A 7th person has died as a result of the stage collapse at the Indiana State Fair. Sugarland and it's manager have been named as defendants in a potential lawsuit, in notices sent to the Indiana Attorney General. Others who have been named as potential defendants include: Live Nation, Lucas Entertainment Group, security company ESG and stage builders Mid-America Corp. Kenneth Feinberg, the man who mediated distributations of compensation from 9/11, the Virginia Tech shootings and the the BP oil spill, will determine settlements from two pools of money: a $5 million Tort Claim Fund and $800,000 from individuals and businesses.
Another stage, this one at the large Pukkelpop Festival in Belgium has collapsed in another violent storm, killing 5 people, injuring 140 more.
The same type of pattern - severe storms predicted, people stay in place, structures fail and people die. From this point forward, no promoter can use as a defense, we couldn't have imagined this happening. Outdoor event organizers need to revisit evacuation policies and procedures. Some, like the Indiana State Fair organizers that night, do not have detailed well rehearsed evacuation plans in place. A nine bullet point one page list, including "stay away from windows and what to announce over the loudspeakers" isn't enough. I don't know all of the issues that night, however, it is vitally important to prepare for the unexpected.
First, you must make a diagram of the venue and surrounding parking lots, structures and area roads.
Second, you identify load points (pinch points) that will slow down evacuation.
Third, you identify safer structures that people may take shelter in. Make arrangements to be able to use the buildings, consult with your insurance carrier to cover those structures as well, if needed. Also consult local experts on traffic flow patterns and crowd behaviors consistent with the local. Some people are more independent and less likely to comply with directives from authorities. Pick up all the actual local knowledge as possible from the people who have the experience "boots on the ground." Work out a phased evacuation, emphasizing a steady deliberate operation. This will reassure people that you have a well thought out plan in place, helping to keep folks calm. You will need to determine how long each phase will take to determine a timeline for decision making.
Fourth, strongly consider hiring a private professional meteorologist who can monitor and correctly analyze the data to allow sufficient time to activate your plan. The cost will be negligible compared to the costs of a disaster. Assemble adequate personnel, coordinate with local authorities and venue management. Document all activities ideally video as well as written documentation. This will be very useful to your insurance carrier in case of an incident as well as making improvements to policies and procedures. Building training videos for your operations people is a good idea.
Fifth, the person responsible for making the evacuation decision must clearly and completely understand the incoming information. There must be a clear chain of command. All responsible in an evacuation procedure must rehearse, test the equipment and make sure that things like locked doors are able to be opened quickly when needed.
The bottom line is this is not about the promoter and sponsors losing money. If one bad show will put you out of business, you're not ready to promote that size show. Start smaller, build up a bank account and grow deliberately and safely. Your obligation, as soon as people enter the venue, is to provide the safest most enjoyable experience possible.
