Safety Section Event Planning Outline

Purpose: Listed below are the minimum planning standards that should be addressed with event sponsors to preserve the safety of participants, property, and the environment and serve to mitigate risks and hazards that are likely or could potentially occur at a reenactment. These planning standards should involve the combined efforts of the event sponsors, the respective reenactor commands, as well as the local fire, EMS, and law enforcement agencies tasked with providing services to the event.

Site Access, Parking, and Egress

1. Identify routes into event site and location of registration area
2. Identify route from registration to camps and establish traffic flows through camps
3. Traffic flows through camp should ideally be one way with the ability for emergency vehicles to pass as well have two points of entry/exit. It is highly encouraged that the camps do not have only one point used for entry and exit. (sometimes just not possible)
4. Identify traffic patterns to be used for exit of camps at close of event.
5. Work with sponsors of events to make best effort to ensure safe distance between camps and parking. It is known the Minimum safe distance away should be no less than 3750 feet or ¾ of a mile.
6. Identify who will manage and supervise the parking areas.
7. Identify agency that will provide traffic control on roads leading into and out of the event as well as the directions of travel out of the event.

Site Security

1. Identify what law enforcement agency/agencies will be providing overall security and incident investigation to the site.
2. Identify location of law enforcement incident command
3. Identify best means of contacting law enforcement during event hours and after hours.
4. Identify monitoring activities to be engaged in by law enforcement and additional resources to be on site (such as mounted patrols, motorized and foot patrols, or aerial monitoring of site). This should include nature of provision of security to the event perimeter, public areas, battlefields, and parking areas.
5. Establish protocol for monitoring and searches of spectators as necessary such as bag searches at entrance to event.
6. Establish needs of law enforcement in order to be able to perform searches of reenactor camps and equipment including artillery caissons and camping areas.
7. Establish protocol and agency tasked with inspection of public areas, battlefields, and parking areas prior to and during the event.
8. Provide camp layout and grid to law enforcement

Fire/EMS Support

1. Identify agency with incident command of site and location of the command post.
2. Identify the resources that will be available onsite, staged, and available by mutual aid assignment.
3. Identify what hours Fire/EMS will be on site.
4. Establish best means of contacting Fire/EMS during event hours, during scenarios, and after hours.
5. Establish practice of identifying location of incident: use of flags, guidance into scene, use of strobe lights, etc.
6. Provide grid maps of camps to Incident Command
7. Identify location of staging and EMS treatment area with protocols for treatment and transport.
8. Identify protocol for Mass Casualty Incident
9. Identify hospitals to be transported to with levels of care and addresses.

High Hazard Mitigation

1. Identify nature of high hazards that could be incurred during the course of the event specific to geographical region, season, local industry, and acts of civil disobedience.
2. At a minimum the identified high hazards should include: weather related such as severe storms and tornado; hazardous materials on site and nearby; acts of civil disobedience such as protests, attack, or bomb threat and detonation; and, significant fire activity.
3. Identify resources available to mitigate the risks prior to event as well as during incident as well as agency responsible for managing the risk.
4. Identify areas for sheltering in place, location for withdrawal outside of event site within short walking distance; and permanent shelter available for the most severe and likely long term incidents.
5. Establish resources and means to evacuate site as needed and estimated time frames to effectuate the evacuation.
6. Establish decision matrix for who determines evacuation and to what location and by what means relative to the nature of the threat(s).
7. Establish nature of amenities available at the specified evacuation locations and what resources are available to make up gaps in necessities in terms of food, water, and medical attention.

Radio/Communications

1. Establish number of radios to be distributed and by whom with pattern of recharging. 
   1. It is at the discretion of each command on how they would like to proceed with radios and charging.
   2. For those organizations who do not currently have radios, it is recommended that you use AA Battery Radios and hand out several packs of batteries instead of purchasing rechargeable radios.
2. Establish what frequencies are to be used by what working groups
3. Establish what hours each frequency will be monitored and used by working groups for effective communications

Miscellaneous

1. Establish procedures for managing equine related emergencies.
2. Identify if event will involve cavalry rides, marches, or parades external to the event grounds and how EMS and safety related procedures will be implemented for those events.
3. Identify if any live fire exercises and/or pyrotechnics will be utilized during the event including location, times, and how marked in the fields.