The document discusses emergency planning for events. It explains that event organizers should identify potential hazards through a risk assessment and plan emergency procedures. The emergency plan should be proportionate to the risks and address initial response, incident management, and business continuity. It also discusses how different agencies like the police and fire department can work together under a joint emergency response plan through a control room. The plan should include procedures for raising alarms, evacuating crowds in a safe and organized manner, and communicating with staff and emergency services.

1. Emergency Planning
Event Planning | Week 13

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 really 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?