Downtown Red Deer Business Association
Emergency Action Plan for Outdoor Events
The first step in emergency planning is to understand what an emergency is. Secondly identify possible scenarios and steps to lower risk through mitigation. The third step is to have action plans in place for when an actual emergency occurs. The last is to debrief, even if an incident did not happen, discussing what worked and recognizing any unforeseen circumstances and flaws discovered in the plans when emergencies happen all lead to reduced risk in the future.
These are the possible emergency scenarios for an outdoor event in Downtown Red Deer:
- First-Aid Emergencies
- Extreme Weather
- Non-Violent Emergencies
- Missing Child/Caregiver
- Fire In Event Space
- Evacuation Plan
- Mass Casualties
- Violent Acts
- Loss of Power
First-Aid Emergencies
Definition:
- First-Aid is a simple medical treatment that is given to somebody before the need for emergency services is deemed necessary.
Mitigation:
All events need to have designated First-Aid personnel.
First-Aid Personnel
All volunteers/staff at the event need to know who the First-Aid personnel is, where to find them/how to contact them with either radio, cell phone, etc.
Contact Information/ Method
The First-Aid location should be clearly laid out for the public in event maps, programs and
signage.
First-Aid Location
Action Plan:
When a medical concern occurs, every volunteer should know how to contact the First-Aid
personnel and where to direct the patient if they can get themselves to the First-Aid
location. If possible, the volunteer should escort the patient there. If the staff cannot leave their post, they should phone the First-Aid personnel to escort the injured guest to the First-Aid area.
First-Aid personnel will know how to handle the situation once they have assessed the setting,
If an ambulance is required and the patient cannot be moved out of the crowd to an accessible
Location the Event Coordinator will dedicate all available resources to clear a route for the ambulance to access the patient. If the event has security, then they can assist with this process. If a patient cannot be moved, as determined by First-Aid personnel, then security, or other volunteers (as called upon), can create a perimeter around the patient.
STEPS:
- If the patient is in obvious need of emergency medical attention, call 911.
- If the medical concern is not an obvious emergency, direct the patient to First-Aid personnel or call First-Aid personnel to attend to the patient.
- First-Aid personnel assess the patient.
- If First-Aid personnel determine that an ambulance is needed or the patient will require hospital care, then the Event Coordinator is notified after the ambulance is called.
- The Event Coordinator will direct resources to clear a route if ambulance access is required.
All staff and volunteers will debrief within 24 hours.
Non-violent emergencies
Definition
- Nonviolence specifically refers to the absence of violence.
- A serious, unexpected, and often dangerous situation requiring immediate action
Mitigation
Teaching staff to always report suspicious activities, depending on the event, potential bag checks may be necessary. The main mitigation strategy for reducing non-violent emergencies is the presence of staff and security watching and monitoring all areas of the event.
Action plan:
Non-Violent emergencies can range and sometimes be hard to deem an emergency if the situation is unclear; if it’s an emergency, contact the Event coordinator and ask.
STEPS:
- Call 911
- Notify the Event Coordinator
- Write down/photo or video the person of concern if safe to do so.
- Clear paths for emergency vehicles/personnel
All staff and volunteers will debrief within 24 hours.
Mass Casualty Situations
When you have mass gatherings of people in one area, something as simple as a driver losing control can lead to a mass casualty.
Definition:
- Mass casualty Any large number of casualties produced in a relatively short period of time, usually as the result of a single incident such as a large-scale car crash, explosion, flood, earthquake, or armed attack.
Mitigation:
Inviting the RCMP to the event can reduce the likelihood of mass casualty. Having staff trained in First-Aid can help reduce the outcomes of a mass casualty. A safety plan can help mitigate risks and reduce the likelihood of a mass casualties tragedy.
Action Plan:
Mass casualties can happen in unforeseen circumstances such as gas leaks, floods, explosions etc. Despite the wild variety of events that could take place, calling 911 will always need to happen immediately. Emergency services are equipped to handle catastrophic events; getting them on-site to minimize the damage is extremely important.
When it comes to First-Aid in mass casualties, the First-Aid personnel will direct staff and volunteers to clear a path for emergency services and perform first aid. It is acceptable to call upon nearby unharmed people to also administer First-Aid.
The City of Red Deer will mobilize its emergency action plans. They will take over the situation, and the Event Coordinator will assist in any way possible.
STEPS:
- Secure personal safety
- Call 911
- Notify the Event Coordinator
- Evacuate the area
- Clear paths for emergency vehicles/personnel
- Perform first-aid if safe to do so.
All staff and volunteers will debrief within 24 hours.
Violent Act
Public events can be potential targets for violent acts.
Definition:
- A violent act means behaviour that results in homicide, active shooter, injury, or substantial loss or damage to property.
