abingdon: Routledge, pp.103.

7. Proactive vs reactive measures
Proactive measures
 Things you can do BEFORE an
incident occurs
 Will usually focus on reducing the
likelihood that something will
happen
 These will be included in the risk
assessment as control measures
Reactive measures
 What you will do AFTER an incident
occurs to respond to it
 Will usually focus on reducing the
severity or impact of the occurrence
 This is the emergency plan!

8. Crowd management vs crowd control
Crowd Management
 Part of the normal event planning
process
 Considers how people will be
directed
 Takes into account audience profile
 Considers numbers and flow rates
Crowd Control
 A reactive measure that considers
the response to unexpected
occurrences with crowds
 Needs to consider potential crowd
dynamics
 Density
 Character
 Appropriate training of staff is
essential
Further guidance can be found at: Health and Safety Executive (2019). Managing crowds safely. Available from:

9. Source: Event Industry Forum
(2015). The Purple Guide.
Chapter 4. Available from:
www.thepurpleguide.co.uk
(Accessed: 09/12/2019).
Possible emergency procedures include:
 raising the alarm
 informing the public
 initial emergency response
 summoning the emergency services
 show stop procedures
 crowd control, including evacuation/invacuation where necessary
 evacuation/invacuation of disabled people
 dynamic lockdown
 traffic management, including emergency vehicles
 incident control
 liaison with emergency services
 providing first aid and medical assistance
 preservation of evidence

10.  The rapid, safe and orderly movement of people in or out of a venue
 Considering different plans for different phases
 During arrival
 During event
 During egress
 High risk of making a situation worse or creates new problem
 Other options include partial evacuations and dynamic lock-downs
 Need to consider support for attendees with additional needs, e.g. disabled
guests

11.  The rapid and controlled halt to a performance to prevent further risk to the
audience or to initiate an evacuation/invacuation
 A very significant decision that will often be occurring in a highly stressful,
confusing time
 Be clear WHO is permitted to make the decision, and consider how they will be
identified
 Remember that they might be instructed people they have not met before
 Define HOW the decision will be made and communicated
 Also need to consider how to re-start after a show stop

12. Command and control
 Important at all times, but heightened importance during emergencies
 Most statutory services operate a three-tiered system around operational,
tactical and strategic command
 Often referred to as “Gold”, “Silver” and “Bronze”
 Allows for the rapid identification of key individuals and accountabilities
 Usually co-located with key organisations represented as part of a join control
room and/or Event Liaison Team (ELT)

13.  The MOST important factor in ensuring an effective response
 Needs to be carefully controlled – people react differently in emergency
situations
 Consider using codes to reduce panic caused by overheard messages
 “Inspector Sands” / “Code Red or Code Black” / “Disney” etc.
 Emergency response needs to be drilled to mitigate the impact of confusion
during emergencies – training is key
 Organised, clear processes as part of emergency response procedures e.g.
“M/ETHANE”

14. Source: JESIP (2016). Joint Doctrine:
The interoperability framework, 2nd
edition, Hertfordshire: JESIP.

15. Major Incidents
Source: UK Government (2013).
Lexicon of UK civil protection
terminology, v2.1.1, Available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/public
ations/emergency-responder-
interoperability-lexicon (Accessed:
09/12/2019)
 Defined as “event or situation requiring a
response under one or more of the
emergency services’ major incident plans”
 Will be declared by any one of the statutory
services, and can be limited to just one
service
 Triggers a defined response plan, and is
part of a hierarchy of incident types
 Beware of “creeping crises”

16.  Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Programme
 Developed following reviews of major national
emergencies and disasters
 Established to address:
 Challenges with initial command, control and coordination
activities on arrival at scene
 A requirement for common joint operational and command
procedures
 Role of others, especially specialist resources and the reasons for
their deployment, not well understood between services
 Challenges in the identification of those in charge at the scene
leading to delays in planning response activity
 Misunderstandings when sharing incident information and
differing risk thresholds not understood
Sources: JESIP (2016). Joint Doctrine: The interoperability framework, 2nd edition, Hertfordshire: JESIP.

17. Sources: JESIP (2016). Joint Doctrine: The interoperability framework, 2nd edition, Hertfordshire: JESIP.

18. Sources: JESIP (2016). Joint Doctrine: The interoperability framework, 2nd edition, Hertfordshire: JESIP.

19. Any questions?