Evacuation and sheltering-in-place are essential elements included in Emergency Action Plans, including those provided by your venues and facilities. Making the decision to evacuate, shelter-in-place or relocate during an incident is a complicated process and requires input from various entities knowledgeable in the structure of the space; the size, distribution and condition of participants; the hazard involved; and the anticipated response to that hazard. Hence, the decision should be made with input from all parties.

Identify who has the authority to make the decision to evacuate, shelter-in-place or relocate, along with how it will be communicated, and have pre-defined rally point(s) determined to convene if a decision is necessary. Ask venue staff about the following, and have the answers documented in your plans.

• Their evacuation job duties

• Evacuation routes

• Nearest fire extinguishers

• Nearest exits

• Alternatives for potentially blocked exits

• Shelter-in-place locations, spaces or points

Related Certificate Courses:
Emergency Preparedness for Events Certificate Program
Event Crisis Communications

The size of your event will define how complex this plan is, but all events require evacuation/sheltering plans. Prior to initiating an evacuation, take into consideration the inherent risks associated with moving people from one place to another.

• Sometimes the best course of action is not to evacuate, or to partially evacuate, and sometimes shelter-in-place or relocation is the best option.

• Determine the least invasive and most effective method to evacuate attendees from potentially dangerous conditions (including partial evacuations).

• Evacuation planning should be based on a risk assessment that takes time and distance into account.

Think through the process and preplan, as the decision will likely depend upon situation. Know your options. And remember: Social media could outpace your communications if decisions are not made in a timely fashion.