A city in your state of residence is planning to host a concert that is expected to bring in several thousand people for the event. City planners will be managing the security and emergency services during the concert and will be meeting with the other agencies involved to finalize the plan for the event. Before they do, they have asked local agencies to present their plans for responding to different incidents that may occur. As the manager at your agency, you have been tasked with presenting information on a specific type of incident for the city to consider during their emergency management preparations.
Select a real city in your state that might host such an event. You may select a real or fictitious concert to use as an example, or you may focus on planning for a general concert situation.
Select an example of an incident likely to occur during the concert. Choose an incident with a realistic risk level that justifies having a city-level emergency response plan ready. Research standard procedures for responding to this kind of emergency incident.
Examples of realistic incidents include fights or riots, crowd surges or stampedes, active shooters or terrorist attacks, bomb threats or detonations, or fire or structural failures.
Select a real or fictitious agency that would be responsible for handling the type of incident you selected. Research the protocols that such an agency is likely to follow in this situation.
Assessment Deliverable
Prepare a plan for responding to the type of incident you selected as if you were presenting to the city’s emergency service planners who will be managing the security and emergency services for the concert.
Using information from your research, create a 10- to 12-slide presentation as if you were an agency’s emergency planning manager explaining the relationships between governmental organizations using effective emergency management to respond to an incident that might occur during an event.
Include the following in your analysis of the relationships between emergency management agencies responding to an incident at a large event such as a concert:
Summarize the details of the example situation and incident that you selected. Identify the government agencies involved in managing emergency services for such an incident during this kind of event.
Explain how the government agencies plan to work together during the event if the incident should occur. Include the chain of command and standard policies and procedures used to manage this kind of incident.
Describe how the government agencies plan to communicate with each other during the emergency. Summarize the roles and responsibilities of each agency that would be involved in this kind of incident.
Identify the required FEMA training agencies may need to be ready to facilitate effective emergency response and communication during the event. Explain how management, communication, and collaboration between agencies during the incident align with the guidelines in the National Response Framework.
Cite at least 2 scholarly sources in your presentation as evidence to support your explanation.
Sample Answer
Los Angeles: Emergency Plan for a Mass Casualty Crowd Surge at a Concert
Slide 1: Title Slide <center> Los Angeles Emergency Response Plan: The Hollywood Bowl Concert </center> <center> Addressing a Mass Casualty Crowd Surge Incident </center> <center> Presented by: [Your Agency Name/Role] </center> <center> </center>
Slide 2: Incident Details and Involved Agencies Situation: A major, sold-out concert with an estimated 17,500 attendees is taking place at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California. The event is a high-energy rock show with a standing-room-only area near the stage. Incident: A crowd surge, or "crowd crush," occurs near the main stage. The surge is triggered by a combination of factors: the artist's sudden appearance, a high-density crowd in the confined space, and a small altercation that causes a ripple effect of panic. The result is multiple injuries and a potential mass casualty incident (MCI) due to compressive asphyxiation and trampling. Government Agencies Involved:
Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD): Primary law enforcement, responsible for crowd control, scene security, and managing potential civil unrest.
Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD): Primary agency for fire suppression, search and rescue, and pre-hospital emergency medical services (EMS).
Los Angeles Emergency Management Department (EMD): Coordinates the overall city-wide emergency response.
Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS) - Emergency Medical Services Agency (EMSA): Coordinates hospital resources and patient transport.
Slide 3: Inter-Agency Collaboration and Command Structure Collaboration: The response will be managed under the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and its Incident Command System (ICS). This provides a standardized, flexible, and scalable framework for all agencies to operate within a unified command structure, avoiding confusion and redundant efforts. Chain of Command:
Unified Command: A single command post is established with a designated Incident Commander (IC). The IC role is shared by leaders from the LAPD, LAFD, and EMD. This unified command ensures joint decision-making and a cohesive strategy.
Incident Commander (IC): Provides overall direction and control.
Operations Section Chief: Manages all tactical operations, including crowd control, medical triage, and patient transport.
Planning Section Chief: Collects, evaluates, and disseminates information to develop the Incident Action Plan (IAP).
Logistics Section Chief: Provides support, resources, and services to meet the operational objectives.
Finance/Admin Section Chief: Manages all financial and administrative aspects of the incident.
Slide 4: Standard Policies and Procedures
Immediate Response: The first on-scene responders (LAPD and LAFD) will activate the MCI protocol. The LAFD will focus on triage, treatment, and transport of the injured, while the LAPD will establish a perimeter, secure the scene, and manage crowd egress.
Mass Triage: LAFD personnel will use standard triage protocols (e.g., START triage) to categorize patients into different priority levels (Immediate, Delayed, Minor, Deceased) to ensure the most critical patients are treated first.
Crowd Egress: LAPD will work with concert security to create clear, unimpeded evacuation routes and direct the remaining crowd away from the incident area to a designated safe zone.
Mutual Aid: If the incident overwhelms local resources, the EMD will activate mutual aid agreements with neighboring jurisdictions to request additional law enforcement, fire, and medical personnel and equipment.
Slide 5: Inter-Agency Communication Plan
Primary Communication: All agencies will use the Los Angeles Regional Interoperable Communications System (LA-RICS), which provides a dedicated radio network for public safety agencies. This prevents communication failure on commercial networks and ensures clear, real-time information sharing.
Joint Information Center (JIC): A JIC will be established to coordinate all public communication. This ensures a single, consistent message is delivered to the media and the public, preventing the spread of misinformation and reducing panic.
Regular Briefings: The Unified Command will hold regular, scheduled briefings and updates to ensure all agencies are operating with the most current information.
Slide 6: Roles and Responsibilities of Each Agency
LAPD:
Roles: Perimeter security, crowd dispersal, managing public safety, and directing traffic around the venue.
Responsibilities: Enforce crowd management policies, investigate the cause of the surge, and ensure a secure environment for medical operations.