Ourr hearts are heavy with the news of the recent attack at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando. While undeniably event-related, this is above all a human tragedy that touches everyone, regardless of industry. As we struggle to make sense of what occurred, let us grieve those who lost their lives and foster a love that can overcome senseless acts of violence such as this. Although much remains uncertain about the horrific incidents in Orlando on both Friday night [the June 10 murder of The Voice vocalist Christina Grimmie] and early Sunday morning [the June 12 Pulse nightclub attack], we believe that enough is known for us to offer the following truths, which we believe are important to say because they appear not to be self-evident.
There is a “New Normal”
In terms of the number of casualties, the shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando on June 12, 2016 was the worst in U.S. history. Like the equally senseless death of Christina Grimmie at The Plaza Live, just three miles away the night before, as well as the attacks in Paris last November, incidents like these demonstrate that live event venues are no more immune from active shooters than any other public place.
It is not actually that new. The Department of Justice counted 160 active shooter incidents in the U.S. from 2000 through 2013. But the trend has become dramatically worse. During the first half of that period, there were an average of 6.4 active shooter incidents per year; in the more recent half of that period, there were 16.4 incidents annually. Andthe incidents have not only gotten more numerous, they are leaving more casualties (See boxed item, page 29).
No Venue or Event is Entirely Safe
The Event Safety Alliance firmly believes that no genre of music or entertainment should be blamed when patrons engage in dangerous activities that harm themselves or others. Likewise, regardless of the type of event, no one should go to work thinking they are immune from the threat of a gunman entering their site with deadly intent. The take-away message of active shooter incidents occurring at locations as diverse as a nightclub, movie theater, university, military installation and elementary school, just to list the five worst, is that none of us has the luxury of complacency.
The Alliance encourages healthy discussion of what should be done to keep people safe. Given the incredible diversity of event spaces around the world, clearly one size does not fit all. Here are a few ideas to consider.
Run, Hide, Fight
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security advises that in an active shooter situation, everyone should try to work through the following steps, in this order.
1: Run away from the shooter if there is a safe way to exit.
2: If there is no obvious way to exit, but some other place nearby that is less exposed than where you currently are, go hide there;
3: If you cannot run to safety and there is no good place to hide, then stay put and prepare to fight with whatever is available.
Crowd Manager Training
In any emergency, people exhibit a variety of abilities to assess and respond to danger. Live event spaces, being unfamiliar to crew and patrons and loud and dark during a show, present additional challenges. Accounts of many tragic incidents, including the nightclub shooting in Orlando, show that some people simply wait for direction or rescue. In order to help the most people reach safety, event professionals can, and arguably should, be trained in the techniques of crowd management.
Security Guards
The simplest security measure is to have trained, licensed security guards performing rigorous bag checks and pat-downs of everyone seeking entry. There are conflicting reports as to how the shooter at Pulse got a bulky AR-15 assault weapon past the person at the door on a typically warm June night in Florida, but it is hard to argue that a person-to-person check at the point of entry (supported by immediately available law enforcement to help deal with any issues) is a good idea.
Magnetometers
Another option is magnetometers, either handheld or walk-through. These have the benefit of allowing faster ingress than bag and body checks, and being potentially very sensitive to metal objects like guns. They have the disadvantage of being only as sensitive as the person calibrating them and stopping people who trigger an alarm, however. And they are also more expensive than guards alone. If magnetometers are used, they must be monitored by security guards trained in their use. And those guards, with the support of immediately available law enforcement officers stationed nearby, must be prepared to detain and investigate anyone triggering an alarm.
CPTED
Many larger event spaces have a perimeter plus additional space beyond it, which could be used for the initial security checkpoint. This is the concept of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design, and it likely saved many lives when a security guard doing a pat-down stopped one of the Paris bombers outside Stade de France. Because the guard was posted away from the entrance, the bomber detonated his explosive belt far from the crowd, avoiding much larger casualties.
More Guns Are Not the Answer
However one feels about the right to carry firearms in other places, the Event Safety Alliance believes that there is no scenario in which a live event space is safer by adding more guns. An already loud, dark event with lots of people in close proximity, in a space that few crew or patrons know well, is not an environment in which even well-intentioned crossfire is going to improve the situation.
Reevaluating Your Position as Circumstances Change
The law imposes on each of us the duty to behave as a reasonable person under the circumstances. This means that as circumstances change, we have a legal duty, as well as a moral one, to reevaluate what we do to see if our actions remain reasonable in light of what is now true. The Event Safety Alliance cannot identify a specific moment when it became imperative for event professionals to address public violence — it hardly matters if it was Sandy Hook or Aurora in 2012, Paris last year or Orlando last month. What matters now is that — in addition to expressing our heartfelt condolences for those who have suffered — we raise our own guard as an industry in order to help protect ourselves, our friends and our families.
