Are Event Control Rooms fit for purpose?

Having read this morning of a case where an event participant is taking legal action against an organiser (due to injuries sustained at a sporting event that they were taking part in), it made me once again think, did that event have an effective control room?

Over the past 5 years I have seen an improvement in the investment that many organisations have put in to their Event Control Rooms (ECR). This is particularly pleasing when we are in a climate of needing to ensure that all i's are dotted and t's are crossed to rightly comply with health and safety requirements. Although many see the value in having a suitably trained team to support their event, whether its a mass participation sporting one, or a music concert or procession of some sort, there are others that challenge the need and avoid spending where they think it's avoidable.

WHAT IS THE REAL COST OF NOT HAVING A SUITABLE CONTROL ROOM?

I have set up and managed event control rooms in a collection of places including: marquees in fields, portacabins, scout huts, a church, football and rugby stadiums, police premises, council offices, cafe's and restaurants, bowls clubs, race courses and hotels, to name but a few of the varied locations. In my opinion the type of premises doesn't actually matter, providing you are suitably located to be able to have access to the right facilities and equipment to deliver the service required. Of equal importance is having the right people within the room at the right times. Decision Makers and Silver / Tactical Commanders must be in a position to assist at key points during events.

The right support staff, from Control Room Manager to Radio Operators / Call Takers are the next big thing that I look at. With events needing to be self sufficient and not put a drain on emergency services there is a need to ensure emergencies can be dealt with. I have seen many event organisers arrange for family friends or colleagues that have little, if any, relevant training or experience to assist with answering radio transmissions or phone enquiries relating to the event. The worst case scenario I have seen is where someone at an event called the control room via a radio and asked for an ambulance. The person answering the radio had no experience of what to do or say and froze. After some rapid interventions the relevant information was obtained from the caller and medical resources dispatched as quickly as possible. Should the person have been on the radio in the first place?

Perhaps better briefing and some training would have stopped the issue becoming what it did, however the learning message to any event organisers is that if you give someone a radio and expect them to act as a Controller (Dispatcher / Loggist / Radio Operator - what ever you wish to call the role), they must be a suitable caliber that allows them to deal with any issues. For people on the ground, the Controller might be their only point of contact for getting help. Are they trained in handling 999 calls and dealing with emergencies, or are they just viewed as a 'bum on a seat' to help on the day. Unless specifically part of the event plan an event control room must have the correct staff to deal with all the issues that come up, ranging from emergency situations to routine message handling.

For those in any doubt as to what situations could come up, my top 10 list would be:

• medical calls - ranging from life threatening to minor issues
• missing people - not just children!
• unattended items - not always suspicious!
• vehicles entering closed roads without permission
• emergency services needing to access closed roads
• people acting suspiciously
• lost and found property
• health and safety risks identified
• people needing to be ejected from venues
• crimes that are reported

Naturally the type of event will dictate what issues may arise. Planning in advance will always be relevant to ensure as many issues are catered for, however there will always be spontaneous incidents that occur on the day of an event.

WHAT IS LOGGED WITHIN AN EVENT CONTROL?

Ideally a comprehensive log will be made of everything that is relevant in case it's needed for either event organisation memory, or to deal with any subsequent issues or claims that may arise. Trained and experienced professionals will ensure they document all information that they see, hear, or do, together with any rationale for actions. The expression "If it isn't recorded, then it didn't happen" has been quoted in court cases in the past.

TO CONCLUDE

I am not naive to think that it is easy for all event organisers to set up high-tech control rooms for all of the events that are in existence. However it would be naive of organisers to not ensure they have the relevant support that is suitable for their own event! We are now in 2017, and some 80 years after the '999' emergency call system was introduced, we must ensure events are suitably controlled, with relevant event control rooms established, with the right kit and staffing to manage their own emergencies and routine matters effectively, without being a burden on our public services. This way hopefully everyone goes home at the end of the event in one piece, having had a great experience.

These views are my own, not everyone may agree, but my experiences are such that I now support on a whole host of events, with a team of experts that have over 100 years experience within the emergency services. If you have any questions or would like to discuss anything further, please send me a private message.

visit www.mintcommand.com for more information.