DEADLINE: 30 days prior to event
CONTACT: Courtney.bernet@denvergov.org
Special Events in the City and County of Denver are required to have an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) that clearly defines the steps being taken to mitigate risks at an event, and a process to follow should an emergency situation occur. An EAP is separate from, but works in conjunction with your Health Medical Plan (HMP) and is required for an Office of Special Events Permit (OSEP). An EAP must be tailored to reflect the scope of the event, site-specific conditions, and potential risks to spectators and participants. Event organizers must share and discuss the EAP, Health and Medical Plan and site map with event staff, volunteers, and vendors, prior to the event.
All events must upload an effective EAP no later than 30 days prior to the first event date. The Office of Emergency Management or Department of Safety will review the EAP and may recommend and require that changes be made to the plan.
In lieu of a comprehensive EAP, events that are smaller that 10K total daily attendees can complete the EAP Template(PDF, 379KB) and upload it along with a Health and Medical Plan, and a site map that clearly shows event infrastructure, emergency exits, first aid stations, etc.
For larger (expecting more than 10,000 attendees per day), a comprehensive Special Event EAP includes the following:
Event description:
- date/time
- location
- attendance
- vendors/contractors
- entertainment
- alcohol sales
Event site map including:
- emergency exits
- fire/emergency lanes
- first aid and AED locations
- command post/headquarters location (if available)
- think: if someone called 911 from anywhere in the event and described the surroundings, would a 911 dispatcher be able to look at your map and know where to send help?
Communications plan:
- Roles and responsibilities for key, onsite event personnel, e.g., Event Organizer, Security Manager, Police, Fire, EMS, etc.
- Who is ultimate decision maker if the event needs to be cancelled, postponed or similar? It is important for event staff to know exactly who has final decision-making power to eliminate potential conflicts.
- Contact information including radio channels, phone numbers, other methods of communication
- Pre-scripted emergency notifications and messaging
- Incident reporting and documentation
- Protocol for missing person/child/reunification
- Protocol for civil unrest activities within or near the event site
- Event signage: exits, first aid, water stations, “If You See Something, Say Something®”
Risk/hazard identification and mitigation:
- hazards and risks are identified based on the type or nature of the event being held, venue/location, audience, environment/season, etc.
Evacuation and/or shelter-in-place protocols:
- evacuation assembly areas or shelter-in-place gathering areas
- weather monitoring and severe weather plan
- thresholds for cancellation or postponement/delaying and who makes the decision
For questions about event emergency preparedness please contact the Office of Emergency Management at courtney.bernet@denvergov.org or 720-865-7600.