Emergencies

Fire

If there is any fire, inform the local fire and rescue service. A fire may look small but with even the gentlest breeze the smallest fire can rapidly get out of control.

Some people are loathe to report a fire ‘because it was just smouldering’ or ‘it was so small’. If there is any sign of fire, call the fire brigade and evacuate people from the danger area before attempting to use any fire fighting equipment that may be available. If you do try to use fire fighting equipment, only use it if it puts nobody at risk. Any smoke means heat and burning, and the smallest fire can very easily become a major blaze. If it has smoke it’s a fire – call the fire service.

Electrical problems

It is possible that an electrical fault or fuse can cause problems. An accident with a lighting mast, or a wire pulled out by accident could leave live wires in a dangerous . If electricity is supplied to the site and there is any doubt about a problem, take action.

Arrange for staff to cordon off the problem area, making sure that those staff are informed of the risk and are aware of the precise fault. When the area is safely guarded, call for an electrician to come around and repair the fault. With any luck the fault will be repaired and you will then be able to declare the area and equipment safe to use.

Be aware that due to the nature of electricity your problem may be a greater hazard than you thought. For example if a loose wire is reported on one metal framed stall, it is possible that electricity is running through the frames of four or five stalls that have been clamped together for stability. Similarly, a faulty wire on a floodlight may be making an entire length of metal chain link fencing live and a potentially fatal hazard.

Emergency access routes

If there is an emergency, you will almost certainly need the assistance of the emergency services. Early discussions and liaison with the local authorities and emergency services organising an emergency access route will pay dividends. Stationing a mature car park marshal at the emergency exit, who is under instructions to keep the exit clear and open up for every emergency service vehicle, will speed the resolution of the emergency.

Remember that all staff, particularly team leaders and managers, must be aware of emergency procedures and access routes.

Spare staff

If at all possible, have a few spare staff available, who can be used for unforeseen eventualities. They need not be sitting around doing nothing. They can be used as additional site or car park patrols, until and unless needed. They could take it in turns to do a cash collection run so that there is never a pattern with the same people doing it each time. Some could crew the minibus with the roving car park supervisor so that they are at least out of the office and doing something.

Emergency runners

At larger events it may pay to have additional staff available, or possibly convert existing staff to messenger or runner duties. They can then be used to carry messages to other areas of the site, or if there is an incident, they can be used to go to visit and report back to the event manager on what is happening.

Easy identification

All staff involved should not only know their normal and emergency duties and responsibilities, key points at least should also be able to communicate with the event manager or other designated control point. They must also be able to recognise the supervisors and senior staff who will be able to direct or redirect them as circumstances require. This may require senior staff to wear armbands, yellow builders’ hats or other identifiable clothing, so that staff, emergency services, and members of the public can identify the people in authority.

Evacuation

It is highly unlikely that you will have to evacuate the site, but it is possible. As a visitor, I once attended an event on a field covered in straw and stubble. The stubble caught fire, probably due to a discarded cigarette end, and the subsequent fire fanned by a fresh breeze swept through a corner of the event ground and into the car park. Two tents and seven vehicles were destroyed. It can happen, so be ready for it.

Should evacuation become necessary, there should be an evacuation procedure ready for use. The basic requirements for which are:

• Who can call for an evacuation?
• Who will inform the emergency services?
• Who will act as emergency services liaison?
• How will that evacuation be notified to staff and public?
• Who will specify where the threat is? (You don’t want to evacuate towards the threat.)
• Where will the public and stallholders be sent?
• Where will the off-site control point be?
• Which staff should be at which points?
• What will happen to animals and livestock left on site?
• How can valuables left on site best be secured and protected?
• Who can declare the site safe?
• Stallholders should return first.
• Public can return when stallholders are in place.

Only a handful of event staff should be authorised to call for a full evacuation. While any member of staff can call for the more likely partial evacuation of a tent, field or building.

The event manager’s office will be designated the emergency control point unless and until the emergency services take over – then they may move the control point to one of their vehicles.

If the event manager is away from their office, whoever is stationed at base control or the event manager’s office should inform the emergency services of any incident or danger and act as liaison with the emergency services until the event manager returns to the office or emergency control point and takes command.

Evacuation points

Depending on size, location, vehicle access points etc., one or more areas should be assigned as rendezvous points for evacuated people. The points should be selected for ease of access, large enough to hold the number of people expected and in a position that is safe and does not interfere with the operation of the emergency services or passing traffic etc.

Alternate control point

If the event manager’s office and any radio base control are located near the main entrance and away from the middle of the site, staff may be able to remain there during any incident. If not, an emergency incident control point should be identified and agreed with emergency services. The local farmhouse would be a good example, because it is easy to identify and has communications and power already available

Where necessary, emergency control points should be equipped with plans of the site, lists of exhibitors, key people, mobile phone numbers, keys to emergency access gates, a copy of the event manager’s manual etc.

Evacuation posts

Staff should know their evacuation posts, so that they can immediately attend and assist with the evacuation. Evacuation posts will have been pre-arranged and staff will have been briefed as to their duties. Key staff will have copies of the site plan and appropriate procedures, to ensure that the public are evacuated safely and quickly

Animals

Any animals and livestock may well have to be left during the incident. If there is immediate danger to the animals, for example a fire in a display tent, when the people been evacuated and if the animal handlers and owners consider it safe, they should be allowed to lead or drive their animals to another area of the site. It is vital that animals such as bulls or even cows, horses or pigs are not allowed to stampede through crowds, which may be attempting to leave the site.

Stallholders

As fast as is practicably possible, stallholders will be expected to temporarily secure their stalls and take any monies with them. As far as is practicably possible and where it is safe, event staff will be posted around the site perimeter to secure it if possible during an emergency.

Authorised return

The event manager should be the only person allowed to declare the site safe for a return and then only on the advice of any emergency services if in attendance.

To ensure an orderly return, first event staff then stallholders and then members of the public should be allowed to return to the site. This will be made easier if stallholders are held in a separate evacuation area, nearer to the event site than the public evacuation area.