Music Festival - Case Study

The Challenge

Client A puts on a large music festival once a year in the UK with approximately 175,000 participants. The Licensing Authority seek assurances from Client A that their Major Incident Plan and associated procedures are tested and validated to ensure that they are fit for purpose for the event.

The Solution

A 5 year rolling exercise plan has been agreed with Client A to ensure that all major risks are tested and validated over the period through the annual Table Top Exercise. Attendance at the one-day exercise event has been expanded to include representatives from key staff and volunteers at the Festival, along with representatives from the multi-agency partners, and between 130 and 150 people now participate in the event.

The Results

The structured approach ensures that all relevant risks are tested and validated regularly; and the plan is adjusted to incorporate emerging threats and lessons identified from previous events. Moreover, the exercise is seen as such a key event in the festival preparation cycle that it is now oversubscribed, and managers and team leaders are using the scenarios in their cascade events for their staff and volunteers. The exercise is also used to develop and enhance key policies and procedures with stakeholders in an inclusive and engaging environment, in response to the changing national picture and industry best practice.

Feedback

-  A lot covered in a timely manner. Lots of expertise in the room.
-  Rekindling relationships & networking. First table top I have attended. Impressed with
   level of contingency planning and resourcing.
-  Fast paced scenarios, good discussion. Good mix of people on the table. Realistic
   issues to consider.
-  Topical current issues/scenarios. Right people in attendance. Opportunity to integrate,
   team building. -  Good to interact with various other areas of the festival. Communication, log emphasis
   reminders. Gets you thinking about how to deal with difficult situations.
-  It was very good to understand what each stakeholder has responsibility for and how
   they contribute to each area of the incident
-  Creating more of a thought process of what I would do in any serious situation.
   Knowing more of the Gold, Silver and Bronze jobs and how each one flows on to
   the next. Knowing the talent and overall knowledge that we are all have together, we
   are in very safe hands
-  TTX goes from strength to strength. A vital part of the plan, and for me marks the
   move from planning focus to operational focus.

Sporting Venue - Case Study

The Challenge

Client B is an international sports stadium in London that puts on large domestic and international sports events and live music events with a seating capacity of 90,000 spectators, that can be increased to 98,000 for live concerts involving standing spectators. The Council may serve a prohibition notice in respect of all or part of the Stadium, if it considers that the admission of spectators involves or will involve a risk to them so serious that the admission of spectators ought to be restricted or prohibited

The Solution

The delivery of two validation table top exercises on a single day, one for a major sporting event and a second for a large live music event, to provide assurance and evidence that the Major Incident Plan and associated Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are fit for purpose. Attendance at the one-day exercise event included all relevant stadium staff and the multi-agency partners involved in the delivery of these types of events (approximately 100 people).

The Results

A series of structured vignettes for each exercise, covering the 3 phases of pre-event, event and post event ensured that staff and partner agencies were aware of the differences between running a sporting and a large live music event in the stadium. All relevant risks were tested and the stadium plan validated; and the plans and procedures were adjusted to incorporate emerging threats and lessons identified from both type of events.

Feedback

- It was good to look at all operations across the stadium and how easy it is to become focussed on
  your own specific working area. But looking at SOPs, it highlights just how much incidents in certain
  areas impacts on many others.
- Very good method of testing stadium plans, together with agencies who will be working in partnership
  with us on event and non event days.
- Working with different partners helps to gain a different perspective on how you might work through
  any particular incident and share experiences.
- The scenarios were measured and relevant to current issues. However as we know every scenario
  has different outcomes. The important fact is to use the SOPS and tailor them to suit all scenarios,
  ie team dynamics in relation to the incident. It is evident good solid leadership is required to ensure
  correct procedures are followed. These exercises today were important from that point of view.
- A very well structured day, entertaining, useful and very relevant to today's issues.

Regulatory Exercises - Case Study

The Challenge

It is a requirement under the Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) Regulations 2015 (Regulation 14) that Client C reviews and where necessary revises the external emergency plans for 2 commercial sites at intervals not exceeding three years. They should also test the plan and take reasonable steps for the emergency services to participate.

The Solution

To deliver two alerting (call out) exercises; followed a week later by the delivery of two table top exercises on a single day to validate the specific arrangements for each site, and the interdependencies/knock-on impacts to each other. Attendance at the event included key staff from both commercial organisations, as well as multi-agency partners, and supporting organisations and stakeholders. Scenarios were chosen based on extant risk analysis that is contained within the plans.

The Results

A number of discrepancies between the plan and local organisational arrangements were identified throughout the exercise development process that were then able to be addressed prior to the main table top exercise. In addition, some important learning points around subcontracted services were also exposed which were unlikely to have been highlighted elsewhere. It also proved to be a valuable peer-education environment for all participants to learn and understand more about how each organisation would respond to such a situation – thus addressing a nationally recognised “lesson identified” from major events, which indicates that there is a lack of understanding of roles and responsibilities of different responders and stakeholders in a major incident.

