emergency-reponse-to-large-events

Although large events may happen regularly in almost every jurisdiction every year, many emergency services do not adequately preplan them, according to Frank Cheatham, in the Monday morning workshop, “EMS For Large Events.” The emergency services tend to be reactive, and “wait for things to happen,” the health and medical emergency response team coordinator for the Virginia Office of Emergency Medical Services observed, instead of preplanning them. At a time when the static call load is increasing, covering a large event places a lot of undue stress on the emergency response system. And even if the event itself does not generate additional calls for service, it might it affect the overall system in unexpected ways.

Whether it’s rock concert, a sporting event, a sporting event or other mass gathering, Cheatham said, “It’s not the name that matters, it’s the numbers.”
Some annual events that start out modestly, he said, but can over time grow to huge proportions. For example, Cheatham said, in Virginia, small arts and crafts festival that once attracted perhaps a few hundred people, over 33 years has grown to an event attracting more than 40,000.

In preplanning response to events, Cheatham recommended reviewing what large gathering venues exist in your jurisdiction—e.g., stadiums, auto racetracks, conference centers, megachurches and so forth. What large events are likely to occur at a particular place? How would you respond to large event occurring at one of these places? How would you access it? Who is the point of contact for response? He recommended if possible obtaining an aerial view, or at least making a sketch of the venue for a preplan.

Also, consider what medical issues are likely to arise at a given event type. For example, at a rock concert, likely medical calls may involve drugs, alcohol, weather-related issues, and other injuries. At an outdoor sporting event, he said, one might anticipate weather-related issues related to extreme heat or cold.

Cheatham recommended students consult two the following resources for more in-depth look at all the issues to consider in preplanning large events: Basic Principles of Mass Gathering Medical Care and Mass Gathering Medical Care: The Medical Director’s Checklist. An instructor at FDIC for three of the past four years, Cheatham is the author of “Electrical Hazards: Is Your Department Prepared?” (Fire Engineering, June, 2007).