What Is an Event Emergency Action Plan?

An Emergency Action Plan for an event is a written document created by the event companies or organizers to validify a public events permit and identify potential emergencies at the event site. Where the event team or crew can define what to do in the case of an emergency. Emergency management is greatly encouraged to avoid dangerous situations if they ever occur. An emergency breaking out is not avoidable because natural phenomena may happen or man-made actions may lead to that situation. This is why before an event takes place, coming up with an event emergency action plan is necessary. You can check out the emergency action plan example that this article provides.

How to Make an Event Emergency Action Plan

Not every planned special event goes according to plan. Some occurrences are beyond your control. Each of your involved event team has the responsibility to safeguard and minimize the effects of an emergency at a scheduled event to ensure the safety of your community and guests. Through an event emergency action plan, organizers or part of the event team will also be aware of what to do if an emergency comes up. Read more about them as you continue to go through the article. As well as be guided with the steps this article will take to show you how to make an Event emergency action plan.

Step 1: Include the Location Map

People must respond fast in an emergency, and knowing where to go and how to get there is frequently a vital element of that response. People will either need to evacuate the building as fast as possible or be prepared to navigate to a safer portion of the structure, depending on the type of emergency. Every written event emergency action plan should include current floor layouts and an up-to-date floor plan for the whole Facility. All emergency exits should be immediately recognized, and the floor layout should contain indicated evacuation routes.

Step 2: Reporting and Alerting Authorities

The majority of situations will necessitate the assistance of law enforcement, fire and rescue, and Medical personnel. As a result, someone in the event team must be assigned to make the call. Nothing is more frustrating than a delayed response because everyone believed authorities had been called by someone else. It’s worth noting that some catastrophes will necessitate the use of expert emergency personnel. Make sure the event emergency action plan has all of the necessary emergency numbers and contact information.

Step 3: Alerting Staff and Visitors of an Emergency

In addition to notifying the appropriate authorities, it is critical to inform all employees and visitors that an emergency has occurred. The particular manner of communication will depend on the facility’s size and architecture. A Fire alarm may be activated to inform everyone when a fire has started. It’s crucial to remember that certain crises don’t necessitate notifying everyone in the building. If it is an individual suffering from a medical emergency, then there is no need to inform others unaffected. Medical emergencies should be catered in the event emergency action plan, involving getting medical assistance from those trained in first aid to assist in the victim’s stabilization.

Step 4: Accounting for Everyone after Implementation

The next step is to set a location to regroup after initiating and performing an event emergency action plan. It will be crucial to determine whether or not anyone was lost or hurt throughout the procedure. Breaking up huge companies into manageable units is the best way to do this. These groups are usually grouped around departments or specific physical regions inside the building, but they can be formed in any way that makes sense for your company. It’s also a good idea to have each group gather in a specific place so that checking everyone in is easy.

Step 5: Notifying Relatives

Following the activation of an event emergency action plan, it may be required to contact the affected person’s relatives or whoever went with them to the event. Family members may need to be notified right away to provide information or come take up their minor children, depending on the scenario. A good event emergency action plan will specify who is responsible for notifying family members, what crises warrant family notification, and what information should be sent. It’s also critical to keep all members’ Contact Information up to date.

Tips for Creating an Event Emergency Action Plan

According to a FEMA survey, 65 percent of Americans have sought disaster preparation information, and 48 percent have established emergency plans. Although this may appear to be a high percentage, not everyone will be prepared to deal with an emergency. At any time, disaster can strike. Because we never know when or where an emergency will occur, you and your event organization must be prepared. An event emergency action plan is a useful tool for your event team to know how to respond to any crisis. These are tips we gathered to add additional information for you.

Consider Your Unique Needs: Major elements to consider in your event emergency action plan include where your event is happening. Learn about potential natural disasters in your region and how to effectively prepare for crises such as hurricanes, severe flooding, volcanoes, and tornadoes. Determine whether additional notes are required for particular guests members, such as senior elders, disabled family members, newborns, and small children. You should also consider the medical and dietary requirements of all event guests.Know Where You Will Go: Since each emergency is unique, your safe place will change depending on the circumstances. First, locate safe areas in your event venue for any emergency in which you might need to seek refuge, such as an earthquake or tornado. Second, designate a meeting location just outside the event site in the event of a fire or other unexpected disaster. Third, figure out where you would go if you were forced to leave or couldn’t get back to the event site right away, and map out a path to get there.Make a Note of It and Practice It: Make sure you have a written event emergency action plan with specific directions for each potential emergency. You must have a strategy for each situation because how you react to a tornado will be significantly different from how you react to an Evacuation. Practicing your plans twice a year is a good idea. You should even take your emergency gear and drive to your evacuation route for evacuation exercises. This is most crucial to your event team for them to be informed and aware of what to do if placed in the situation. Review Your Insurance: It’s a good idea to evaluate your insurance policy with your agent before a disaster occurs to ensure you have the correct coverage for the risks in your region. A normal homeowner’s policy, for example, usually excludes safeguards such as flood insurance and earthquake coverage. If you need to file a claim, make sure you know how to do so, whether through your carrier’s loss reporting phone line or website or permits your agent. You can also consult a lawyer for this on what your event organizing company can do in cases of an emergency.