Mitigation:
One way to mitigate the risk of violent acts is to have an RCMP presence. Invite the RCMP so
that they can be on-site. Encourage your volunteers to report anything suspicious to their
supervisors/security – such as a dropped bag or a person. Discussing the importance of reporting suspicious individuals is extremely important when the event is geared towards a younger demographic. Another mitigation strategy is to have the exits clearly
recognizable. Additionally, events should be planned with available emergency responders root through the event (example: roadway open enough for vehicles).
Action Plan:
In the event of a suicide or deceased person, follow the steps below and be aware of spectators. Staff and volunteers will be called upon to create a perimeter around the patient.
In the case of an active shooter, it is best to hide behind a structure that can potentially stop a bullet and evacuate as soon as possible. After evacuation, it is important to have a muster point for the staff and volunteers to meet if safe to do so.
Muster Point
Once emergency services are on the scene, the events coordinator and staff will take direction from them in assisting in any way possible.
STEPS:
- Secure personal safety
- Call 911
- Notify the Event Coordinator
- Evacuate the area
- Clear paths for emergency vehicles/personnel
- Debrief within 24 hours
The event coordinator will decide if the event is to continue.
All staff and volunteers will debrief within 24 hours.
Extreme Weather
To mitigate against extreme weather in Alberta, you must classify what the potentials are. Extreme weather events in Alberta include:
- Air quality
- High temperatures/humidity
- Cold temperatures/ extreme cold
- Thunderstorms
- High winds
- High volume of rain
- Hail
- Tornado
In the event of these occurrences having plans in place to mitigate and act in the case of extreme weather will lower the risk to volunteers, vendors, attendees and staff.
Environment Canada classifications:
Weather watch:
When conditions are favourable for the development of severe thunderstorms with one or more of the following conditions:
- Wind gusts of 90 km/hr or greater, which could cause structural wind damage;
- Hail of two centimetres (cm) or larger in diameter; or
- Heavy rainfall, as per rainfall criteria.
Weather warning:
When it is evidence-based on radar, satellite pictures, or from a reliable spotter that any one or more of the following three weather extremes is imminent or occurring:
- Wind gusts of 90 km/hr or greater, which could cause structural wind damage;
- Hail of two centimetres (cm) or larger in diameter; or
- Heavy rainfall, as per rainfall criteria,
Air Quality
Definition:
- An air quality alert informs the public about pollution levels in the air and advises vulnerable groups—such as the elderly, children, and people with lung disease—to take precautions.
Mitigation
The organizers should ask themselves if there is an air quality warning. Does your event proceed? If it does, then First-Aid personnel need to be aware that they may deal with higher volumes of respiratory cases. Check with Environment Canada for air quality warnings.
High Temperatures
Definition:
- Heat warnings are issued when very high temperature or humidity conditions are expected to pose an elevated risk of heat illnesses, such as heat stroke or heat exhaustion.
Mitigation:
In the case of high temperatures, will the event proceed? Misters can be used to help cool people down. Umbrellas and tents provide shade for people, and organizers should provide sunscreen for volunteers and staff. People should be encouraged to dress for the weather and wear clothing/hats that will protect them from the sun. Check with Environment Canada for high temperatures.
Cold Temperature/ Extreme cold
Definition:
- In Alberta, an extreme cold warning is issued when temperatures or the wind chill index reach
-40 or colder. Being exposed even for short periods to these conditions can be dangerous.
Mitigation:
Suggested ways to mitigate against cold temperatures: on-site heaters or heated shelter, work/warm-up schedule, a flexible pace where workers can take extra breaks if needed, shield workers from drafts or winds as much as possible, a buddy system so no one works alone, talk to staff and volunteers about the warning signs of hypothermia. Frostbite is also a large concern when working at any temperature in the negative. You can get frostbitten in just half an hour or less when the wind chill is -15. to reduce the chances of this happening, and it is important to remind staff and volunteers to dress appropriately for the weather and have staff take warm-up breaks often.
Thunderstorms/High winds
Definition:
- A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm or a lightning storm, is a storm characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth’s atmosphere
- 40+ winds and concern for damages. In most of Alberta, a wind warning is given for winds expected to reach at least 70 km/hr or gust at least 90 km/h.
Mitigation:
This is the biggest area of concern for Event Organizers in Central Alberta. As we all know, during the summer, extreme weather events can happen at any time, and most of these scenarios include high winds. To mitigate against these risks, all tents should be weighted with a minimum of 50lb per leg or 90 lbs. per leg if the tent has walls. Umbrellas should have 90 lb. weights on them. Fences and freestanding signs should be weighted with sandbags. All staff and volunteers should be aware of the muster point in the case of a severe thunderstorm warning, and this location should be inside and away from windows; however, if inside is not an option, the outside location should be away from potentially flying debris, in a low-lying ditch and not under a tree, as trees attract lightning and put you at more risk.
Muster Point
Additionally, to help mitigate against severe thunderstorms, all equipment should be secured down appropriately. For example, having electrical equipment covered or quickly removable will help decrease damages and danger.
