How many more times will we need to see an active shooter at an event, a stage fail at a concert or a car go through a large gathered crowd before we start preplanning? Anywhere a large gathering occurs presents the possibility that an incident may happen that will rapidly challenge local resources. Schools, concerts, fairs, sporting events, dignitary visits, celebrations, parks and monuments, and community events are all places where large numbers of people can be present and require planning in advance for emergency situations so that response can be as organized as possibly if something goes wrong. Some states or jurisdictions require a formal plan for events where 5000 people or more are present, but the planning threshold can vary based upon normal circumstances and available resources.
Blazemark® is a great planning tool not only for buildings/structures, but has been used very successfully to plan fairgrounds, highway interchanges, rail tunnels, high hazard rail lines, and even facilities for dignitary visits. Staging areas, helicopter landing zones, and triage locations are all easily captured and communicated so that all agencies operating at a scene have a common operating platform to work with. Access and egress paths can be identified so that EMS and fire units can use and maintain them, and law enforcement can keep them clear for ease of use. Water supplies for firefighting and decontamination can be identified. The beauty of Blazemark is that any temporary changes to any of this can be quickly entered, and immediately shared with all users so that everyone has the most current information.