THE MYTHS AND REALITIES OF Special Events Planning In Today’s World
Special Events Planning – 2002 Winter Olympics –
“The show’s the thing…”
William Shakespeare
The Great Disclaimers…
The overall topic is to huge to allow indepth examination. Most of the presentation will consist of BFO’s (Blinding Flashes of the Obvious) The are exceptions to every rule
Objectives
Know the beast 2. Identify issues to address 3. Identify planning challenges 4. Examine planning focus areas 5. List special skills 6. List pointers for survival
1.
First, the vocabulary…
Emergency
– Any event the alters normal business activities and requires immediate attention
Major Emergency
– All of the above, plus 10
Disaster
– Any emergency that is so large that it is beyond the ability of any community or jurisdiction to cope with adequately
Crisis Management
Events
and activities that deal with pre- critical situations and in progress events
Consequence Management
Activities
and events that occur after an an emergency or disaster event. Usually in response to extraordinary criminal events
THE “REAL” ROLES OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Deliver
services
–Mitigation Programs –Preparedness Programs
Be
prepared to:
–Respond –Recover
THE “REAL” ROLES OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Teach
– Risk Communication, dispel myths – 4 Phases of Emergency Management Speed recovery Make co-operation and co-ordination our SOP
– Left, Right, Up and Down
E.M. Role in Special Events
Create
and maintain the LEGACY!
–Don’t reinvent the wheel –Steal from the very best –Business as usual as much as possible
E.M. Role in Special Events
Prepare for
the “Worst Case”
scenario Remember you job includes watching out for Joe and Mary Citizen, their kids, AND their pets (and in some cases their livestock).
E.M. Role in Special Events
Remember Chat Sloane’s presentation on IEMC – Four Phases of Emergency Management • Mitigation • Preparedness • Response • Recovery
– ALL HAZARDS!!!!
E.M. Role in Special Events
Risk
Communication
–General Public –Emergency Services
• High Probability, Low Consequence • Low Probability, High Consequence
E.M. Role in Special Events
Resource Management – Resource Identification
• Volunteers (ARES, ARC, SA, etc.) • Mutual aid
– Private Sector Resources • Media • Intelligence and infrastructure
E.M. Role in Special Events
Maintain a network of Experts – Public and Private Utilities – Airports – National Guard – Higher Education – Emergency Management
E.M. Role in Special Events
Teach
how to ask for help
–Federal Family –National Guard –Private Sector –Volunteers
E.M. Role in Special Events
Insure COG occurs down to the section level!
– – – – – – Succession Predelegation of emergency authorities Emergency actions steps Emergency Operations Centers & alternates Safeguarding vital records Protection of Government Resources
E.M. Role in Special Events
Coordinate
inside the “fence” and outside the “fence” response activities –Transportation –Disturbances and Major Crimes –Public, Private Coordination
E.M. Role in Special Events
Rapid Situation Assessment – A plan for all seasons – Train the entire team – Exercise the community
• Hospitals • Airport • State agencies
E.M. Role in Special Events
Disaster Public
Information
–Emergency Alert System –Event Chain of command –Normal Media
Keep
the emergency management process alive
Why would you even think of it?
