On November 5th, Travis Scott headlined his annual Astroworld Festival in Houston which resulted in a crowd surge that injured hundreds and left ten individuals dead. Scott began his performance at 9:00 PM, and it was merely thirty minutes into the show that numerous individuals were seen passing out and being trampled on due to the reckless and disorderly crowd. Security concerns did not first arise at Scott’s performance but as soon as the festival started. CNN reports that around 9 AM, attendees broke through the main gate that led into the festival, and it was recorded that throughout the day, 3,000 to 5,000 individuals did not have their festival passes scanned and were able to walk right in.
Travis Scott concerts have a history of unruly crowds and unsafe situations for concertgoers. A recent attendee at a Scott’s concert, Victoria Torres, in an NPR interview stated the following, “When [Scott] came out it started getting really crowded and he insinuated for the crowd to start opening mosh pits. You couldn’t even see anything, it was just these big sweating bodies on top of you. It was honestly pretty terrible.” It was at 9:52 PM, 52 minutes after Scott took the stage, that a Mass Casualty Incident was called. The concert was not stopped, despite calls of help from security personnel and emergency medical responders.
There will undoubtedly be an in-depth examination of this event. That being said, similar tragedies in the past have identified some common failures: poor planning, lack of communication and coordination, lack of emergency protocols, and a lack of accountability and responsibility for security personnel.
So, before planning an event here are some elements to think about.
A Contingency and Emergency Plan. Effective planning is central to putting on a safe event. Preparing an event safety plan includes how to respond to disorganized influences, health and safety incidents, and other emergencies. The future is unpredictable so it is best to prepare backup plans. If the event does not go as it was planned, these plans will help control the situation and reduce the risk of uncertainty. Having an effective plan also can prevent panic.
Understand the Event Management Arrangements. In order to implement these plans, robust management is essential. Everyone needs to know exactly what their roles are from event police officers to private security to volunteers to medical services. It sounds simple, but when roles are clear, people know what’s expected of them and what they need to carry out. Having appropriate management arrangements will ensure the health and safety of employees, volunteers and the general public, during all stages of the event.
The Risk Assessment. Risk assessments identify hazards and risks that could occur at some point during the event process. It can result in areas of risk that might not have crossed their minds. Carrying out a risk assessment of the risks to employees, volunteers, and the public is crucial for safety. If potential risk factors have been considered ahead of your event this reduces the likelihood of problems occurring.
For major events like Astroworld, it comes down to proper planning and coordination between all units. You must always hope for the best and prepare for the worst.
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