For more information about all aspects of event safety, visit the Event Safety Alliance at www.eventsafetyalliance.org.
Motivated by past tragedies, the Event Safety Alliance (ESA) is a non-profit trade association of live event industry pros committed to eliminating unsafe behaviors and conditions throughout the industry and promoting “life safety first” throughout all phases of event production.
Active Shooter Protocol: Practical Suggestions for Touring and Production Pros
By Charlie Hernandez
An active shooter is an individual or group actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area. Active shooter situations are unpredictable and evolve quickly. Typically, the deployment of law enforcement is required to stop the shooting and mitigate harm to victims. As such situations are often over before law enforcement arrives on the scene, individuals must be prepared both mentally and physically to deal with an active shooter situation.
Before a situation occurs, be prepared — be aware of your environment and any possible dangers. Take note of the two nearest exits in any facility you visit. However, if confronted with an active shooter:
Run
If there is an accessible escape path, attempt to evacuate the premises. Be sure to: have an escape route and plan in mind; evacuate regardless of whether others agree to follow; leave your belongings behind; help others escape, if possible; prevent individuals from entering an area where the active shooter may be; keep your hands visible; follow the instructions of any police officers; do not attempt to move wounded people; call 911 when you are safe.
Hide
If evacuation is not possible, find a place to hide where the active shooter is less likely to find you. Your hiding place should be out of the active shooter’s view; provide protection if shots are fired in your direction; have a lockable door; and not trap you or restrict your options for movement — i.e., an office with a single door.
To prevent an active shooter from entering your hiding place: lock the door and blockade the entry with heavy furniture. If the active shooter is nearby: lock the door; turn off any lights; silence your cell phone and/or pager; turn off any source of noise (i.e., radios, televisions); hide behind large items (i.e., cabinets, desks); and remain quiet.
Fight
As a last resort, and only when your life is in imminent danger,attempt to disrupt and/or incapacitate the active shooter by: acting as aggressively as possible against him/her; throwing items and improvising weapons; yelling; and committing to your actions.
When Police Arrive
Law enforcement’s purpose is to stop the active shooter as soon as possible. Officers will proceed directly to the area in which the last shots were heard. The first officers to arrive to the scene will not stop to help injured persons. Expect rescue teams comprised of additional officers and emergency medical personnel to follow the initial officers. These rescue teams will treat and remove any injured persons. They may also call upon able-bodied individuals to assist in removing the wounded from the premises.
Once you’ve reached a safe location or an assembly point, you will likely be held in that area by law enforcement until the situation is under control, and all witnesses have been identified and questioned. Do not leave until law enforcement authorities have instructed you to do so.
Officers usually arrive in teams of four and might be wearing regular patrol uniforms or external bulletproof vests, Kevlar helmets, and other tactical equipment, and armed with rifles, shotguns or handguns. Officers may use pepper spray or tear gas to control the situation and might shout commands and push individuals to the ground for their safety.
How to React When Police Arrive
Do not run when police enter the vicinity. Avoid pointing, screaming and/or yelling. Remain calm, follow officers’ instructions and put down any items in your hands (i.e., bags, jackets). Immediately raise hands, spread fingers and keep hands visible at all times. Drop to the floor if you are told to do so, or move calmly out of the area or building
Avoid making quick movements toward officers, such as holding on to them for safety. Do not stop to ask officers for help or direction when evacuating. Just proceed in the direction from which officers are entering the premises.
And do not return to an evacuated building until and unless told to do so by production/public safety officials.
Parnelli Award-winning Charlie Hernandez is both the director of the ESA and a noted production manager.
USA Active Shooter Incidents with High Casualty Counts
102 Pulse Nightclub
- Orlando, FL; June 12, 2016
- 49 killed, 53 wounded
70 Cinemark Century 16 Theater
- Aurora, CO; July 20, 2012
- 12 killed, 58 wounded
49 Virginia Tech
- Blacksburg, VA; April 16, 2007
- 32 killed, 17 wounded
45 Ft. Hood Soldier Readiness Center
- Ft. Hood, TX; Nov. 5, 2009
- 13 killed, 32 wounded
29 Sandy Hook Elementary School
- Newtown, CT; Dec. 4, 2012
- 27 killed, 2 wounded