Short term and long term money It’s got to happen somewhere It can showcase the community It can provide a service to the community It can define the community It provides a forum for other good things
KEY PLAYERS
The
International Olympic Committee (IOC) The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) The Salt Lake Olympic Committee (SLOC)
KEY PLAYERS
The ENTIRE Federal Family
– – – – – – – – Executive Branch Congress State Department Department of of Justice Department of Defense Environmental Protection Agency Interior Department Excetera, Excetera, Excetera
KEY PLAYERS
The ENTIRE State – Executive Branch – State Legislature – State Departments
Family
• Public Safety • Attorney General’s Office • Department of Health
– Public Health – Emergency Medical Services
KEY PLAYERS
Local
Governments
–Five Venue Cities –Three Non-venue Counties –Five Venue Counties
OLYMPIC SPONSORS
Mostly international and national corporate sponsors
– Products – Services – Media
Local sponsors support local efforts (SLOC) Very limited “free” Olympic Associations
– City use of logos
Olympic Organization
Utah Olympic Public Safety Command (UOPSC)
– Originally Created and staffed under the Department of Public Safety – Later, Leadership appointed by the Governor – 23 Sub-committees
Organization Chart
OCC JOC Type title here SLC
ACC
Special Mgt Centers
Federal Teams Type title here
A plethera of things here
Venues
Bomb Mgt Center
Crowd Mgt Center
Tranportation Mgt Center
Unique Planning opportunities
You know the “For Sures”
– Dates – Times – Parameters – Most of the players
You know the “Almost for Sures”
– Weather – Crowd levels
Unique Planning opportunities
You know the “For Sures”
– Dates – Times – Parameters – Most of the players
You know the “Almost for Sures”
– Weather – Crowd levels
Unique Planning opportunities
You don’t know the “Wild Cards”
– – – – – Key player changes VIP impacts World events Accidents Scandal (imagine that….)
Agencies and organizations have time start to communicating before they have to By the way, there is never enough money or time…
Know the beast
History of past Winter Olympics
– Track record? – Overall perception? – Special incident issues? – Uniqueness of current environment? – The political climate of the day – Media vs. reality
Know the Beast
Identify Key Players
– Sponsors – Government (all levels) – Media darlings – Volunteers – Venue and affected communities – Vendors, promoters, businesses
Know the beast
Sponsors
– Are there to make money – “Don’t call us, we’ll call you” attitude – Are there provide a pleasant event, not a public safety event] – May change
Know the Beast
Government (all levels)
– Baggage, suspicion, mistrust, tuff wars – What level provides service
• Public Health • Community Service Contracts • Law enforcement
Know the Beast
Media darlings
– Local, national, international – Super immediate – May actually drive the response – They will eat whether you feed them or not
Know the beast
Volunteers
– Most are very very good – Get left out of coordination and response
• Alert and warning
– Will do anything, but want to do something – High value volunteers arrive organized and trained
• ARES, ARC, Salvation Army, out of area groups
Know the Beast
Venue and affected communities
– Screaming for information – Worried about impact – Rumors and misconceptions abound
Know the Beast
Vendor’s, Promoters, Businesses
– Vendor’s looking for a mega-sale – Ambush advertising for non-sponsors – Licensing – Pin traders from Hell
Know the Beast
Identify “Venues”
– Official Venues – Unofficial Venues – Affected sites and populations
• Convenience • Expense • Even wildlife
Issues to address
Keep people informed to the MAX
– Remember the Airport delay scenario – Mass signage – Language – Information hot lines – “Jumbotrons” – Dispel myths
Issues to address
Inside the fence vs. outside the fence Attitudes
– We got through it OK this time so it will always be OK.
