EAP—Emergency Action Plan

06 January 2007

Every event project should have a formal, written emergency action plan (EAP) that addresses the arrangements for emergencies that clearly describes what will be done by whom, when, where, and how, which should be integrated with the EAP of the site or facility at which the event takes place (or its salient points if the facility will not provide the entire EAP for security reasons) in order to coordinate and cooperate with them. The EAP should be updated / customized for each event project and should address the following:

• Individual internal and external roles and responsibilities (e.g. event staff versus facility staff, structure of authority, task assignments including alternate personnel, etc.)

• Threats, hazards, and protective actions (e.g. range of emergencies the organization is prepared to handle based on an event-specific threat assessment, media plan and spokesperson protocols, etc.)

• Notification, warning, and communications procedures (e.g. decision protocols for declaring an emergency, methods and instructions for reporting emergencies, reporting to internal and external responders, attendee / audience notification systems, etc.)

• Emergency response procedures (e.g. call 911*, call building security, evacuate or take shelter, administer first aid if qualified, etc.)

• Evacuation, accounting, and shelter-in-place procedures (e.g. escape routes / exits, designation of assembly areas where evacuees are to gather, method(s) for ensuring everyone is accurately accounted for, shelter locations, etc.)

• Location and use of emergency equipment (e.g. fire extinguisher and AED use)

• Emergency shutdown procedures (shutdown of machines, equipment or critical systems, securing records and cash, etc.)

• Key contact lists (e.g. emergency responders, key facility responders, personnel assigned duties, key personnel to be contacted during off-hours emergencies, etc.)

* Universal emergency telephone numbers

For a full list of emergency telephone number around the world, go to http://www.sccfd.org/travel.html

Back