Created for IS-15 Special Events Contingency Planning Course. The purpose of this manual is the prevention of injury, suffering, or death that may occur as a result of poor planning or preventable incidents at public events. This manual is intended to provide guidance for the management of risks associated with conducting events that involve mass gatherings of people and assist planners and organizers in making such events safe and successful. FEMA has prepared this manual for use by anyone planning or conducting a special event or mass gathering. This manual is intended to enable its users to ensure that adequate measures and systems are in place to prevent, reduce, and provide care for injuries, illness, and suffering that may occur.

The purpose of this manual is the prevention of injury, suffering, or death that may occur as a result of poor planning or preventable incidents at public events. This manual is intended to provide guidance for the management of risks associated with conducting events that involve mass gatherings of people and assist planners and organizers in making such events safe and successful. Details of the development of the manual and other related matters are noted in the Background section of the Introduction. The manual was sponsored, edited, and published by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). FEMA has prepared this manual for use by anyone planning or conducting a special event or mass gathering. This manual is intended to enable its users to ensure that adequate measures and systems are in place to prevent, reduce, and provide care for injuries, illness, and suffering that may occur. Many people, in addition to health personnel, contribute significantly to the success of a public event. Therefore, FEMA anticipates that this manual will be distributed to event promoters, managers, public and private organizations, emergency service personnel, government bodies, and any individual or organization that contributes to the planning of events. Wide distribution is encouraged, providing that individuals understand that the detailed contents of the manual are directed principally at managing the health and safety aspects of the event for all participants, officials, and spectators. The manual is not intended to override any existing legislation or local emergency management procedures. Further, it does not seek to address the preparation of emergency response plans, but rather identifies the elements that should be considered by those responsible for planning and conducting events that attract large numbers of people. Local governments and emergency services should be approached for more detailed advice on other aspects of planning and for the necessary permits and licenses required.

Throughout the United States, at any given time of year, there are festivals, concerts, fairs, sporting events, and many other large and small events that gather or have the potential to gather large crowds. Under normal conditions, these events go on with few or no problems. When something goes wrong, however, either as a result of a natural hazard or a manmade hazard, then local emergency management becomes involved. These mass gatherings are also potential targets for terrorists. Multiple deaths and injuries at large public events have occurred consistently and over a wide spectrum of countries and types of events. Certain highly competitive sports events, particularly soccer, and rock concerts and festivals tend to produce spectator-generated incidents, while air shows and auto races tend to produce more participant-generated occurrences. In some instances, advanced assessment of, and planning for, these events failed to occur, or when they did, they failed to identify the potential for disaster, or mitigating or coping strategies for a major incident. The purpose of this manual is the prevention of injury, suffering, or death that may occur as a result of poor planning or preventable incidents at public events. This manual is intended to provide guidance for the management of risks associated with conducting events that involve mass gatherings of people and assist planners and organizers in making such events safe and successful. FEMA has prepared this manual for use by anyone planning or conducting a special event or mass gathering. This manual is intended to enable its users to ensure that adequate measures and systems are in place to prevent, reduce, and provide care for injuries, illness, and suffering that may occur. Many people, in addition to health personnel, contribute significantly to the success of a public event. Therefore, FEMA anticipates that this manual will be distributed to event promoters, managers, public and private organizations, emergency service personnel, government bodies, and any individual or organization that contributes to the planning of events. Wide distribution is encouraged, providing that individuals understand that the detailed contents of the manual are directed principally at managing the health and safety aspects of the event for all participants, officials, and spectators.

Though spectator and player security has always been a priority for sport and facility managers at all levels, large-scale threats such as terrorism or natural disasters have become even more critical management concerns. Proactive sport and facility managers understand the role they must take in working with local law enforcement, contracted security personnel, and their own employees to adequately plan for and respond to threats—both manmade and natural. Security Management for Sports and Special Events: An Interagency Approach to Creating Safe Facilities presents a systematic approach to stadium and venue security. Unlike traditional risk management books that present guidelines to promote safety and discourage litigation in sport and recreation settings, Security Management for Sports and SpecialEvents deals specifically with natural disasters, terrorism, crowd control problems, and other large-scale threats. As sport and facility managers seek to broaden their building management capabilities, this text offers detailed guidance in improving the quality, coordination, and responsiveness of security protocols within their facilities. With this text, sport and facility managers examine the concerns and challenges to security and emergency planning for both sport and non-sport events held at their facilities. Security Management for Sports and Special Events offers an organized explanation of event security to support the planning, implementation, and communication of security and emergency plans to staff and game-day hires as well as the assessment of emergency preparation. Drawing on numerous examples from both in and out of sport, readers will consider the challenges, solutions, best practices, and prescriptions for coordinating the efforts of staff, law enforcement, and security personnel. Readers will find an array of tools that assist in understanding and implementing the material presented: •Case studies at the end of each chapter and “Lessons Learned” sections that summarize and apply the information to a real-world scenario •Chapter goals and application questions that provide a clear map for the chapter and promote critical thinking of the issues •Sidebars throughout the text that provide examples of important current issues in sport and event security management •Reproducible checklists, forms, and additional resources that help in designing and implementing plans •More than 20 appendix items, including key guidelines, checklists, and needs assessments Emphasizing interagency development and a team approach to sport event security management, Security Managementfor Sports and Special Events allows sport and facility managers to lessen risk, control insurance costs, and uphold the integrity of their facilities through security management procedures. The text is developed according to the requirements of the Department of Homeland Security’s National Incident Management System (NIMS) and serves as the manual for managers seeking to achieve the SESA Seal of Approval offered by the University of Southern Mississippi’s National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (NCS4). Developed by the authors and the only dedicated research facility for sport security management, NCS4 is on the cutting edge of researching and assessing game-day operations for security and crisis management. Security Management for Sports and Special Events is a practical resource for identifying and managing potential threats to fans’ and players’ safety. With proper protocols in place and a coordinated response, sport and facility professionals can ensure the safety of participants and spectators from terrorism, natural disasters, and other potential encounters.