Feedback

- Exercise teased out good communication across the strategic group. Exercise was well planned
  with information flows.
• Communications between agencies. (Everyone aware of others roles and responsibilities).
• Inter-organisations communication - evidence that most plans contain procedures for a variety of scenarios.
• Good scenario. Well delivered. Good timing. Identified key areas for development/raised questions.
• It was good to get perspective from all who would be involved in such an incident. Generated good
  discussion and understanding.
• Teams about the right size, clear what was required on each scenario.
• Having all partners together in the room. Understanding other agencies thought process. Better
  understanding of emergency response plan and how other agencies respond and what resources
  are available.
• The exercise was conducted very well. The scenarios well described and seems to have covered
  all necessary details

Sporting Organisation - Case Study

The Challenge

Client D is one of the top four Premier League Football Clubs, hosting both domestic and European matches at their iconic home ground. The Council may serve a prohibition notice in respect of all or part of the Stadium, if it considers that the admission of spectators involves or will involve a risk to them so serious that the admission of spectators ought to be restricted or prohibited. In addition, the Council expects that any plans for special events (such as Victory Parades) are robustly validated with participation from all stakeholders prior to the event taking place.

The Solution

Bespoke table top exercise events that bring together relevant stakeholders at strategic, tactical and operational levels to explore a range of risks exposed through a series of vignettes. Importantly, the exercise events explore both the “business as usual” scenarios associated with delivering premiership football, as well as scenarios considering wider UK threats and how they may affect the Club and the multi-agency partners and stakeholders.

The Results

Regular “business as usual” exercises confirm and validate the plans and arrangements that are in place for the Stadium at match days, and ensure that staff understand the arrangements and can work together effectively in partnership with each other, and with the partner agencies. Additional exercise events (such as the Victory Parade exercises) validate the specific event arrangements that are being put in place and in particular the Command and Control aspects of such events.

Feedback

- Getting so many stakeholders together in the same room at the same time
- A good range of scenarios
- Got to know more about other agencies and considerations• Interesting thought provoking discussion.
  Well managed plenary sessions
- The exercise helped identify some gaps and procedures for correcting these. It was also useful
  to work collaboratively and better understand the wider issues
- Good speed of scenarios - testing the understanding of agencies/ roles and responsibilities / C3
  structure. Teased out a few areas where we were not fully joined up

Festival Steward Training - Case Study

The Challenge

Client A puts on a large music festival once a year in the UK with approximately 175,000 participants. One of the four licensing objectives for the event is Public Safety, and this is achieved primarily through the engagement of 4,500 volunteer stewards from across the world, who come together and give 24 hours of their time to work onsite as a steward, and in return their charity receives a donation from the festival. It is a requirement of the licence that all volunteer stewards are trained once every five years, but with a geographically widespread training audience, attending a traditional face-to-face classroom session is not logistically possible for everyone.

Client E provides approximately 7,000 volunteer stewards for a large number of festivals across the UK each year. In return, the charity receives donations from the festivals, which collectively create an annual revenue stream in the order of £1m. It is a requirement of the licence conditions for each festival that the volunteer stewards are trained, and Client E requires stewards to repeat their training every 4 years. With a geographically widespread training audience, attending a traditional face-to-face classroom session is not logistically possible for everyone.

Both clients require a cost-effective solution, capable of supporting class sizes up to 100 participants.

The Solution

The provision of live training in a virtual environment using a technology solution that is accessible on almost all devices around the world. Each session is delivered live by an instructor, enabling participants to engage via voice and online messaging which ensures questions and points of clarification can be answered immediately; and supports peer-to-peer learning. A variety of training delivery methods are used including presentations, videos and polling, and the content meets the same training Aim and Objectives as the traditional face-to-face classroom based sessions that are also delivered. Furthermore, as participants are volunteers, sessions are delivered in the evenings and at weekends; and some sessions are scheduled for times to suit international participants in different time zones.

The Results

Participants are trained on time and within budget, to an identical standard as those attending a traditional face-to-face session. This ensures the licencing conditions for the event are met.

Feedback

- All very simple, joining on tablet was quick and easy – all worked perfectly
- I’m not brilliant with computer technology and this is my first experience with online training.
  I found it simple to access and did not experience any problems throughout the session.
- Really well presented and clear. Paced just right too.
- I found that the on-line course contained the right mix of information content and humour to
  make it both informative and enjoyable.
- Friendly trainers, picked up on all questions from the chat. Very motivating!

Incident Management Training - Case Study

The Challenge

Client F is a large organisation, subject to a number of regulatory controls that require it to have in place robust and validated emergency management plans and procedures. A number of roles have been identified at operational, tactical and strategic levels, and personnel from within the business have been allocated to these roles. However, the business cannot afford to have personnel dedicated to emergency planning, management and response, therefore all personnel involved in the process have a full time role elsewhere within the business, and simply respond when called in the event of an emergency. As a result, skill fade is high, and the capacity for more frequent training and exercising is currently limited.

The Solution

A long term relationship has been established with Client F, to work with them to help transform their processes and procedures, streamline their plans, and provide templates and practical approaches to assist in the event of a crisis. This is supported with formal training courses and exercises that are designed to meet both the regulatory requirements and also the business needs of the organisation.

The Results

Individual and team confidence is growing, and there is a greater understanding of the role of the organisation in a crisis, and how that will interface with the multi-agency responders. The organisation has recognised the need to take a different approach when allocating key roles to individuals, in order to ensure that the individual is both competent and confident to take on the task if required.

Feedback

- Good to discuss issues, consider options and consequences
- Added much more value than just taking part in a high intensity exercise
- Realistic exercise, good coverage of functions in attendees, which supported good debate and conclusions
- The exercise opened up the debate and provided new knowledge of processes and procedures
- The training course was worthwhile and informative