Emergency Procedures

All businesses must guarantee that their employees are trained on emergency procedures in the event venue. This might include things like what to do in the event of a fire, Earthquake, or other disasters, where to find emergency exits, and how to evacuate the building in the event of an emergency. These processes are site-specific and should be included in all new event team training. Regular exercises or reviews of procedures are also necessary to ensure that everyone is prepared to respond appropriately and safely in the event of a genuine emergency.

Procedures for Administering First Aid: Employers are required by the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation to provide access to first aid supplies or attendants, however, the requirements vary depending on the size of the company and many other circumstances such as the type of emergency. A first-aid station with a certified attendant is available at all training facilities. The person who works at such a station is capable of bandaging small cuts, halting heavy bleeding, and splinting fractured bones, among other things. If a guest suffers an injury make sure to record it in the first aid station journal. Minor irritations can quickly escalate into significant issues.Locations of Emergency Washing Stations or Showers: There may be occasions when you are working with acids or potentially toxic chemicals like cleaning solutions that burn your skin or splash into your eyes. If you accidentally splash or drop something corrosive on your skin, you should immediately wash the afflicted area with a lot of water to dilute the acid and prevent burning. As a result, you must be aware of where your emergency eyewash stations, sinks, and showers are located around your work site.Earthquakes: If you are inside, duck, cover, and hold behind a desk or table, or stand in a doorway or where two walls meet, away from windows and falling items. Stay in an open place away from buildings, trees, electricity wires, and other structures if you are outside. If you are driving, pull over and come to a complete stop away from overhead electricity wires. After the shock has worn off, go outside to a well-lit place. When exiting a building, do not use the elevator. Observe the directions of emergency personnel. If you know of a handicapped or wounded individual who needs assistance, call emergency hotlines right away.Evacuations: The public address system, loud alarms, and flashing lights will alert you to an evacuation. You will also get verbal notification from an event organizer, team member, or other event authority. Walk to the nearest exit and then to a designated evacuation point. Follow the emergency personnel’s directions. Notify emergency personnel right away if someone is incapacitated or injured, and if you are disabled or injured, ask for help until you are rescued. Stay inside the building with the people you were with until emergency authorities tell you it’s safe to depart.Flood: Get to a higher elevation. Stay away from trees during rainstorms because they may attract lightning. Even in your car, stay away from fast-moving water. In flooded places, do not walk since water depth is not always obvious. Avoid using and coming into touch with electrical gadgets. Keep an eye out for high water at night, since darkness might conceal other dangers. A stadium may seem hard to be filled in the event of a flood but preparing an emergency action plan for a sporting event is still necessary if it would occur. Emergencies in Medicine: Check for indicators like chest discomfort, trouble breathing, excessive or uncontrollable bleeding, unconsciousness, and life-threatening injuries including serious head injuries, severe burns, and so on to decide what is a real medical emergency. Report the nature of the sickness or injury, your identity, and the location and telephone number from which you are phoning to emergency hotlines, then warn event organizers. If you are trained and the injured person permits you, administer first assistance. Ensure that emergency and medical professionals arrive at the location. Maintain contact with the victim until help arrives.Power or Utility Outage: Guests should communicate with the event organizers before leaving their area whenever feasible and should stay in their designated spaces where the event planners can keep track of them. If you need to go between levels, utilize stairwells rather than elevators, and don’t use candles; instead, use battery-operated lights. To save battery power for official usage, turn off electronic equipment and avoid utilizing the university phone system if at all feasible. Follow the advice of the building coordinators and emergency personnel while handling valuables.

FAQs

What is a workplace emergency?

A workplace emergency is a sudden occurrence that endangers your workers, customers, or the general public, interrupts or shuts down your activities, or results in physical or environmental harm. An emergency action plan for an earthquake may be necessary especially if your company office is situated on a higher floor of the building. Discuss with your supervisor and officemates what to do and who is responsible for the nearest exits and first-aid kits.

Why is planning for emergencies important for events?

When an emergency scenario arises, you may only have a few seconds to react, and the decisions you make can have a huge influence on both the event and the Organization. It is vital to have a set of strategies in place that will allow you to move quickly to reduce the effect. It is important to plan out what action to perform or step to take to ensure the safety of the guests and event-goers to minimize health and safety risks.

How can I prepare for an emergency?

Do you know how to keep safe in the event of a natural or man-made disaster? You must be aware of your company’s event emergency action plan in the case of a natural or man-made disaster. It’s easy to panic in an emergency; being mentally and physically prepared may help you stay cool, calm, collected, and, most importantly, safe. Moreover, having the additional knowledge will help in being informed of the actions that are appropriate for a specific emergency rather than generalizing all acts.

Events are special and often a place where memories are made. Ensuring the safety of event participants and guests are of utmost importance to protect their well-being from facing dangers and emergencies. But again, not all the time can these emergencies be avoided. So it is important to prepare a special event emergency action plan to lessen the risks. With that being said, this article has provided you with sufficient information to prepare and write your event emergency action plan.