Vocabulary is everything
– References to emergencies or disasters – Lingo for areas of operations
Issues to address
Visibility Incredible drain on resources
– Numbers for individual events are not overwhelming; but 18 days straight, give me a break…
Consistency in plans
– Five counties – Five cities – State, Federal, IOC, etc
Planning Challenges
New Players
– Not familiar with standard emergency Management systems – Wasted time reinventing wheels – Difficulty using an all hazards approach – Loss of focus – Attitude problems
• Chicken Little • Total denial
Planning Challenges
Media and world events may actually drive emergency preparedness planning Because the preparation time is so long, you have endure many, many changes in leadership, staff, and resources
Planning Challenges
Information Triage
– Info needed for planning – Public info needed by citizens
• Direct impact • convenience issues
– Blurred line between “Public Affairs” and “Disaster Public information” – Security related information
• Sanitized intelligence
Planning Challenges
Credentialing
– Absolute requirement – Affects emergency response – Affects business – Affects service and convenience…
Planning Challenges
Media
– World “Big Leaguers” in town – Media had Carte Blanch – MMC is a venue site – “Think time” is non-existent – 7/24 requirements
Planning Challenges
Volunteers = big help and big challenge
– Program is not free – Command and control – Visibility a must – Credentialing a must – Thank-you’s a must
Planning Focus Areas:
Overall Public Safety and Public Health Issues
– Numbers of officers and Staff support – Logistical support – Training standards – Uniform and equipment standards – State certification
Planning Focus Areas:
Security
– Private companies – Event security vs. infrastructure security – Inside the “fence” vs. outside the “fence” – Minor situations vs. civil disturbance
Planning Focus Areas:
Transportation
– Convenience congestion – Accident hazards – Emergency Response times – Resource for evacuation – Break down of the system – Advantages of traffic control center
Planning Focus Areas:
Maintain citizen services at expected levels
– Community Services contracts – Volunteers – Good public awareness and “PR”
Planning Focus Areas:
Media and disaster public information
– Mailers – Flyers – PSA’S – Feature stories – Jumbotrons – Programmable highway signs
Special Events Planning Skills
RAPID RESPONSE INSTANT FEEDBACK SHARP FOCUS TEAM BUILDING STAFF JUGGLING STRATEGIC EMPOWERMENT
STRESS BUSTING LEARN FROM THE PAST INVEST IN THE FUTURE KEEP IT SIMPLE BE A DEDICATED BUT FLEXIBLE PLANNER
More Skills
CREATE, MANAGE, PRESENT, SELL, AND ADJUST “THE VISION” TRIAGE INFORMATION BE A MEDIA MASTER BE A MASTER TEAM BUILDER REMEMBER WE WORK FOR PEOPLE STRADDLE EXTREMES
Learn To….
LISTEN MORE (It’s an Art) CHECK EGOS AT THE DOOR REMEMBER “WIIFM” BOTH PRAISE AND REPAIR BEHAVIOUR REMEMBER THAT TECHNOLOGY WILL NEVER REPLACE THE HUMAN DIMENSIONS OF SHARING, VULNERABILITY, AND TRUST
POINTERS TO SURVIVE:
DON’T BE SO OPEN MINDED THAT YOUR BRAINS FALL OUT DON’T BE SHY ABOUT ASKING FOR HELP REMEMBER THAT “NONE OF US IS AS SMART AS ALL OF US” REMEMBER: EMOTIONS WIN IN THE SHORT RUN, LOGIC IN THE LONG RUN --USE BOTH
POINTERS FOR SURVIVAL
LIKE YOURSELF SEEK SERVICE HAVE A MENTOR AND BE A MENTOR REMEMBER THE PROCESS IS AS IMPORTANT AS THE PRODUCT RE-INVENT AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE
POINTERS FOR SURVIVAL:
DON’T STAND TOO CLOSE TO PEOPLE WHO ARE ALWAYS BANDAGED UP YOU WILL FAIL IF YOU LISTEN TO EVERYBODY AND IF YOU LISTEN TO NOBODY SEEK NOURISHING PEOPLE
FAMOUS QUOTES “I have a very bad feeling about this.”
Hans Solo, after learning he’d been appointed emergency manager for the Death Star Expedition
FAMOUS QUOTES “ToTo, I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore.”
Dorothy, FEMA Field Rep in charge of Tornado Response planning
FAMOUS QUOTES
“Loose the attitude and get a life; you may think this is as bad as it can get, but don’t count on it.”
Judy Watanabe, CEM planner
FAMOUS QUOTES
“Good thing I am self-actualized or a mess like this could really upset me!”
Lance Peterson, Exercise Training Officer
FAMOUS QUOTES “The reward for a job well done is no punishment!”
Anonymous
FAMOUS QUOTES
“Et tu Bruti?”
J Caesar, Rome’s first disaster planner, after Rome’s first disaster
Objectives
Know the beast 2. Identify issues to address 3. Identify planning challenges 4. Examine planning focus areas 5. List special skills 6. List pointers for survival
1.