In this post, we describe the types of emergencies that can occur at a sports event.

Real dangers that can occur at any sporting event

Fire

• internal fires (open flames, deliberate cooking)
• vegetation fires during outdoor sports events
• fires caused by explosion
• fires caused by electrical faults
• fires caused by weather (lightning)
• fires caused by pyrotechnic devices

Risk:

• burns, smoke inhalation, panic reaction
• further spread of fire
• the development of additional hazards in the event of a fire

What can we do about prevention?

• screening on admission
• inspection and control of electrical equipment, compliance with legislation and technical regulations during installation
• compliance with the fire safety regulations
• preventing explosions, limiting the use of PB cylinders
• the creation of buffer strips around vegetation in the open air
• tracing and highlighting the users of pyrotechnic devices
• providing fire safety training for event staff
• use of on-site fire service
• preparing and publishing house rules and fire prevention communications

Bomb threat, bomb alert, terror threat

• an unexpected event, but one that requires adequate preparation

Technical emergency

Most of the time, technical hazards take a back seat, even though the risk is the greatest

• power failure, blackout
• infrastructure emergencies (burst pipes, gas leakage…)
• emergency situations related to damage to installations, stages, scaffolding, failure of technological equipment

Social, environmental, sociological emergency, panic, political emergency

Football matches are typically the most exposed to current threats:

• ethnic, religious, supporter-related disputes, mass brawls
• unannounced or even announced demonstrations, protests
• traffic disruptions, and emergencies caused by the traffic chaos caused by the event
• crowd-generated emergencies during entry
• sports hooliganism
• an emergency situation caused by intentional damage
• panic

Site and/or event specific hazards

Realistic risks that exist only in the context of a specific event. Risk factors can be the specific characteristics of the site, the group of visitors or the sporting activity itself.

These can include outdoor sporting events (air, water, land). Hosting international sporting events or specific football teams going head-to-head.

Emergency management planning should address the uniqueness of the event and its specificities.

For example:

• an early spring kayak, canoe race should plan for flooding, flood risk
• be prepared for possible mass contamination in the context of a series of summer sports events lasting several days
• but a typical emergency of this type is a heatwave lasting for days on end

Interactions between hazards

One type of emergency, when it arises, generates another, so it needs to be seen in context, examined and addressed.

extreme weather → technical, infrastructural danger → mass flight, evacuation → panic → mass injuries → traffic chaos

Emergency plan

The plan prepared for the event must be capable of minimising the occurrence of potential emergencies and, if they do occur, of dealing with them effectively. The key element of the plan is PROTOCOL.

The protocol plan is for a few minutes from the occurrence of the emergency. Only the first 10 minutes at most will provide a solution.

Vulnerable areas at outdoor events should be evacuated within 4 minutes, i.e. this is the timeframe to be considered as a priority.

The expected arrival time of the appropriate emergency response units is another key consideration, which should not be much more than 10-15 minutes. The arriving professional units will follow their own protocols to eliminate the threat. Once they arrive, everything is done according to their instructions.

Emergency communication

• Preventive communication (attention-grabbing, basic information, clear)
• House rules, rules of conduct (to be published in publications, websites, posters)

External emergency communication

Communication towards the participants:

• verbal: loudspeakers, projectors, safety equipment, visual signs
• non-verbal: confident, firm instructions; calm, composed behaviour

Internal emergency communication

• communication between the rescue team
• communication between security staff
• communication between participants in the scheme
• decision-making mechanism as communication

Internal information must not go out to the participants!