High volume of Rain/Hail/Tornado
Definition:
- Heavy rainfall can cause floods in a short period of time, especially when the ground is frozen or already wet. A heavy downpour warning is issued when 50 mm or more of rain is expected within one hour.
- Hail can hit the ground at 130 kilometres per hour and can cause severe damage to crops, houses and vehicles, as well as injuries to people and animals.
- A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud; Alberta gets an average of 15 tornados a year.
Mitigation:
In a high volume of Rain/Tornado/Hail, organizers should have a shelter where they plan to evacuate people. For a tornado, the best shelter is always below ground. If a building could be sourced that would allow an underground parkade or basement, that would be ideal.
Indoor Evacuation Location
In most scenarios, people will evacuate themselves; however, we must try to do this orderly. In the event of high casualties from severe weather (please read mass casualties), The City’s Emergency Services will take control of the situation with assistance from the event organizers.
All staff and volunteers will debrief within 24 hours.
Missing Children/Caregivers
Definition:
- At the International center for missing & exploited children, we define “missing child” as “any person under the age of 18 whose whereabouts are unknown.”
Mitigation:
Before the event starts, it is important to talk to staff about remaining calm and proactive in the event of a missing child/caregiver and to make sure all staff and volunteers have the appropriate contact information (see the last page)
Action plan:
Missing children/caregivers must be brought to the designated First-Aid location and remain calm.
First-Aid Location
In the case of a missing caregiver, the child is to be brought to the first aid location and monitored by a Staff designated by the Event coordinator/First-Aid personnel. The event coordinator/other designated staff and volunteers look for the missing caregiver.
In the case of a missing child, the staff will call 911, inform the Event Coordinator and take a description of the child, and then all available personnel will search for the child/ secure barricades. It is important to stay calm and follow the Event coordinator’s directions.
Steps:
- Call 911
- Secure/monitor barricades if possible.
- Look for a missing child/Caregiver.
- Ask bystanders to look for the child.
- Follow emergency services directions when they arrive.
If the child/caregiver is located before emergency services have arrived, the event coordinator will call and inform them.
All staff and volunteers will debrief within 24 hours.
Loss of Power
Provide volunteers/staff with flashlights if available. Encourage vendors to bring their generators. Ensure that your Information and First-Aid stations can operate without power. Have battery-operated PA systems (optional)
Fire Within an Event Zone
Definition:
- combustion or burning typically produces bright light, heat, and smoke. Within the mapped-out event zone.
Mitigation:
Depending on the size of the fire, if it can be safely contained or extinguished using a fire extinguisher, then the Event Coordinator/Staff can proceed. Having a fire extinguisher on site would help mitigate risk (optional)
Action Plan:
The key priorities in this situation are to immediately clear people out of harm’s way and create access for the emergency responders. If someone has a serious injury and is out of immediate danger from the fire, do not move the individual, as First-Aid responders will come to them. If a person is seriously injured and within the fireside’s proximity, remove them from the zone if safe. Once they are on-site, the first responders will take charge, and the Event Coordinator will work with them to assist in any way possible
the Fire Extinguisher
Call 911 if no extinguisher is available.
STEPS:
- Use fire extinguishers if available and could safely contain the fire.
- Call 911.
- Notify the Event Coordinator.
- Clear everybody from the immediate vicinity (as far back as safely possible).
- Create access for emergency responders.
- Let emergency responders take control and assist them as needed.
All staff and volunteers will debrief within 24 hours.
Evacuation Plan
Definition:
- Emergency evacuation is the urgent, immediate egress or escape of people away from an area that contains an imminent threat, an ongoing threat or a hazard to lives or property.
Mitigation:
To mitigate risk in an evacuation, volunteers should know their roles. An off-site muster point should be decided.
Muster Point
Key personnel should have lists of the volunteers they are responsible for, including their contact information and an emergency contact person. All personnel must understand their importance and know that staying calm is key to public safety.
Action Plan
If having to evacuate, the Event Coordinator will issue the evacuation order. Unless this is an extreme weather event, it is assumed that the authorities have been called before the evacuation order. Barricade people should remain where they are unless they are in immediate danger. All other volunteers will take direction from the Event Coordinator and help move people off the site in a safe and orderly manner.
Steps:
- Call 911
- The event coordinator calls an evacuation order
- Staff calmly direct people off-site if safe to do so.
- Staff are to meet at the muster point
- Emergency services will direct when they arrive.
All staff and volunteers will debrief within 24 hours
Contact Information
It is highly recommended that each staff/ volunteer/vendor have a copy of the contact list during the event.
Emergency services – 911
Event coordinator – Chelsey Ward 587.217.6672
Event Support – Ashley Cheverie 587.877.5098
Non- Emergency line 403-406-2200
First-Aid Personnel – Chelsey Ward
Staff/volunteers